Rik Sansone
Senior UX Leadership
I build the bridge between great ideas and real products — through research, strategy, and design that connects user needs to measurable business outcomes.
I approach UX not as a deliverable function but as a strategic discipline — connecting user insight to long-term product direction and measurable business outcomes.
Shape Product Strategy
- Established a goal to differentiate from competitors through a superior experience
- Added at least one capability competitors lacked: animated installation instructions
- Result: 37% decrease in help center calls related to installation
Long-Term UX Vision
- Ensured the app architecture had scalable space for future IoT products
- Integrated custom personalization into the app, adding features as new products launched
- Result: Multiple industry awards and market recognition
Align with Business Goals
- By holding stakeholder interviews, I uncover any common goals or expose any contrasting objectives.
- By conducting user research, I am able to clarify the user goals and inform the alignment with business objectives.
- By tracking KPIs such as time on task, usability ratings and usage data I am able to identify success or pain points.
Effective UX advocacy means building shared understanding — with stakeholders, with development teams, and with the users themselves. I have a consistent record of translating research into organizational buy-in.
Communication with Stakeholders
- Used quantitative stats in presentations to validate prototype decisions
- Showed recorded videos of real users engaging with prototypes during stakeholder reviews
- Result: UX solutions received little to no pushback at review
Evangelizing UX
- Conceived and delivered a presentation: "What IS UX?" — making the discipline accessible across non-design functions
- Established regular sharing meetings across the parent company's UX resources
- Result: Became the go-to UX expert sought out across multiple channels
Communication with Users
- Conducted user interviews to establish understanding of real habits and build genuine empathy
- In-person ride-alongs with delivery drivers, warehouse tours, and IRL observation sessions
- Result: Discovered and designed solutions for the real problems — not the assumed ones
I run UX as a practiced, repeatable discipline — embedded in product cycles, measured rigorously, and structured to grow organizational capability over time.
Process & Workflow
- Practiced Agile as UX leader — participating in sprint planning and delivering within development cadences
- Integrated user tests and ADA audits into the regular workflow as standing deliverables, not ad-hoc events
- Result: Increased productivity and goals met consistently across multiple sprints
UX Maturity
- Assessed UX maturity level across the parent company's subdivisions to identify gaps and opportunities
- Roadmapped where and how UX needed to evolve over the next 5 years
- Result: UX established as a crucial, omnichannel organizational need
Data-Driven Decisions
- A/B tests used to determine which design elements resonated most with users
- Time-on-task always measured — duration to complete a flow successfully is a core success metric
- User satisfaction scored on a 1–7 scale; scores of 6–7 required to get the green light
Leadership for me is creating the conditions for great work — building trust, developing people, and pushing teams to think beyond the obvious.
Inspire & Motivate
- Encouraged brain stimulation with conversations reaching across creative fields beyond UX
- Facilitated structured brainstorming sessions to push beyond first-instinct solutions
- Consistently pushed the team for "out of the box" concepts — not incremental improvements
- Result: New experiences that helped grow team trust, confidence, and creative range
Mentoring
- While at Delta Faucet, I served as a mentor for "IndyTech" an Indiana-based High School program.
- At Delta Faucet & Edible Arrangements, I established regular UX Sharing meetings during which team members shared work and I shared UX best practices and trends.
Empathy & Conflict Resolution
- Led conflict resolution for a local Indiana teen tech group where one team member was preventing others from contributing
- Coached the affected member to let the work speak for itself — shifting the dynamic constructively
I approach UX not as a deliverable function but as a strategic discipline — connecting user insight to long-term product direction and measurable business outcomes.
Shape Product Strategy
- Established a goal to differentiate from competitors through a superior experience
- Added at least one capability competitors lacked: animated installation instructions
- Result: 37% decrease in help center calls related to installation
Long-Term UX Vision
- Ensured the app architecture had scalable space for future IoT products
- Integrated custom personalization into the app, adding features as new products launched
- Result: Multiple industry awards and market recognition
Align with Business Goals
- By holding stakeholder interviews, I uncover any common goals or expose any contrasting objectives.
- By conducting user research, I am able to clarify the user goals and inform the alignment with business objectives.
Effective UX advocacy means building shared understanding — with stakeholders, with development teams, and with the users themselves.
Communication with Stakeholders
- Used quantitative stats in presentations to validate prototype decisions
- Showed recorded videos of real users engaging with prototypes during stakeholder reviews
- Result: UX solutions received little to no pushback at review
Evangelizing UX
- Conceived and delivered a presentation: "What IS UX?" — making the discipline accessible across non-design functions
- Established regular sharing meetings across the parent company's UX resources
- Result: Became the go-to UX expert sought out across multiple channels
Communication with Users
- Conducted user interviews to establish understanding of real habits and build genuine empathy
- In-person ride-alongs with delivery drivers, warehouse tours, and IRL observation sessions
- Result: Discovered and designed solutions for the real problems — not the assumed ones
I run UX as a practiced, repeatable discipline — embedded in product cycles, measured rigorously, and structured to grow organizational capability over time.
Process & Workflow
- Practiced Agile as UX leader — participating in sprint planning and delivering within development cadences
- Integrated user tests and ADA audits into the regular workflow as standing deliverables
- Result: Increased productivity and goals met consistently across multiple sprints
UX Maturity
- Assessed UX maturity level across the parent company's subdivisions to identify gaps and opportunities
- Roadmapped where and how UX needed to evolve over the next 5 years
- Result: UX established as a crucial, omnichannel organizational need
Data-Driven Decisions
- A/B tests used to determine which design elements resonated most with users
- Time-on-task always measured — duration to complete a flow successfully is a core success metric
- User satisfaction scored on a 1–7 scale; scores of 6–7 required to get the green light
Leadership for me is creating the conditions for great work — building trust, developing people, and pushing teams to think beyond the obvious.
Inspire & Motivate
- Encouraged brain stimulation with conversations reaching across creative fields beyond UX
- Facilitated structured brainstorming sessions to push beyond first-instinct solutions
- Result: New experiences that helped grow team trust, confidence, and creative range
Mentoring
- While at Delta Faucet, I served as a mentor for "IndyTech" an Indiana-based High School program.
- Established regular UX Sharing meetings for team members to share work and discuss best practices.
Empathy & Conflict Resolution
- Led conflict resolution for a local Indiana teen tech group where one team member was preventing others from contributing
- Coached the affected member to let the work speak for itself — shifting the dynamic constructively
Case Studies
Mobile App • IoT
DFC@Home
Led UX direction for Delta Faucet Company's smart home IoT app — driving measurable reductions in support calls and resolving 66 accessibility failures.
View Case Study
IoT • Hardware Interface Design
Steam Shower Digital Interface
Directed all UX for Delta and Brizo's in-shower digital wall interface and connected mobile app — transforming an acquired product into an award-winning smart home experience.
View Case Study 
Mobile App • B2B • eCommerce
Marketplace Mobile App
Sole designer on a B2B mobile app empowering franchise store owners to order supplies, manage inventory, and communicate with vendors.
View Case Study 
Mobile App • Operations
Sprout Inventory Management
Mobile-first inventory and operations platform built to replace a $1M/year subscription.
View Case Study 
Mobile App • SaaS
GO! Delivery App
Improved UX for drivers, managers, and corporate users on a SaaS delivery tracking app.
View Case Study 
Mobile App • Consumer
FoodFlix Mobile App
A consumer app pairing movies, TV, and sports with food — born from a graduate thesis.
View Case Study 
Web • Strategy
Sports Media Distribution Site
Redesigned a sports media content distribution site to surface event-driven content and serve buyers more effectively.
View Case Study 
Creative Direction
Lumen Brand Presentation
Provided fast creative direction to rescue a branded presentation from missing its deadline.
View Case Study