Headshot of Tom McQuaid

Tom McQuaid

Product Design Leader + Educator

About

Product design leader building products, systems, and teams that make sense. Over the past 13+ years, I’ve led design across finance, tech, education, and nonprofits, crafting digital experiences that work for real people with real-world constraints.

Current Work

Since 2022

Asst. Director Product Design – Northwestern Mutual

New York, Remote

Leading product design across a portfolio of advisor-facing tools used by more than 6,500 financial advisors nationwide. I manage a multi-level design team and partner with Product, Engineering, and business leaders to shape product strategy, improve connected experiences across the platform, and strengthen how design operates within the organization.

Since 2022

Lecturer, UX & UI Design – University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia

Instructor and curriculum developer for Penn's first studio course in UX/UI design. Students learn principles of user research and design thinking, interaction design fundamentals, and practical Figma skills that prepare them for careers in product design and development.

Education

2009 – 2013

BA, Design – University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia