About

Hey – I’m Megan Skjerpen! [“shure-pen”]

Lead Product Designer and Design Mentor driven by meaningful design that creates positive social impact. 

I’m a firm believer that great design does no harm and improves the lives of users real people – whether that’s making a small, complicated task easier or crafting a truly novel and innovative experience. I like to be hands-on throughout the entire creative process and collaborate with my team every step of the way. I sweat the details because they make or break an experience.

With over 10 years in the design industry and 7 years in product, I have developed broad experience helping mission-driven companies achieve measurable success through human-centered design.

For the past five years I’ve been working with Kinsa Health, helping families, schools, and communities prevent illness outbreaks and feel better faster. 

Before transitioning into product, I spent many years in traditional graphic design roles including creative branding, corporate annual reporting, and food packaging design. 

Most weekends you can find me taste-testing new recipes from my ever-growing collection of cookbooks or exploring National Parks across the country.

Currently based in Roseville, CA but originally from the Bay Area (hella ✌️).  You can reach me on LinkedIn or at megan.skjerpen(at)gmail.com.

Community & Mentorship

I believe in the power of community and the importance of mentorship – something that has played a vital role in my own career. Read more on my Mentorship page. Currently mentoring through ADPList and serving on the mentorship steering committee for Hexagon UX Bay Area, helping the next generation of women in design rise and discover their own stories & strengths.

ADPList | Hexagon UX Bay Area | Ladies that UX SF | Built By Girls | Girls In Tech

Ladies Get Paid | Design for Healthcare SF | WILD / AIGA SF

Design Values

My process and approach to human-centered design is guided by my design values – integrity, empathy and curiosity.

Integrity

Do No Harm

I believe that designers have a responsibility to be honest and do no harm. I advocate for design that solves impactful people problems in morally and ethically responsible ways, and I create with the understanding that design has a huge influence on how people behave and live their lives.

Empathy

People First

I believe that great things start with people – I take the phrase “walk a mile in their shoes” to heart, and I eagerly look for ways to connect with and understand people’s unique experiences. I lead with human-centered design and create with diversity, accessibility, and inclusivity in mind.

Curiosity

Challenge Your Assumptions

Curious by nature, designer by choice.
I love to ask questions to get to a deeper meaning, and I’m always looking to learn something new. I lean into what I’ve learned, but I’m a big believer in questioning what you know. You can count on me to ask “What data or research do we have on this?”.

  • "Megan's dedication towards creating experiences that are user-centric and thoughtful in every aspect is outstanding. She brings great passion, leadership and humor to teams which makes her a wonderful colleague to work with."

    Raph Halloran, Senior Product Designer

  • "Megan is a rare blend of creativity, initiative and execution. She is an incredibly talented design lead, exceptional team player and highly intelligent person with an exceptional work ethic."

    Andrey Skorodapsky, Principal Development Engineer

  • "Megan is a creative, collaborative, data-driven, and user-centric designer. She always delivered a valuable perspective to the table. Her questions and feedback were fresh, sharp, and on point."

    Yea Hwang, Senior Brand & Creative Designer

  • "It was a pleasure to work with Megan. I valued her feedback because it helped me approach testing from a different angle. She also thought outside of design and voiced any concerns that would impact other teams, or the business goal itself."

    Melyssa Green, Software Test Engineer

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