Anna E. Cook

Resume

 

Resume

I am an award-winning design leader, international keynote speaker, and accessibility and inclusive design specialist. Currently, I'm a Senior Designer at Microsoft, leading product creation focusing on accessibility and inclusion in platforms. With over a decade of digital design experience, I am a recognized international speaker and writer in design and tech communities.

Experience

Senior Designer at Microsoft | August 2022 - Present

Guided cross-functional teams in Azure spanning research, design, product management, and engineering to test and build innovative solutions that created high-quality experiences with measurable impact on growth, usability, and accessibility.

  • Identified business goals, user needs, technical constraints, and the competitive landscape for Azure.

  • Navigated the stakeholder landscape, working both horizontally and vertically to influence and shape product strategy, design direction, and objectives.

  • Drove human-centered and inclusive design processes for defining and executing features from concept to launch.

  • Delivered design outputs such as high-level concepts, detailed designs, and interactive prototypes to guide product development.

  • Provided systems thinking for large-scale modular design systems such as Fluent and product-specific systems in Cloud + AI.

  • Rapidly integrated accessibility needs and feedback in feature work to launch compliant, user-friendly product updates.

  • Guided junior and mid-level designers on initiatives, contributing to the Microsoft design community to continually raise the bar for quality and craft.

  • Represented design strategies and decisions in clear and compelling ways across the company and externally at events worldwide.

  • Influenced inclusive design for cognition and contributed to tools in Microsoft Design.

Senior Accessibility Designer, Design Systems at Northwestern Mutual | May 2021 - July 2022

Led accessibility efforts in Northwestern Mutual’s design system, developed scalable, inclusive solutions, and collaborated across teams to integrate best practices into product development.

  • Defined accessibility strategy and guided Product, Design, and Engineering teams (iOS, Android, Web) in adopting best practices and informed accessibility decisions.

  • Created guidance and standards for controls and patterns utilized across Northwestern Mutual product areas with an emphasis on usability and accessibility.

  • Transformed research insights into actionable solutions by synthesizing requirements into intuitive, elegant, and universally usable experiences.

  • Advanced accessibility education and shaped ongoing training initiatives in inclusive design, industry standards, and compliance best practices.

  • Influenced design thinking with accessibility perspectives and refined processes to create more inclusive and effective digital experiences.

  • Conducted hands-on accessibility testing using assistive technologies like VoiceOver, NVDA, and JAWS to identify and resolve key usability challenges.

Senior Product Designer at Recurly | February 2020 - May 2021

Strategized and designed key flows in Recurly’s core SaaS product, built customer relations through hands-on research sessions, and integrated design and accessibility practices across product, design, and engineering teams.

  • Created usable, sustainable, and accessible components for the Recurly product design system.

  • Identified user needs through generative research, working closely with PMs and research teams to navigate customer conversations.

  • Conducted research sessions, including generating interview scripts, gathering user feedback, and synthesizing data.

  • Delivered design outputs such as high-level concepts, detailed designs, and interactive prototypes to guide the Recurly product.

  • Provided detailed interactions and specifications to engineering to ensure seamless and rapid development.

  • Facilitated ideation workshops across departments to define product strategy and scale practices.

  • Improved processes within product teams to ensure consistent product experiences and accessible outputs.

Senior UX Designer at Transamerica | June 2018 - January 2020

Led design efforts for Transamerica Funds, mobile app, and the mutual funds database by crafting accessible, sustainable, and user-friendly components for the Transamerica product design system.

  • Established and led accessibility initiatives, ensuring compliance and usability across digital products.

  • Defined user-centered design strategies and transformed insights into intuitive solutions through sketches, prototypes, and iterative refinement.

  • Influenced product direction with data-driven insights by collaborating closely with research teams to validate and enhance user experiences.

  • Optimized content management workflows and streamlined processes for efficiency and consistency across platforms.

  • Conducted accessibility and usability audits, delivering actionable recommendations that improved engagement and product usability.

  • Partnered with engineering teams and provided detailed interaction specifications to ensure pixel-perfect execution and seamless functionality.

UX Designer at Alloy Magnetic | February 2016 - June 2018

Owned end-to-end design for clients, including branding, UX, and interface design. Developed digital strategies, created user personas, and built scalable content management solutions that drove engagement and enhanced usability.

  • Shaped strategic directions by collaborating with business partners to align design with organizational goals.

  • Created and refined user personas by leveraging insights to inform digital and product strategy.

  • Developed website and product strategies by establishing information architecture and designing wireframes for optimal usability.

  • Defined visual identity by leading branding workshops and crafting brand guidelines.

  • Designed high-fidelity mockups and prototypes; presented and iterated designs based on client feedback.

  • Built scalable design systems by refining controls and patterns for long-term usability.

  • Led design reviews, facilitated stakeholder alignment, and drove strategic decisions.

  • Guided development and collaborated with engineering teams to ensure smooth implementation.

UX Designer at PR Newswire | June 2015 - February 2016

Designed digital experiences for both public-facing and post-login customer products, ensuring seamless interaction and enhanced engagement.

  • Defined visual identity by leading branding workshops and crafting brand guidelines.

  • Created scalable design systems by developing components and style guides for consistent usability.

  • Partnered with stakeholders and adapted websites based on user needs and business objectives.

  • Conducted user research by gathering data and iterating designs to improve experiences.

  • Designed promotional content and illustrated digital assets for online distribution.

UX Designer at n.io | September 2014 - May 2015

Designed web applications and marketing materials to elevate IoT software capabilities, driving engagement and brand awareness.

  • Prepared materials to pitch startup software to increase investment opportunities for leadership team

  • Developed experience-driven interfaces and optimized usability in IoT applications.

  • Designed web experiences and crafted compelling digital spaces for product promotion.

  • Created digital branding assets, including logo designs, brand guidelines, and messaging.

Web + Graphic Designer at CU-Boulder | April 2012 - August 2014

Led design initiatives for ALTEC and OIT, enhancing digital and print experiences for educators and students.

  • Designed websites, aligning digital presence with CU-Boulder’s strategy

  • Created promotional content, designing materials for international events and campaigns

  • Led design workshops, teaching inclusive design principles to K-12 educators

  • Managed content uploads, overseeing digital updates in the Drupal content management system

 

Education

Master’s of Science in Creative Technologies + Design, University of Colorado Boulder

The Master’s of Science in Creative Technologies + Design equips students with skills in:

  • Design — needs assessment, articulating alternatives, selection process, iteration, and developing solutions

  • The business of creativity — communicating work visually and verbally, engaging with industry, networking, and professional skills 

  • Technical fluency — a foundation in contemporary digital skills, including coding and development 

  • Emphasis has been included on inclusivity and accessibility within these subject areas

Bachelor of Art in Studio Art, University of Colorado Boulder

  • Bachelor of Art in Studio Art with an emphasis in digital media and design

  • Minor in Technology Arts & Media with Honors: a program designed to teach students creative thinking, technical skills, and visual communication

 

Volunteer Work

CU-Boulder Disability Services Peer Notetaker | 2022

As a peer notetaker through Disability Services at CU-Boulder, I took in-depth notes for a peer in my class, ensured the notes were accessible, and sent those notes to my peer through the CU-Boulder “Accommodations” portal.

TechGirlz Instructor | 2018-2020

TechGirlz is a non-profit dedicated to reducing the gender gap in STEM education and careers. TechGirlz’s mission is to inspire middle school girls to explore the possibilities of technology to empower their future careers. As an instructor, I prepared design and front-end development workshops and teach them to girls either in-person or virtually.

 

Publications

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2013

 

Skillset

Design Leadership & Operations

I bring design leadership to organizations, shaping strategy and operations across product teams. I mentor designers, lead initiatives, and elevate standards.

  • Mentoring designers and providing visionary leadership across cross-functional teams, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

  • Guiding stakeholders in shaping unified product strategies and elevating overall design excellence.

  • Spearheading design visions that align creative processes with broader business objectives and long-term product roadmaps.

  • Organizing and leading design workshops, agile sprints, and cross-disciplinary meetings that drive collaboration across teams.

  • Advocating for a cohesive design culture through community-building initiatives and DesignOps integrations to streamline workflows.

Expert Design Craft

I have a full range of interaction, visual, and product-thinking skills. I’m comfortable shifting between vision definition, framework building, and hands-on pixel work.

  • Specializing in both interaction and visual design, creating engaging, user-centric digital interfaces.

  • Developing high-fidelity prototypes and detailed wireframes that accurately convey design intent and user journeys.

  • Crafting compelling content strategies and robust information architectures to support intuitive navigation.

  • Leveraging industry-standard design tools (Figma, Sketch, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop) to create polished, innovative designs.

  • Applying iterative design thinking and research to continuously validate and improve design solutions, ensuring usability and appeal across platforms.

Accessibility & Inclusive Design

I have industry-leading expertise in accessibility and inclusive design and an understanding of how to embed practices at scale quickly, ensuring products are compliant and usable.

  • Leading accessibility initiatives with a strong focus on WCAG compliance.

  • Using assistive technologies (VoiceOver, JAWS, NVDA) to refine design solutions.

  • Embedding inclusive design principles into long-term product roadmaps.

  • Designing for diverse user populations, ensuring digital experiences are tailored to varying cognitive, motor, and sensory needs.

  • Practicing participatory design methodologies by directly collaborating with users to gather authentic insights.

  • Developing strategies that go beyond mere compliance, creating experiences that are universally usable and intuitive.

  • Championing initiatives that integrate feedback from accessibility audits, user research, and field testing to continually enhance inclusivity.

Technical Expertise

I have a robust understanding of technical constraints, coding practices, and frameworks. I guide engineers to drive end-to-end solutions for complex workflows.

  • Demonstrating strong proficiency in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and modern frameworks (React, Vue), enabling a deep understanding of technical constraints.

  • Collaborating closely with engineering teams to ensure design solutions are feasible, scalable, and technically sound.

  • Developing advanced prototypes that simulate real application behavior, aiding in effective usability testing.

  • Integrating data insights (via A/B testing and analytics) into the design process to validate and refine design decisions.

  • Maintaining fluency in emerging technical trends and front-end best practices to continually evolve design-development pipelines.

Strategic Problem-Solving

I am adept at synthesizing business needs, user research, and technical constraints to make strategic design decisions. I understand how to balance these elements into meaningful results.

  • Employing data-driven design methodologies to synthesize business objectives with user insights and technical constraints.

  • Tackling complex design challenges by breaking problems into actionable tasks and creating innovative solutions that address user pain points.

  • Translating qualitative and quantitative research findings into strategic design actions that drive product differentiation.

  • Balancing long-term vision with agile responsiveness, ensuring designs remain both strategically sound and adaptable to market shifts.

  • Leveraging cross-disciplinary collaboration with product managers, engineers, and researchers to continuously refine problem-solving approaches throughout the design lifecycle.

Communication & Influence

I build strong relationships across product teams, lead discussions, workshops, and scope realistic deliverables with partners. I speak to the work both internally and externally at large-scale events.

  • Delivering executive-level presentations that translate complex design concepts into clear, compelling business value.

  • Developing persuasive narratives and storytelling techniques to advocate for design strategies across organizational levels.

  • Building strong relationships and fostering meaningful collaboration with product, engineering, and marketing teams to align design visions.

  • Leading and facilitating workshops, design critiques, and brainstorming sessions that generate impactful ideas and enable consensus.

  • Maintaining a consistent dialogue with stakeholders, ensuring design rationale and project impacts are well understood and embraced.

Want to learn more about how I work?