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Many Fathom consultants have taken long and winding journeys that led them to human-centered design, but Lucy Hinton’s journey may be the longest—and most fascinating! In her new role as a user experience consultant, Lucy will focus on creating and testing digital products and experiences for Fathom’s clients.
Lucy began her career with a fine arts degree from Minnesota State Mankato, which led her to roles in prop development and costume design. From researching, creating, and testing the feel and movement of elaborate mascot costumes to studying the safe use and storage of hazardous materials around the globe, Lucy experienced the breadth and depth of designing for humans—the balance of form and function.
As her lifestyle and career goals evolved, Lucy found a new outlet for her empathetic design approach through a UX product design role with Foundry. There she designed human-centered products, strategies, and roadmaps for a spectrum of B2B and D2C clients. For Lucy, it was an eye-opening experience to see the skills learned in the theater world give her a unique and valuable viewpoint into digital UX design.
“I often make the joke that I’ve both made and worn a bunch of hats over the years,” Lucy says. “I don’t have a traditional background for someone who works in tech, and I think that’s one of my unique strengths. When I changed careers from arts and entertainment to technology, not only did my toolkit change but so did my vocabulary. Having an outside perspective can be such a powerful approach to problem solving.”
Through all her roles, Lucy has honed skills that enable her to quickly map challenges and develop solutions: empathetic listening, clear communication, and the willingness to get “scrappy” and ask questions until she fully understands each viewpoint and perspective. She also believes deeply in empowering others and amplifying the voices of the people who use the products and services she helps create. Together, her diverse design background and deep empathy will be a tremendous benefit to Fathom clients.
“I always enjoy talking to people who have designed in multiple domains,” says Jeff Harrison, a lead consultant at Fathom. “Good designers develop tools and mindsets that they can apply to novel challenges, but great designers know they must step into a new territory with humility if they’re going to be effective there. Lucy spoke to this in her interview and connected it to traveling with her partner: researching local customs, learning some phrases, not wanting to count on everyone else to bridge the divide for her. This was both a terrific insight about design work and a big mark in the plus column for Lucy as a person.”
Fathom CEO and Managing Principal Kate McRoberts is excited to add Lucy’s empathetic design approach to Fathom’s human-centered consultant team. “Digital product design often happens far from users,” she says. “Lucy has such deep empathy for the people she is designing for—she sees people and seeks to understand their thoughts, emotions, and needs. This gives her a design perspective that centers on the user of the product or service she’s designing. I’m excited for our Fathom clients to benefit from Lucy’s work.”
Away from work, Lucy loves traveling the world with her partner, Austin. An avid Formula 1 fan, you can find Lucy most Sunday mornings watching live races before enjoying time cooking with family and friends or tending her garden (herbs, vegetables, butterflies, and weeds!). You can look for her this summer in Paris, as she plans to attend the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics.
Thanks for joining us, Lucy! To learn more about her or send a message, you can find Lucy on LinkedIn.
