KP

Hello!

photo of me

I'm Kim Portnoy, a passionate and hard-working design leader who's spent the last 20 years creating delightful digital products.

Work

I lead Product Design at Sycle, a software platform for managing audiology practices.

I manage a team of two user experience designers who's optimism and enthusiasm drive me to be a better leader.  I am always asking for their input, trust their judgement and appreciate their dedication to improving the team and themselves immensely. 

Previously, I led the User Experience at Bitly. Prior to that I spent over 12 years as a freelance designer, with clients ranging from well known brands to early stage startups. I spend a few years working for Dell honing my front-end development skills and learning about Information Architecture. In the late 90's I was busy designing recruiting brochures for many of NYC's top law firms .

When I'm not working

Most recently I conquered breast cancer, while parenting a toddler during Covid. I'm a dedicated CrossFit athlete currently crushing it in my garage gym in Fort Langley, BC. I enjoy a quality craft brew, perfecting my latte art, bingeing on Netflix reality shows, and creating garbage trucks out of cardboard boxes.

My design principles

  • Start with the why.
  • Always put the user first.
  • Think in systems.
  • Dream big, start small.

My leadership philosophy

I believe empathy, trust, and transparency are the foundation upon which great teams are built. As a manager, I care deeply about the experience and success of my team. I strive to create an environment that fosters personal and professional growth by preaching what I practice, listening more, and continuously self-assessing.