As 2019 begins, we want to give you the opportunity to meet some of the employees that make InVision such a special place to work through the books that inspire them.
Some names and faces might be familiar to you from book jackets, InVision videos or the community events that we do around the world; others might be new to you, as they operate quietly in the background, helping to build the products and resources that you rely on daily. But what unites the entire InVision team are the beliefs that our customers are champions of design, and we all need a little inspiration from time to time.
Adam Fry-Pierce
Location: Seattle
Title: Director, Design Community
What I really do at InVision: Bring together design leaders and leading designers. Most of my time is spent on the Design Leadership Forum and DesignBetter.Co workshops.
Book: We Learn Nothing by Tim Kreider
“This book will make you laugh, cry, and think about the human condition. You’ll find yourself mulling over life, death, old friends, and generally examining how you react to the world around you. I highly recommend the audiobook, also narrated by Tim.
Sophie Tahran
Location: New York, NY
Title: UX Writer
What I really do at InVision: Improve the user experience through words
Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
“The Alchemist is a modern classic that resonates universally. It’s a quick read, best revisited whenever you need a reminder of the power of listening to your heart.”
Leah Buley
Location: San Francisco
Title: Director, Design Education
What I really do at InVision: Discover and share how the world’s best companies do design
Book: Go: A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design by Chip Kidd
“Chip Kidd is a brilliant book cover designer. Even though this is an entry-level design book, it’s beautiful, clever, and teaches even an old hand some new tricks.”
Shayna Hodkin
Location: Tel Aviv, Israel
Title: Managing Editor, Inside Design
What I really do at InVision: Help designers do better work and live better lives, as told by other designers (mostly)
Book: Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit
“Being a woman in the world (and the workplace) is a lot more difficult that we’re given credit for. For women, this book will let you know that you’re not alone; for men, this book should open your eyes to the exhausting nonsense we’re subjected to by virtue of being.”
Rachael Kleinman
Location: Boston, Massachusettes
Title: Customer Marketing Manager
What I really do at InVision: Talk to our amazing customers and find ways to share their stories with the design world
Book: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“This is possibly my favorite book of all time, and I love to read. It offers an incredibly insightful perspective on race in America told through the lens of a strong female Nigerian narrator. Adichie has a gorgeous, poetic way of writing that is also incredibly clever and accessible. Love love love this book.”
Emily Campbell
Location: Moab, Utah
Title: Senior Design Specialist, Design Transformation
What I really do at InVision: Coach design teams and design leadership on ways to elevate their design practice and have more of a strategic impact within their companies
Book: Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard Feynman
“I’ve read two copies of this book to the point of destruction. Dr. Feynman was humorous, creative, and inspirational–not things you would expect from an astrophysicist. This book has challenged me to embrace curiosity and learn to find joy in process and failure in the pursuit of discovery. It’s a must-read for anyone with a creative spirit.”
Mike Davidson
Location: Seattle, Washington
Title: VP, Partnerships & Community
What I really do at InVision: I handle product integrations, partnerships, M&A, and design community outreach
Book: Incognito by David Eagleman
“We like to think we are all conscious beings generally in control of our actions, but this book provides a compelling case for how our unconscious minds may actually control a great deal of our lives.”
Aarron Walter
Location: Athens, Georgia
Title: VP of Design Education
What I really do at InVision: Share the design best practices of the most innovative teams.
Book: Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
“Harari paints a picture of where we’ve come from and in doing so shows with a fresh perspective who we are today.”
Kaysie Garza
Location: Rapid City, SD
Title: Content Specialist
What I really do at InVision:Use words (and wit) to make marketing and customer experiences better.
Book: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
“The writing in this book is so beautiful that it will linger in your memory for years. It’s an incredible lesson in storytelling with a Pulitzer as proof.”
Seth Shaw
Location: San Diego, CA
Title: Chief Customer Officer
What I really do at InVision: Strategic, tactical, and emotional guidance of customer-facing teams
Book: Make Time by Jake Knapp
“Simple and practical advice on how to get out of the reactive busy work and time traps that dominate our lives. This book could help you live a more purposeful life.”
Avi Posluns
Location: New York
Title: Director of Employee Happiness
What I really do at InVision: HR for hippies
Book: Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life by Martin E. P. Seligman
“Anything you can learn you can unlearn. If we can learn helplessness we can learn how to help ourselves. The first half has fascinating, brilliant research; the second half helps you apply it.”
Ryan Burke
Location: London, UK
Title: SVP, International
What I really do at InVision: Lead the go-to-market for InVision’s international business
Book: Power of Moments by Chip Heath, Dan Heath
“This book was recommended to me by Manav Khurana, our CMO, so it was double endorsed. It’s full of great examples of how to make memorable moments and the impact they have on your professional and personal life.”
Nancy Fu Magee
Location: San Carlos, CA
VP, Product Management
What I really do at InVision: Herd the cats
Book: The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
“People generally make the mistake of thinking this is a book about decluttering. It’s not. It’s a journey of self-discovery on the path to joy and self-confidence, seasoned with a dash of animism and Japanese quirkiness. It’s absolutely delightful.
by Jen Mylroie
These are a few of my favorite things these days: my 4-month-old son, travel (40+ countries), coffee (see baby reference), Crossfit, and making designers’ lives easier with InVision Enterprise.
