product launch
Sonos Move

Our latest launch and Sonos' entry into the streaming Bluetooth category. Not at all a me-too product, this is Big Sound for all your needs. Indoor or outdoor.

product launch
Sonos Arc

The new Sonos Arc. Big sound for your big TV, featuring Dolby Atmos. Solid product with Alexa and Google Assistant built-in. If you have a giant screen, this will be it's and your new best friend. :)

product launch
Redesigned Product Setup

Launch of our completely redesigned and rebuilt product setup + onboarding experience. A project 2 years in the making, conceived to unify all Sonos product under one setup method, accounting for all setup needs of in-market product as well as future planned products. Proud of the team and huge thanks to Sonos for investing and believing in the project.



ANDI RUSU

Design Leadership,
Creative Direction & Management,
User Experience.
Seattle / PNW based
USA / EU






I am a Seattle-based Creative / Design Director, working on connecting business value to screen experiences. From agency to client side, from strategy, planning and design to implementation.



Currently, I lead Sonos' Seattle design team as the Senior Product UX/Design Manager.






What I do

User driven functionality planning and design, team leadership, creative process design and implementation.

Strategy, definition and design of user experiences for applications, mobile and desktop products.



Linkedin
Portfolio
Contact







Select experience details


SONOS*

Leading and growing the Seattle Initial Configuration, Setup and Onboarding UX team. Providing functional design leadership, strategic guidance and detailed tactical direction for the secure setup, direct to consumer cloud account connection, user onboarding, and product lifecycle experiences.



Easy
Working in the Sonos team. Hands down one of the most professional and dedicated crews I have ever been part of. The drive to put out amazing end-to-end experiences is incredible and makes the work easy flowing and easy feeling, even though it's an extremely complex IOT UX space. We also benefit from a tremendously engaged user-base that loves the product, cares and gives well intended feedback.

Satisfying
Delivering a critically important setup and onboarding experience that sets the tone for the entire user journey with the Sonos product. The newly designed and re-engineered Product Setup must work predictably and reliably with all the in-market products as well as the future devices we are incubating and exploring. Our work is regularly tested and qualitatively validated with the resulting feedback guiding improvements and future exploration.

Work and process casestudy ⟶ on request

Microsoft*

At Microsoft I led the 25 multi-specialty member Avatar Identity creative team. Delivered the new generation Xbox Avatars in 2018 and worked towards expanding identity representation in the workplace. Designed for trusted connections between people, work and social experiences via cloud driven architecture in a Mixed Reality context.

Prior to the Avatar engagement, as Design Director, I led the effort to define the next generation Windows Product Experiences for the Maps and People teams. Responsible for definition, articulation and delivery of secure, cloud and location data driven identity experiences to a variety of form factors ranging from mobile to Hololens.



Easy
Working in an environment of shared, common sense of purpose, genuine exploration of new mediums and defining new representation languages. Things get easy with access to the massive Microsoft network of knowledge and brilliant people, ready, interested and willing to help. What also helps is the tremendous amount of data informing experience design along with the chance to impact and improve the experience for millions of people daily.

Satisfying
Researching, concepting and building relevant experiences for present and future simultaneously. Driving experiences based on People Data as-a-service, and Location as-a-service concepts. Delivering at scale for millions of connected devices and people using the apps daily.

Work and process casestudy ⟶ on request

Deloitte Digital*

Provided agency and client account facing creative direction and leadership for 33 multi-specialty member team on multiple, concurrent, high profile digital projects. On the strategy side, I led clients through discovery, pitch and functionality workshop meetings, devised strategy and conducted competitive analysis. On the production side, engaged with the team on user research, usability reviews, design process, production, front-end code implementation and review.



Easy
Working with a great team and production processes, fine tuned to be responsive and fast, becomes a spoiler for future engagements, in addition to making things easy. Providing deep user experience insights and making design decisions is smooth and effortless when you have the benefit of working with some of the best consultants in the business, ready to provide all the data you'd ever need to design with.

Satisfying
Everything outlined above as easy is also satisfying. Additionally, being engaged on fast, short cycles, creates its own unique "force field" for creative work and team energy.

Work and process casestudy ⟶ on request

Windows 10* *

I have had the opportunity to creative direct the Windows 10 Website and CRM program for the Aug. 2016 launch event. A large scale effort run with a small team, the challenge was designing a highly flexible design system responsive to fast turnaround marketing demands, localized for 60+ international markets.

In a 10 months timespan we covered all aspects of the human centered design process. From research to establishing business and design KPIs, test goals, design pitch, production, design system development to measurement and looping back for optimization.



Easy
Working with a great team, highly motivated, invested and ready for everything in challenging creativity and pushing design boundaries. Delivering work in a demanding space to an eager audience, pushing and stretching the design language and framework.

Satisfying
Meeting the program KPIs and business goals with our work being well received, leading to a successful launch event and subsequent refresh cycles.

Work and process casestudy ⟶ on request

* Multiple Projects / Position
* * Single Project




Past clients served


Xbox

Amazon

HBO

Bill Gates Estate

Papa Murphy's

Restoration Hardware

Macy's

Under Armour

HP

Top Pot Doughnuts

HP Enterprise

National Geographic

Red Bull

MoPOP Seattle

McGraw Hill

KEXP Seattle

Smithsonian Folkways

Thierry Mugler

Sprint

City of Ketchikan




Recognition

Webby
Graphis
Print Regional Annual
Communication Arts
Seattle Show
Telly
Regional Emmy




Background Info

Between 2004 to 2014, I led IF/THEN, a technology-centric design studio I co-founded in Seattle. After serving as Creative Director for Deloitte Digital's Seattle office, I joined Microsoft as Design Director for the Maps and People teams, and headed the Communications and People family of products as Creative Director.

In my last position at Microsoft, as Principal Creative Director, I led the Mixed Reality Studio Avatars Creative team delivering UX/VX/Art, expanding identity representation, driving connections between people, work and social experiences in Mixed Reality and traditional contexts.

I joined Sonos as Senior UX Product Design Manager, leading the Seattle Setup, Onboarding and Product Lifecycle UX team in Jun. 2018.




Teaching Engagements

Cornish College of the Arts
School of Visual Concepts
University of Washington