Sam Summer

I lead the product and design for an AI platform built to help people find (and actually succeed in) jobs they love. The existing hiring process is broken: companies screen on criteria that don’t predict fit, recruiters are stretched too thin to screen thoughtfully, and candidates struggle to articulate relevant experience. My work focuses on reshaping that experience end to end. I design interviewing agents that guide candidates through thoughtful, human conversations; build analytics that help employers predict retention rather than résumé polish; and translate messy hiring workflows into simple, scalable tools. I joined Upwage full-time in May 2025 after consulting with the team for over a year, and have since helped drive growth from $120K to over $2.3M ARR—all while serving as the company’s lone designer and the connective tissue between product, engineering, and the people we’re building for.

In 2021, I founded Foundation, a small design studio taking on an eclectic mix of product, brand, and web work. As Principal Designer, I lead a tight-knit team of designers and engineers and stay hands-on throughout the entire process—from early product strategy through final production builds. Our work spans visual identities, complex digital experiences, and the websites that bring brand stories to life. Along the way, the studio was recognized as a DesignRush Top Web Development Company four years running, but our biggest accomplishment has been building long-term partnerships with clients who trust us with their hardest (and most interesting) problems.

At the University of Washington, I worked as a UX Designer focused on modernizing the tools that support the university’s extensive research operations. I built the core design system used across five internal products and led the redesign of the budget tool that manages $1.77B in annual research funding. As teams became increasingly remote, I expanded browser and device support to make these tools more accessible and reliable. I also led dozens of presentations for audiences ranging from principal investigators to department directors, aligning stakeholders around clearer workflows and a more cohesive product vision.

At Wisr, I worked as a Technical UX/UI Designer, helping scale the platform during a period of rapid growth. I led the design of features that supported Wisr’s expansion from 5 to 40 partner institutions, grounding product decisions in user research ranging from interviews to card sorting to A/B testing. I communicated design concepts clearly through prototypes and mockups, and partnered closely with engineering—often contributing front-end code myself. I also redesigned the company’s marketing site, increasing inbound information requests by 39% and helping establish a clearer, more compelling story for prospective partners.

I earned my Master of Science in Human Centered Design & Engineering from the University of Washington, graduating with a 3.99 GPA. During the program, I led sponsored research projects with Airtable and the National Park Service, blending qualitative research, systems thinking, and interaction design to tackle real-world challenges. The program deepened my expertise in user-centered methodologies and strengthened the technical and strategic foundations that shape my work today.

I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, graduating magna cum laude. My studies focused on the intersection of design, technology, and the built environment, and I was awarded the John & Beatrice Wesley Memorial Prize for excellence in design. The program shaped the way I approach form, structure, and systems—foundations that continue to influence my work across digital product design and beyond.