Kevin Farner

Director of Minneapolis, MN Office
Kevin Farner is Director of the GRD office in the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN region. Kevin provides human-centered design methods, management, and skills to design usable products that are engaging and enjoyable to use.

Collaborative Design
Kevin's passion for user-centered design permeates his work. His success is tied to a collaborative approach that is inclusive yet drives to quick decisions. He is an advocate for the users of the products he is working on, designing solutions that help users act and feel smarter. Kevin's background in product management helps him take the raw data from research and focus that data on achieving results.

Leadership
Kevin has achieved success with early wins within organizations by showing the value of observing users in their natural work environment. Kevin's hands-on experience in user research and prototyping exhibits his knowledge and passion for the profession and has garnered the respect of those with whom he works. Kevin recognizes the challenges and deadlines that arise in high visibility projects. He has the experience and aptitude to remain a calming voice when the pressure is on.

Wide Range of Experience
Kevin has a natural affinity for working with development teams. His clear communication skills are critically important to driving successful outcomes. He can talk with users in non-technical terms, translate a business issue to a developer, and present the ROI to an executive sponsor. Kevin stays abreast of new technologies and trends and uses this knowledge to help companies stretch beyond what is being implemented today.

Past Work
Kevin has worked at US Bank, Metavante, The Bank of New York, Thomson Financial, and RSM McGladrey. At all of these companies he successfully implemented user-centered design practices and integrated the practices into the product and project management teams.

Education
Kevin has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Notre Dame. He is a former board president of the MN Chapter of the UXPA.