UX Evangelism and Product Leadership…

From Strategy and Vision, to Experience Design

Hi, I’m Barrett Kenney – Over the last four years I have worked as a UX Director on Nike’s strategic initiative to digitally transform. This has involved gaining an understanding of end-to-end business processes and working with cross-functional teammates to define requirements for the future supply chain.

Prior to joining the program at Nike I spent the better part of a decade in product innovation roles – including smart city IoT, connected devices and wearable technology – as well as design for mobile application ecosystems with industry leading brands like Intel, Nike, Oakley, Recon, and Vitalize Fitness.

Innovation and Inventions – Patents and Trademarks

Embracing an ever curious mindset, constantly inspired and excited by the problem at hand, I tend to fully immerse myself within the domain or problem space where I am working. Part dreamer, part doer in both the work and in my life, here is a collection of product innovations or invention disclosures, brands and trademarks I’ve created.

Oakley Radar Pace

Innovation – The worlds first sport coaching platform embedded into eyewear with a conversational interface.

AI/ML Coaching

Invention – A method to facilitate coaching feedback for a user, receiving contextual data at a sensor array, based on environmental conditions.
patent reference: #20170178532

AI/ML Bio-signal Monitoring

Invention – The system includes a plurality of wearable sensors, and one or more processors to access a breathing pattern of a wearer.
patent reference: #20210137451.

Sensor Enhanced Bike Light

Innovation – Sensor enhanced bike light, designed to respond to variable rider movements and respond with a variety of light patterns.

Edible Weapons

Trademark – Brand Identity, Novelty confectionary and kitchen accessories.

Intelligent Water Bottle

Innovation – SOC and sensor array embedded bottle, which uses a plurality of sensors to monitor consumption, and adjust contextual feedback.

Pole Grip Assembly

Innovation – SOC, GPS and AR enabled pole grip, designed for use in a range of weather and variable terrain conditions.

Nike’s Supply Chain
Digital Transformation

In order to think about digital transformation across the supply chain it required thinking differently about how we work, how we approach enterprise level solutions, and also how we imagine ways of working will change in order to serve the future needs of our customers. For me this started by determining the role of UX on a program of this scope and scale. I worked to align key decisions on UX technologies for adoption at the platform level. Then tailored engagement models based on need for UX expertise in different areas of the business.

Establishing an Enterprise UX Practice:
1. Define the role UX plays in the Enterprise.
2. Identify areas of the business where UX should focus.
3. Determine how UX can deliver the most value.
4. Establish an engagement model to support business functions.

Smart City IoT

In 2016 I worked as a Principal UX consultant with Silver Spring Networks. Working with key stakeholders in the business I led the UX effort on IoT initiatives to design a platform for innovation. This was used by engineers at utility companies around the globe.

I was responsible for UX leadership across multiple products. I managed the process for design agency engagements, performed competitive landscape analysis and hands-on research with IoT hardware, and was responsible for the design of a developer and a device management portal – and pilot logistics track and trace solution.

IoT Developer Portal

The developer portal acts as a platform for innovation for engineers at utilities to purchase hardware kits, leverage documentation and learning resources, and simulate device behavior on the Starfish network.

This platform can also be used by engineers in other infrastructure verticals to explore other potential industry solutions such as logistics, agriculture, streetlight management and a variety of other use cases.

Nikeplus – Fuelband, Running Watch and App Ecosystem

Part of Nike’s culture and ethos is “Win as a Team”, the Fuelband and Nikeplus ecosystem was most definitely a team effort. My role on this team was to work as an Interaction design lead, looking across the common elements of the experience and a way to connect that across products. This came to life through many conceptual explorations and prototypes, and the connective tissue became a common profile experience shared across applications. This came to life in a shared feed to allow people to celebrate with their friends and find community, and a profile that allowed users to move easily between applications.

Intel New Devices Group – Wearable Technology Platform

As a Sr Experience Designer with Intel’s New Devices Group I was responsible for leading the Interaction Design effort on a flagship partnership with Oakley, to launch the Oakley Radar Pace, a smart voice activated coaching platform embedded into a pair of performance eyewear.

In addition I also worked closely with the New Business Initiatives team on key concept exploration and storytelling artifacts to help create awareness for Intel’s IQ wearable technology platform, and build relationships with strategic brand partners from Tag Heuer to Espn X-Games.

Always be curious, never stop learning

The only thing I miss about commuting is reading, or I should say listening to audio books. I love consuming information, hearing stories, predictions and optimistic outlooks of the future.