McLean Donnelly
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👋​ Hi, I'm McLean. 

I'm a design leader, professor, frequent conference speaker and also enjoy being an active board member for youth-based nonprofits. 

Currently, I'm a faculty member at the University of Minnesota, College of Design. I've also taught at Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD). 

I am a seasoned design leader, formerly the  VP of Design at Shutterstck, Director of UX Design at Shopify, and Manager at Expedia. 


I earned a Bachelor's of Arts from Gettysburg College, a Master's of Business Administration and also studied internationally at Rhodes University. 

Feel free to stay in touch on LinkedIn. 


UX Leadership Roles
Director, UX Design
Shopify (2021 - 2022)
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​​Design Director for global UX teams at high growth eCommerce company. Focused on growth/revenue and Search experiences. 
​
  • Led 30+ designers, researchers & UX writers
  • Work included designing search experiences and supporting internal tools. 

​​​​
Vice President, UX Design
Shutterstock (2016 - 2019)
​

Design executive for Shutterstock, a publicly-traded tech company with over 600MM in annual revenue. 

  • Scaled 30-person global design team
  • Led platform-wide UI Design upgrade 
  • Hands on design for iOS & Android launch
  • Led translation team (25+ languages)​
  • Promoted from Director 


​Lead/Manager, UX Design
Expedia (
2014 - 2016)
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Lead designer and manager of UX teams for global eCommerce design teams.

  • Managed day-to-day for 2 design teams
  • Expedia Flights Redesign
  • Expedia Things to Do Redesign
  • Launched 150 A/B Tests!​
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​SKILLS 🔥
​
​•  User Experience (UX Design)
•  User Interface (UI Design)

•  Artificial Intelligence Design
•  Strategy/Innovation
•  Business/Analytics
•  Team Leadership

​AWARDS 🏆
​

•  UX Magazine Design for Good Award
​•  Target Employee of the Quarter Award
•  St. Thomas Alumni 'Giant Impact' Award
•  SCAD 100 Club Teaching Award

​•  Webbby Design Award (Finalist)

EDUCATION 📚

Masters of Business Administration (MBA)
St. Thomas University (2013)
​Bachelors of Arts (BA)
Gettysburg College (2007)
Rhodes University
International Study (2006)
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Teaching 🍎​ 

I’m passionate about education. Between corporate roles, I’ve taken time to teach—a life-changing experience that helped me grow as both a designer and a person. I’m also an active member of youth-focused nonprofits because I believe in supporting the next generation.

As Nelson Mandela taught us, “Education is the most powerful tool we have to change the world.” It’s more than a right—it’s what unlocks human potential. Teaching isn’t just about instruction; it’s about sparking curiosity, inspiring growth, and building stronger communities.

Leadership in education is about creating opportunities and turning vision into action. Whether it’s shaping a curriculum or mentoring students, it’s work that transforms lives and strengthens entire communities. At its core, education is about relationships, compassion, and always putting students first.

​Together, we can build a brighter, more connected future for all.


– McLean 
Design Faculty

University of Minnesota

I'm honored to be the first full-time faculty member in UX Design. I've also supported the university-wide effort to launch a new major in UX Design starting in the fall of 2025. I teach courses on UX Design, UI Design, Artificial Intelligence and Innovation.​
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Professor of Design

Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD)

I taught undergraduate and graduate courses in UX Design, Innovation, and Business. Notably, my students achieved recognition by winning the prestigious Red Dot International Design award for college students. I played a pivotal role in crafting the foundational curriculum for the SCAD Masters of UX Design degree program.
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Favorite Design Books 📚​

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As Little Design as Possible by Sophie Lovell delves into the philosophy and legacy of influential designer Dieter Rams, who pioneered the “less but better” approach in product design. The book covers Rams’ iconic work with Braun and Vitsoe, presenting his ten principles of good design.

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​Accessibility for Everyone by Laura Kalbag provides a comprehensive introduction to creating inclusive web designs that accommodate people with various disabilities. The book covers the principles of accessible design, emphasizing why accessibility matters and how to approach it practically. It's a useful read for designers and developers who want to make their work accessible to all.

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100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People by Susan M. Weinschenk offers key insights into human psychology to help designers create more intuitive and effective experiences. Covering topics like attention, memory, and perception, it provides science-backed principles to enhance usability and user satisfaction.
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​Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin follows two friends, Sam and Sadie, as they build a video game and navigate the complexities of creativity, friendship, and collaboration. It's recommended for designers because it insightfully explores the challenges and joys of creating something meaningful with others, making it relatable for anyone in team-driven creative work.
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Get in touch! 

Feel free send me a note if you would like to get in touch. 
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Totally unrelated, but I recently built the Millennium Falcon Lego Kit. Also, my site favicon is from Star Wars :) 

​May the force be with you!

LET'S CONNECT 👋

Thanks for visiting my website. Feel free to email, connect or follow to continue the conversation. 
MADE IN MINNESOTA ⛄

​My website aims to work for all users - feel free to leave feedback or view accessible design resources.

ACCESSIBILITY ♿
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