I'm Madison, a product designer, strategist & storyteller.

Madison O'Connor stands in front of a building, painted with a mural of flowers.
I craft compelling, intentional experiences that help mission-driven organizations achieve their goals. My work focuses on the interaction between organizations and their audiences, fostering connections that lead to growth and engagement.

I started my career as a reporter for newspapers across the country, covering higher education, local government and the largest sexual abuse case in sports history. Working in local news solidified my love for helping people understand and navigate the world around them. Journalism prepared me well for product development work — both require relentless curiosity, simplifying the complex, and a deep understanding of audience needs.

I currently design for audience growth and enhance reader experiences across Industry Dive's portfolio of 37 business journalism publications. As a creative product designer, I reach 14M+ news consumers and help them build habits around our editorial products.

Expertise

  • Approaching the product development process with curiosity and empathy, from discovery through launch
  • Leveraging my news reporting background to understand user needs and craft audience-focused interfaces
  • Using storytelling to foster buy-in and enthusiasm for product visions and designs
  • Uncovering growth opportunities through deep user and market knowledge
  • Designing high-quality, smooth user experiences by sweating the details

Values

🤔  Relentless curiosity
I love learning new things, and curiosity drives learning. I believe curiosity is a skill that can be developed, and once you know how to act on it, learning becomes easy.
💕  Compassion & empathy
We can’t communicate effectively if we can’t empathize with others. Compassion and empathy are tools to help ensure the stories we want to tell are relevant, useful and applicable for audiences.
💪  Empowering others
I strive to empower others through information so they can better navigate the world around them. I’m also passionate about sharing insights and lessons I've learned to empower others. Collaboration > competition.
🌎  Inclusive design
Everyone should have access to reliable information. To do that, products, spaces and services must be inclusive. Accessibility and diversity efforts need to be incorporated every step of the way.
💬  The power of community
Communities have the power to effect amazing change. That’s why I love working with diverse, passionate teams to tackle big problems.

Beyond 9-5

  • Catching flights to Michigan and Colorado to see family
  • Working on my reading goal of 24 books in 2024, a streak I've kept each year since reading 21 books in 2021 (send me your book recs!)
  • Learning a new skill — currently teaching myself how to sew and leveling up my interior design game