Michael Morton
Product and Experience Design Management, Synthesis, and Implementation
About Me
Award-winning product and experience design leader, strategist, thinker and problem-solver, with a strong background in solution synthesis and development, and a passion for user focused elegance and simplicity.
Current
Fractional CTO/CDO
Start-up Mentor, Advisor
Capital Factory ------------------------------------------------------------------ Austin
Advises, mentors, and shepherds strategic product and experience definition and development for multiple local and out-of-state start-ups in the technology and consumer sectors.
Prior to that, worked at Dell for over a decade, leading the ID/user experience definition, development and implementation for Dell OptiPlex and Precision branded business PC’s, as well as many other consumer and enterprise systems and peripherals.
Experience
Industrial Design Senior Principal
2004-2016 - Dell ---------------------------------------------------------------- Austin
Design Manager
2003-2004 - Hewlett-Packard --------------------------------------------- Houston
Hired to help manage and expand HP’s server and storage design team based in Houston, Texas, after the merger with Compaq. Developed the vision for a new enterprise design language, leading the full team's involvement in collaborate brainstorming and definition of tenants and attributes.
Senior Industrial Designer
1999-2003 - Sunbeam Oster ----------------------------------------- Boca Raton, Fl
One of only 2 designers at Sunbeam, responsible for multiple brands such as Sunbeam, Oster, Mr. Coffee, Coleman Grills, Health-o-meter, etc. Worked closely with marketing and engineering to develop new product concepts and features, resolving widely varying inputs into coherently designed product lines.
Director
1993-1999 - Morton Vaughan Product Design ----------------------- Hong Kong
Morton Vaughan provided a much needed service for US companies needing reliable design as well as manufacturing oversight in the Far East, and for Asian companies in need of American market and design expertise. At a time when ID was just beginning to be understood and appreciated in Asia, Morton Vaughan was the first fully expatriate-staffed design firm in Hong Kong.
Senior Design Lead
1990-1993 S. Megga Telecommunications ---------------------------- Hong Kong
Provided in-house Industrial Design competency for this Hong Kong based telecommunications OEM Manufacturer, designing consumer and SMB wireless telephones, fax machines, answering machines, and other products for ATT, BellSouth, Brondi, and other western telecom customers.
Various Projects
Awards
What I do
A partial list
Strategy
Insight
Research
Problem solving
Synthesis
Development
Implementation
Shipping
Education
University of Cincinnati
1985-1990
BS Industrial Design
Georgia Institute of Technology
1982-1985
Electrical Engineering
Singapore American School
1979-1981
College prep
Contact Me