A People-Focused Problem-Solver.
Hi, I’m Gary Cooke. I transform enterprise and government systems through strategic design leadership. I build teams that bridge silos and create experiences that empower people and deliver measurable results.
10+ Years
Leading cross-functional design teams
Multiple Industries
Education, Government, Travel, Gaming, FinTech
Certified
Salesforce Strategy Designer
Transforming Complexity into Clarity
I lead design transformation for organizations navigating the intersection of technology, policy, and human needs. I’m passionate about building teams that don’t just design interfaces—they shape cultures, governance, and delivery at scale.
I thrive in complex environments—federal agencies, enterprise platforms, and systems where design leadership drives organizational change. Through HCD and strategic business thinking, I elevate design from product aesthetics to operational excellence.
At Bellese, I lead design strategy and execution for CMS Salesforce systems. I reduced onboarding time by 67% through workflow and service design—demonstrating measurable business impact.
Previously, I led ArmyIgnited’s UX and introduced experience-driven culture into military education, earning the DoD Award for Most Innovative Software in 2023.
At LINQ, I built a design and research org from the ground up—bringing cohesion and innovation across 80+ education products.
My work spans government systems, travel, automotive ecommerce, fintech, and K–12—spaces ripe for transformation through governance, accessibility (WCAG/508/GDS), and cross-functional leadership.
I’m Salesforce-certified (Strategy Designer, Platform Designer) with deep experience in Service Cloud, Experience Cloud, and large-scale design systems.
My journey began designing CD covers for bands—early storytelling roots that now drive my passion for human-centered enterprise transformation.
Strategic Design Leadership in Action
Projects where design strategy, leadership, and human-centered thinking delivered measurable outcomes.
Operationalizing HCD in Salesforce
Shifting Salesforce product teams from opinion-led delivery to evidence-based decisions by building frameworks
CMS Salesforce Transformation
Reduced onboarding time 67% through service design and workflow optimization.
Human-Centered Discovery at Scale
$15M+ Product investment strategy informed through user research.
Design Portfolio Management
Led major cross-technology initiatives while building the design function from scratch.
Driveway Omni-Channel
Led an 8-person pod building unified online, concierge, and in-store experiences.
Luxury Travel Digital Transformation
+34% Booking conversion increase and 42% Bounce rate reduction
ArmyIgnited Student Portal
Transformed military education access for 40,000+ service members.
Luxury Travel Mobile App
Designed a mobile booking platform that led to a +47% mobile booking increase
My Approach
Leadership-Driven Design Process
A strategic framework that balances user needs, business goals, and team empowerment to deliver exceptional outcomes.
Understand & Align
Align stakeholders on vision, goals, and success metrics. Establish shared understanding of user needs and business objectives through collaborative workshops and strategic planning.
Research & Insights
Lead comprehensive research initiatives using HCD methodologies. Synthesize findings into actionable insights that inform strategic decisions and design direction.
Co-Create & Ideate
Facilitate cross-functional ideation sessions. Empower teams to explore solutions collaboratively while maintaining strategic focus and design excellence.
Prototype & Validate
Guide teams in rapid prototyping and iterative testing. Establish validation frameworks that balance user feedback with business constraints and technical feasibility.
Deliver & Influence
Champion design decisions across the organization. Establish governance frameworks and design systems that ensure consistency and accelerate delivery.
Measure & Iterate
Define success metrics and track impact. Foster a culture of continuous improvement through data-driven insights and team retrospectives.
Expertise
Strategic Capabilities
A comprehensive skill set focused on leadership, strategy, and driving organizational design maturity.
Leadership & Mentorship
- • Team building & management (up to 8 members)
- • Cross-functional collaboration
- • Design mentorship & coaching
- • Stakeholder management
- • Design advocacy & influence
Design Strategy & Roadmapping
- • Product vision & strategy
- • Design governance frameworks
- • Design maturity assessment
- • OKR & metric definition
- • Strategic planning & execution
Human-Centered Design
- • Service design methodologies
- • User research & synthesis
- • Journey mapping & blueprinting
- • Accessibility standards (WCAG/508, GDS)
- • Inclusive design practices
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- • Product-Engineering-Design alignment
- • Agile & Lean methodologies
- • Design-development handoff optimization
- • Executive communication
- • Change management
Workshop Facilitation
- • Design sprints & workshops
- • Stakeholder alignment sessions
- • Co-creation facilitation
- • Team retrospectives
- • Strategic planning sessions
Systems Thinking
- • Design systems architecture
- • Component library governance
- • Scalable design operations
- • Design-to-development workflows
- • Technical constraint navigation
UX Research Methods
- • Qualitative & quantitative research
- • Usability testing & validation
- • Heuristic evaluation
- • Analytics & data synthesis
- • Research operations
Technical Proficiency
- • Salesforce (Service Cloud, Experience Cloud, SLDS)
- • Figma, Miro, Jira, Confluence
- • Flow Builder & automation
- • Web standards & best practices
- • Unity & Godot (game development)
Let’s create something exceptional together
I’m always interested in discussing new opportunities, leadership roles, and collaborative projects that drive meaningful impact.