About.
Personal Profile
I’m Ryan Shirkman — a designer at heart and a leader by craft. As Director of Experience Design at Ulta Beauty, I guide a team of product designers, researchers and system thinkers shaping how millions of guests discover and engage with beauty and wellness every day. My career has spanned from hands-on interaction design to building scalable systems and leading digital transformation for some of the most recognizable retail brands. I believe the best experiences are intuitive, inclusive and human — grounded in data, but brought to life through empathy and creativity.
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Outside of work, you’ll usually find me sketching new ideas, reimagining spaces in my home or chasing inspiration from the world around me while cooking, baking and always planning the next big party.
Experience
2020-Current
Ulta Beauty
Director of Experience Design at Ulta Beauty, guiding the vision and execution of digital transformation across web, app, and store experiences. Focused on design excellence, team growth and delivering results that move key metrics like NPS, conversion and engagement.
2019 - 2020
Rightpoint
Led experience design for strategic e-commerce clients, overseeing end-to-end delivery across eight offices. Directed multi-disciplinary design teams, driving product strategy, client growth, and seamless execution from concept through launch.
2012 - 2019
Crate & Barrel
Led UX for eCommerce and in-store digital experiences across Crate & Barrel, CB2, and Land of Nod, guiding strategy from research through design execution. Oversaw and developed a team of UX professionals, driving data-informed decisions that improved the end-to-end shopping journey. Partnered cross-functionally to define KPIs, lead usability testing and integrate insights into agile workflows, ensuring every digital touchpoint was seamless, intuitive, and on-brand.
Brands
