What I'm about

Hey, I'm Barry, a product designer in Seattle. I founded and led design at SkyKick, a cloud platform where I shipped three products from zero to one, reaching $50M ARR before it was acquired. I'm happiest in the hands-on craft of IC work.

Most of it is in complex B2B platforms, designing the user journey from first principles. I run the vision exercises that set product direction and steer the roadmap. Research and prototypes are how I make that direction visible and testable before the build starts.

I work AI-native every day, shipping in Claude Code. The tools changed my working practice, yet I still sharpen the intent before I iterate. Judgment and taste tell me when a solution isn't done, or isn't doing enough.

Barry Maxwell, product designer in Seattle

Kind words

“

He leads complex initiatives with clarity and calm, navigating ambiguity with confidence.”

Pete, Director of Engineering
“

Barry brings clarity, discipline, and craft to complex problems — and creates lasting impact.”

Darren, Product & Platform Executive
“

Barry isn't just an exceptional design leader; he's also the kind of manager, mentor, and colleague you always hope to have on your team.”

Becca, Product Designer · Ex-Amazon
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What inspires me

Visual arts speak to me. I catch gallery shows to recharge, and paint as a way of working through compositions. View my artwork

I stay curious across many fields and find books the best avenue for discovery: history, psychology, sci-fi. I keep track on Goodreads.

Barry's artwork

What moves me

A native of the Northwest, I get deep in the outdoors. Backpacking, mountain biking, and surfing are my top three sources of stoke. Gardening and birding bring me joy. I live in Seattle with my wife, daughters, and pup Coyo. When home, I'm cooking and planning the next trip.

Crescent Island, Pacific Northwest