Aaron Van Schyndel has always been drawn to the visual side of things. So at 17, when he was asked the infamous question -- what do you want to be when you grow up -- he immediately knew. A high school course in Java paired with his design of his high school’s website helped him figure out computer graphics was the perfect fit.
During his time as a Purdue student, he credits Professor Judy Birchman for his success. He states, “She taught me so much about graphic design and really gave me the confidence to seek design out as a career.”
Aaron did just that. Following graduation in 2009, he parlayed his design internships with the Chicago Cubs, Lins Graphics, and Purdue Athletics into a full time UX Designer position with Stormfront Productions.
Currently Van Schyndel is the Senior Design Manager at Yammer (a Microsoft company), where he is leading a comprehensive redesign of the product, driving alignment and cohesion between Yammer and Microsoft design, as well as being tasked with growing and developing the design team through better critiques, design sprints, and collaborative exercises.
This profile was written for the Early Career Award program in 2015.