Reintroducing, Me.

My name is Laura Alison Fish. I'm a designer, strategist, and published author. My expertise is vision—seeing better products, businesses and ultimately, the world at large. I spent the past five years studying the world's biggest problems. I'm different for it. I now understand how those big world problems, trickle down to us, everyday. Let me teach you how to see, what I see.

Sections:

I. Book
II. About
III. Resume
IV. Case Study
V. Essays
VI. Highlights
VII. Artwork
VIII. Contact

APPROXIMATE READING TIME: 10 MINUTES

I. Book

The Designer’s Guide to Product Vision
By: Laura Fish, Scott Kiekbusch
(Pearson Peachpit, 2020)

Meet the must-have guidebook for designers looking to find a better way forward for their contributions, their career, and their profession. Looking for an unbiased review of my book from a college professor? Read that here.

Book Synopsis

Every product, or product suite, needs a vision. But defining an effective product vision requires deep discipline and multiple skills. Drawing on our pioneering experience, I, and my co-author, Scott Kiekbusch, guide readers step-by-step, on how to do just that. The work helps teams organize a strategy, plan for innovation, and tell a clear story of the customer's future experience.

Once teams have defined a strategy-led product vision, make it real. My agile, Visioneering techniques help readers navigate fast-changing product journeys to iteratively (and continuously) improve experiences. All while staying aligned with the company's mission and purpose. With these innovative tools and insights, designers can lead business-critical projects and ultimately, shape your company’s future.

You’ll learn to:

Move from tactical to strategic designer, and gain a more influential leadership role.
Create strategy-led product visions the organization can rally around and deliver.
Unify design, engineering, and business to mindfully craft outstanding user experiences.
Go beyond obsolete roadmaps, to implement product visions in a world that won't stop changing.
Influence and improve the long-term direction of your business to effect positive change.

Buy Your Copy

II. About

My name is Laura Alison Fish. I'm a designer, strategist, and published author. I spent the past five years studying the world's biggest problems. And, I'm different for it. Let me explain.

My expertise is vision. I'm a seer. I spent the first fifteen years of my career in big business. There, I developed my ability to see: seeing better products, product suites and the businesses, themselves. I secured a book deal with a big publisher, to write about that expertise (product vision). My book, The Designer's Guide to Product Vision, was published in August, 2020. But from there, I diverged.

Taking the road less traveled, as it were.

I was inspired by a local nonprofit. I began studying man's problems at the community-level, and then expanded to issues within towns, states, nations and international affairs. I studied history. I studied people. I studied culture. My expertise—vision—expanded from seeing better products and businesses to, ultimately, the world at large. I now understand how those big world problems, trickle down to us, everyday.

The Vision Studio, Inc.

In 2021, I founded The Vision Studio, Inc. We're a do-good startup. Our beloved stakeholder, is the do-gooder. And our mission statement, bold. Our mission centers on envisioning a better future and leading the way. We prioritize the betterment of people and the planet, above all else.

Autism

In my early 40s, I learned that I'm on the autism spectrum. With acceptance, I am now deeply grateful to understand who I am, more than ever before. I'm able to reframe a lifetime of challenges to see the benefit of what I can contribute to the world. Autism helps me look at the world's differences, differently. Within those differences I see beauty. And now, I'm able to carve out the way towards a better future—all the differences included—with vision.

Autistic traits were a disadvantage during the first 15-years of my career working in big business. However, autistic traits are now proving to be essential must-haves for a founder of a do-good startup.

Finally, I'm on the right path.

III. Resume

Resume means to carry on, doing as follows [whatever that may be]. The following is mine—how I've chosen to spend my professional time, my career, and my contributions, thus far.

Expertise:

Business, Company & Product Vision
Published Author (Pearson Peachpit)
Longtime Principal Designer & Strategist
Artist & Illustrator

Founder-CEO & CVO
April 2021 - Current
The Vision Studio is a do-good startup. Our bold mission work sets forth to bridge vision and action. Therefore, we help the world’s do-gooders both, 1) clarify their vision of a better future, and 2) take effective, iterative actions that moves us all in the direction of that optimal existence.
The Designer's Guide to Product Vision: Learn to build your strategic influence to shape the future. By Laura Fish, Scott Kiekbusch. Published August 2, 2020. Pearson, Peachpit.
Industry Expert Speaker (Vision) & Instructor (Design)

January 2019 – 2021
O’Reilly Media + Pearson, Safari Live Online Training Platform. During these 3-hour courses, I cover how we as designers move into practitioners of modern-era design, strategic thinkers and all things Visioneering(SM). Call me the Visioneering(SM) Sherpa, here to guide the journey.
Design, Strategy & User Experience
January 2018 – August 2020
San Francisco, Boston, New York
UXD Strategist & Principal Product Designer; Vision Lead
October 2013 – September 2017 Boston, MA
Dedicated Fulltime Contract
Job Description:
I was dedicated to innovative, high-profile vision projects. My partners and I rallied a successful team to move the needle. We worked together to understand the customer's values, define new ways to create experiences and strategize an extensible framework for the many products and services.
Visions:
The vision work included these products and services already launched in market: a retirement- focused chatbot (BETA), Fidelity’s Financial Wellness (BETA), accompanying Personal Action Plan (BETA) and Fidelity's Retirement Preparedness Measure. Other products, services and holistic experiences depicted from in the vision work are currently not yet in market.
Responsibilities included:
- Vision, Strategy & Innovation: Define what is next for the firm, beyond retirement and brokerage. Conceptualize high-profile vision candidates that are user-focused and grounded in commercially critical business strategy.
- Design Lead: Successfully work with program managers, business analysts and technical teams to implement high-profile visions into existing frameworks, as well as newly developed frameworks.
- Design Direction: Help design team make consistent and methodical decisions throughout the design process, supporting a lean and agile output.
- Design Principles: Actively keeping my hands in a project space as a contributor and showing other designers how-to design as I do. I established guiding values that described attributes of given product types. For example, I created Fidelity's “conversational design principles” that informed the design decisions for the chatbot product and any related conversational features across all products.
- Visual Language: A member of the core team tasked with evolving the interactive and visual language that serves as an extension of the company’s branding into the digital space.
- Coach and Mentor: Help mold younger designers.
Awards & Recognition:
Global Design Excellence (November 2013), UXD Excellence in Action Award, Innovation (May 2014), Awarded Innovation Design, Reimagining Fidelity’s Future (July 2016), UXD Excellence in Action Award (February 2017).
High Profile Project:
On the first day working for Fidelity, they asked me to find an innovative way to visually represent the last 8 years of data findings on retirement. This would eventually become Fidelity’s Retirement Savings Assessment. The visualization had to be easy for viewers to understand and conceptually aligned with their green line campaign. Over six weeks, I developed the new Retirement Preparedness Measure (RPM) infographic as an abstract speedometer; a visual that is familiar to most readers. The speedometer visualization easily conveys each generation’s current measure of RPM, allowing readers to compare, and ultimately, take action. Every element of this minimalist approach has a justifiable purpose, allowing the core message to take center stage. This work was featured in Congress, during the hearing on the retirement crisis (December 2013). It is now the foundation for Fidelity's Know Where You Stand campaign and the inspiration for product teams going forward.
UXD Senior Product Designer
April 2012 – August 2013 Chelmsford, MA
Dedicated Fulltime Contract
Job Description:
Kronos challenged me to reimagine how they approached solving their customer problems. My innovative visioning work inspired everyone from design peers to the CEO, on how to think differently about "clocking time"—which is the Kronos legacy.
As a product designer, I also owned the Schedule/Calendar feature and respective tactical user interface design work. I deconstructed the dated feature down to basic parts and redesigned it into a space that was open, modern, and action driven. I improved the overarching design direction, simplified the user’s visual experience, and create visual language conventions that carry consistency across the suite of Kronos applications.
Additional responsibilities included team leadership, implementing tools and guidelines for heightened efficiency, and the creation of various in-house campaigns.
Design, Development and Product Vision.
Independent Contractor
2008 - 2010
Design and Development (Flash & Actionscript)
Independent Contractor
2008
Fullltime, Independent Contractor
Design, Development (Flash & Actionscript) and Product Vision.
October 2004 - Spring 2007

Education

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
Field of Study: Computer Arts, Media Technology, & Design 2000 – 2004
Note: Degree issued in 2008

IV. Case Study

See a data visualization is of my career, skills and experience. Instead of a written resume, here I explore visualizing a journey of professional growth.

Read the case study.

V. Essays

Essays are long-format articles. Read my latest essays on everything from leadership to vision—with the ability to see! Posted to Medium.com.

Essay: Got Vision?

How “Dante’s Divine Comedy” is a roadmap for today’s innovators looking to capitalize on their human-ness. No bots allowed.

Must Read
9 Poetic Leadership Styles

Evaluate the business leaders whom you invest your time, trust, and even, admiration. A new framework inspired by “Dante’s Divine Comedy”.

Must Read

VI. Highlights

Highlights are achievements, or good times. Importantly, highlights mark the critical milestones that helped me pivot, adjust, or better attune towards that which is my purpose. These are a few of my career highlights.

01. Startup Founder

It's the road less traveled. Venturing out on my own, to do good, was (and still is) the greatest accomplishment of my career. Despite financial hardship. Doing good is easy, but getting the ventures fully-funded, is less so.

02. AIGA Coverage

During my book launch, AIGA (Professional Association for Design) covered my innovative approach to being a designer and vision work: https://bit.ly/AIGAFISH

03. Awards & Recognition

During my time at Fidelity Investments, I was awarded and recognized for my contributions, and work. These include:

The Global Design Excellence (November 2013),
UXD Excellence in Action Award, Innovation (May 2014),
Awarded Innovation Design, Reimagining Fidelity’s Future (July 2016),
UXD Excellence in Action Award (February 2017).

VII. Artwork

Artwork is an expression of oneself. I like to say, it’s me on paper. I'm an illustrator, painter, and sculptor (when I can find a potters wheel). I recently taught myself abstract painting. But, it’s no secret I've long preferred my pencils to any other medium.

See a few of my illustrations, below.