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Aaron Cougle
Senior Designer • AI Explorer • IC leader
Design philosophy and life
I simplify complex systems into clear, scalable experiences that teams can build on. Over the past decade, I’ve led work across onboarding, email editors, design systems, and mobile apps, helping products move faster without losing clarity or intent. My focus is where usability meets execution, because both matter equally.
I design from a belief that most friction is unnecessary. My work is about removing it, bringing structure to ambiguity, ensuring what matters is always within reach, and scaling systems that stay maintainable as products grow.
Data drives my decisions. In PLG environments, I’ve executed against key growth metrics like trial to paid (T:P) and visitor to trial (V:T), using both quantitative and qualitative insights to refine the experience. Whether identifying drop-off points or optimizing onboarding speed, I use numbers to validate direction and sharpen intuition.
I move quickly when momentum matters and slow down when decisions have long-term impact. Collaboration, to me, is shared ownership, not just clean handoffs, but open communication, honest feedback, and accountability when something feels off.
AI is part of how I think and work. It’s not about automation for its own sake, it’s about clearing space for better decisions, faster prototyping, and new possibilities that strengthen design outcomes without draining the team.
Outside of work, I’m newly married and usually found with my Blue Heeler, Poppy, turning every walk into a frisbee tournament. I like things simple, balanced, and purposeful.
Russ Morton
Technology Executive | Chief Product Officer | Strategic Advisor
I got to know Aaron as he was a critical team member on our Design Team at Constant Contact. I was consistently impressed with Aaron's creativity to when solving new problems, user workflows. He consistently found his way into him tackling our most innovative areas, and 2 areas stand out in terms of how he made an impact: his early concepts for AI workflows shaped a key part of our user journey, and his rethink of our Mobile App first time user experience to include more social media elements expanded our ICP. Aaron is talented at distilling complexity and working well with ambiguity - all with a focus on delivering the customer outcome. Plus, he's a great person to collaborate with!
Gaurav Mehta
Vice President, Product
I have had the pleasure of working closely with Aaron Cougle at Constant Contact, where he was a Senior Product Designer on my team. Aaron led the design efforts for our iOS and Android mobile apps, which are used by hundreds of thousands of small businesses to manage and grow their marketing efforts.
Aaron played a key role in shaping the mobile experience end-to-end. He brought a strong user focus, clear communication, and a deep understanding of both product and design goals. His work directly contributed to major business outcomes as we expanded our mobile presence. He consistently took initiative, jumping into high-priority projects and leading several new product ideas from concept to early validation. He was also the lead designer on emerging growth initiatives, where he was responsible for rapid ideation, iteration, and user feedback. Aaron worked extremely well with cross-functional teams, including engineering leaders, developers, and product stakeholders. He also actively supported other designers by providing thoughtful feedback and helping raise the bar for design quality across the board. His collaborative approach and bias for action made him a trusted teammate and a strong contributor. I would gladly work with Aaron again and highly recommend him to any team looking for a skilled, versatile, and user-focused design leader.Savannah Chase
Senior Product Designer
I thoroughly enjoyed my time working alongside of Aaron. He is kind and considerate, yet direct and efficient - a true team player in every sense. His passion for UX extends beyond his day job, making him an enthusiastic student of the craft even in his off time. As a fellow team member, there is always something to learn from Aaron. His love for all things tech brings so much insight and keen savviness to the table. I am a firm believer in community over competition and "iron sharpening iron," so the camaraderie that Aaron and I shared while working together at SharpSpring was something I appreciated deeply.
Dru Martin
Director of Product Design
I've had the pleasure of working with Aaron for several years, including through the acquisition of our former company. Throughout times of uncertainty and change, Aaron has been a trusted colleague and a steady presence for the team. He quickly established himself within a larger organization, bringing a unique ability to synthesize product requirements in innovative and compelling ways. Aaron’s cheerful and proactive approach makes him an invaluable asset to any team. He consistently brings fresh, creative perspectives to his work while keeping user experience at the forefront. As a manager, I would jump at the opportunity to have Aaron on my team—his leadership by example is inspiring. As a peer, I deeply value his keen product insights, thoughtful critiques, and collaborative nature.
Any company would be fortunate to have Aaron on board.Shirin Salehe
Product Designer || @Microsoft
Working with Aaron was an absolute pleasure. We worked together in a UX team in constant contact(sharp spring); he designed high-quality products and always had fresh eyes approach to solving problems. In addition, he's a highly collaborative teammate and talented designer with skills beyond just design, as he's always looking for ways to push the boundaries of how we can improve our product. Aaron would be a solid asset to any team, and on top of all of this, he always had a great attitude, & posses all the skillsets that you would want in a highly productive team member.Outside of design, I love tackling new challenges—whether it’s navigating tricky climbing routes or teaching my dog competition frisbee. The same problem-solving mindset drives me to create effective, engaging, and intuitive product experiences.
Devin DePoint
Product Management Leader
I worked directly with Aaron on many projects at Constant Contact for over a year. These projects ranged from being strategic and high awareness projects, to very critical micro-moment updates within the product experience. In all cases, Aaron was great to work with and always produced high quality designs/prototypes. He took each user need to heart and was hyper-focused on creating something that users found benefit in.In addition, Aaron is also a great person. Outside of producing designs, his contributions to each project also included productive brainstorming and conversations, an ability to keep the mood light, and an openness to ideas that were not his. Without hesitation, I would recommend working with Aaron.
Britt Garcia
Senior Product Designer
I have enjoyed working on a team with Aaron for many years. Aaron is a highly skilled designer from UX and UI perspective. He can envision the larger user flow and at the same time zoom into fine details. This makes him a valuable stakeholder in UX discussions. He also has impressive presentation skills and iterates on feedback with quick turn-around. He can self-manage multiple projects and is highly organized. I highly recommend Aaron as a UX designer.
Back
Aaron Cougle
Senior Designer • AI Explorer • IC leader
Design philosophy and life
I simplify complex systems into clear, scalable experiences that teams can build on. Over the past decade, I’ve led work across onboarding, email editors, design systems, and mobile apps, helping products move faster without losing clarity or intent. My focus is where usability meets execution, because both matter equally.
I design from a belief that most friction is unnecessary. My work is about removing it, bringing structure to ambiguity, ensuring what matters is always within reach, and scaling systems that stay maintainable as products grow.
Data drives my decisions. In PLG environments, I’ve executed against key growth metrics like trial to paid (T:P) and visitor to trial (V:T), using both quantitative and qualitative insights to refine the experience. Whether identifying drop-off points or optimizing onboarding speed, I use numbers to validate direction and sharpen intuition.
I move quickly when momentum matters and slow down when decisions have long-term impact. Collaboration, to me, is shared ownership, not just clean handoffs, but open communication, honest feedback, and accountability when something feels off.
AI is part of how I think and work. It’s not about automation for its own sake, it’s about clearing space for better decisions, faster prototyping, and new possibilities that strengthen design outcomes without draining the team.
Outside of work, I’m newly married and usually found with my Blue Heeler, Poppy, turning every walk into a frisbee tournament. I like things simple, balanced, and purposeful.
Russ Morton
Technology Executive | Chief Product Officer | Strategic Advisor
I got to know Aaron as he was a critical team member on our Design Team at Constant Contact. I was consistently impressed with Aaron's creativity to when solving new problems, user workflows. He consistently found his way into him tackling our most innovative areas, and 2 areas stand out in terms of how he made an impact: his early concepts for AI workflows shaped a key part of our user journey, and his rethink of our Mobile App first time user experience to include more social media elements expanded our ICP. Aaron is talented at distilling complexity and working well with ambiguity - all with a focus on delivering the customer outcome. Plus, he's a great person to collaborate with!
Gaurav Mehta
Vice President, Product
I have had the pleasure of working closely with Aaron Cougle at Constant Contact, where he was a Senior Product Designer on my team. Aaron led the design efforts for our iOS and Android mobile apps, which are used by hundreds of thousands of small businesses to manage and grow their marketing efforts.
Aaron played a key role in shaping the mobile experience end-to-end. He brought a strong user focus, clear communication, and a deep understanding of both product and design goals. His work directly contributed to major business outcomes as we expanded our mobile presence. He consistently took initiative, jumping into high-priority projects and leading several new product ideas from concept to early validation. He was also the lead designer on emerging growth initiatives, where he was responsible for rapid ideation, iteration, and user feedback. Aaron worked extremely well with cross-functional teams, including engineering leaders, developers, and product stakeholders. He also actively supported other designers by providing thoughtful feedback and helping raise the bar for design quality across the board. His collaborative approach and bias for action made him a trusted teammate and a strong contributor. I would gladly work with Aaron again and highly recommend him to any team looking for a skilled, versatile, and user-focused design leader.Savannah Chase
Senior Product Designer
I thoroughly enjoyed my time working alongside of Aaron. He is kind and considerate, yet direct and efficient - a true team player in every sense. His passion for UX extends beyond his day job, making him an enthusiastic student of the craft even in his off time. As a fellow team member, there is always something to learn from Aaron. His love for all things tech brings so much insight and keen savviness to the table. I am a firm believer in community over competition and "iron sharpening iron," so the camaraderie that Aaron and I shared while working together at SharpSpring was something I appreciated deeply.
Dru Martin
Director of Product Design
I've had the pleasure of working with Aaron for several years, including through the acquisition of our former company. Throughout times of uncertainty and change, Aaron has been a trusted colleague and a steady presence for the team. He quickly established himself within a larger organization, bringing a unique ability to synthesize product requirements in innovative and compelling ways. Aaron’s cheerful and proactive approach makes him an invaluable asset to any team. He consistently brings fresh, creative perspectives to his work while keeping user experience at the forefront. As a manager, I would jump at the opportunity to have Aaron on my team—his leadership by example is inspiring. As a peer, I deeply value his keen product insights, thoughtful critiques, and collaborative nature.
Any company would be fortunate to have Aaron on board.Shirin Salehe
Product Designer || @Microsoft
Working with Aaron was an absolute pleasure. We worked together in a UX team in constant contact(sharp spring); he designed high-quality products and always had fresh eyes approach to solving problems. In addition, he's a highly collaborative teammate and talented designer with skills beyond just design, as he's always looking for ways to push the boundaries of how we can improve our product. Aaron would be a solid asset to any team, and on top of all of this, he always had a great attitude, & posses all the skillsets that you would want in a highly productive team member.Outside of design, I love tackling new challenges—whether it’s navigating tricky climbing routes or teaching my dog competition frisbee. The same problem-solving mindset drives me to create effective, engaging, and intuitive product experiences.
Devin DePoint
Product Management Leader
I worked directly with Aaron on many projects at Constant Contact for over a year. These projects ranged from being strategic and high awareness projects, to very critical micro-moment updates within the product experience. In all cases, Aaron was great to work with and always produced high quality designs/prototypes. He took each user need to heart and was hyper-focused on creating something that users found benefit in.In addition, Aaron is also a great person. Outside of producing designs, his contributions to each project also included productive brainstorming and conversations, an ability to keep the mood light, and an openness to ideas that were not his. Without hesitation, I would recommend working with Aaron.
Britt Garcia
Senior Product Designer
I have enjoyed working on a team with Aaron for many years. Aaron is a highly skilled designer from UX and UI perspective. He can envision the larger user flow and at the same time zoom into fine details. This makes him a valuable stakeholder in UX discussions. He also has impressive presentation skills and iterates on feedback with quick turn-around. He can self-manage multiple projects and is highly organized. I highly recommend Aaron as a UX designer.
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