Change brings opportunity.
Design a strategy to make it
your advantage.

Denise Burchell

Hi, I'm Denise,
a multifaceted
leader and designer
currently focused on
the future of work.

I have a wealth of experience, a deep toolkit, and the curiosity and resourcefulness to solve problems I haven't met yet. I build high-performing teams, navigate ambiguity and complexity, and drive innovation from a human centered perspective.

Get in touch

I've Worked With More Than 50 Brands, Including These

Salesforce Docusign The Cusp Google Nike IDEO Genentech R/GA

Selected Work

Docusign work examples
Future of Work

Distributed Team + AI Collaboration

I help teams build the norms, behaviors, workflows, and capabilities that accelerate work and leverage tools and AI. It's never been a better time to design how we work! My program to measure and improve cross functional collaboration at Docusign is in pilot now, and I previously helped Google streamline handoffs between designers and engineers across all product areas.

Ask me about Docusign & Google
Organizational Design

Culture Change as Strategy

Excellence is a product of culture and intention. I help companies identify the right north star vision, then I lead transformations that align efforts and outcomes at scale. I combine customer first methods refined by industry with the relationships and unique context that employees share. You can turn a really big ship if you pull the right levers.

Ask me about IDEO & Cadillac Fairview
Culture Transformation Work
UX Experience Design Portfolio
Experience Design

Digital + Physical + Service UX

I have designed experiences and interfaces involving print, digital, physical environments, gestural walls, ATM machines, and call center conversations. From research through prototype and build, I'm design thinking and doing.

Ask me about Genentech at TED
Capability Building

Scaling Design Excellence

Design systems are a great way to scale craft excellence, and I believe strategy is even more crucial to driving business success. I've developed a relationship-centered design practice, and I strive to continually improve it. I believe it's my duty at this point in my career to share what I've learned generously and broadly.

Ask me about Salesforce
Design Strategy Growth
Venture Building Concept
Entrepreneurship & Brand Building

From Zero to One

I spin up new things. I thrive in the ambiguity of the early "what could it be?" stage. I blend the analytical with the creative to identify the right problems to solve and then get to work trying out solutions and prototyping ideas to build confidence and momentum. From founding a startup to building several internal COEs in enterprises, I know how to lead through complexity and drive value.

Ask me about The Cusp

Proud Proof

People Leader

Led multidisciplinary teams for 15+ years, and have developed awesome directors and leaders.

Experience Designer

Designed a bespoke gestural wall interface for the Dubai airport, e-com for Nike, Wells Fargo ATM.

Educator/Mentor

Created Strategy Design curriculum and certification programs for Salesforce.

Speaker

Presented at Dreamforce on Design Strategy, talked at Pixar about engaging people in "boring" topics.

Strategist

Created innovation pipeline for Clif Bar, helped Adidas get women to exercise socially, converted Kate Spade to team selling.

Researcher

Led foundational user and product research for The Cusp, quant & qual; built a usability lab for Saatchi & Saatchi.

Facilitator

Ran countless workshops for stakeholder alignment, co-creation, and consequence scanning at Salesforce and IDEO.

Change Agent

Transformed Cadillac Fairview into a purpose-driven, experience-led brand, creating the vision and multi-year rollout.