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Barton Smith
Building small batch products at Handheld Projects
Professional Background
Barton Smith is a highly accomplished design professional with an extensive background in product design, industrial design, and interaction design. He has made a significant impact in the tech and design industries through his innovative contributions and leadership roles at several prestigious organizations. Most recently, Barton served as a Senior Staff Product Designer at Spotify, where he played a key role in groundbreaking projects such as Car Thing and Canvas, helping to enhance the user experience for millions of Spotify users. His creativity and design expertise are evident in his work with various teams, translating complex problems into elegant, user-friendly solutions.
Before his tenure at Spotify, Barton was a Senior Product Designer at FiftyThree Inc., where he worked on innovative design projects that bridged the gap between physical and digital experiences. There, he contributed to notable products like the Pencil and Paper app, which have been widely recognized for their minimalist and intuitive design approaches. Barton’s journey in the product design realm also includes a significant role at Facebook, where he honed his skills in interaction design and played an integral part in the development of user-centered products.
Barton’s design ethos has been cultivated through rich experiences at companies like fuseproject, where as an Interaction Designer, he worked on various projects that demanded a blend of technical skill and a keen understanding of user behavior. Additionally, he served as the Product Designer at FLUD and Interaction & Industrial Designer at QderoPateo, further cementing his versatile design capabilities.
Notably, Barton has worked as a Designer at Traffik, where he began his journey into the design world, showcasing his potential at an early stage. Over the years, he has embraced every opportunity to grow and refine his skill set, building a career characterized by creativity, collaboration, and innovation.
Education and Achievements
Barton Smith’s academic background is rooted in a passion for design and a strong foundation in Industrial Design. He earned his Bachelor of Industrial Design with Honors from Monash University, an institution renowned for its emphasis on creative thinking and practical application of design knowledge. This educational experience equipped Barton with the analytical skills and design principles necessary to thrive in today’s fast-paced, tech-driven environment.
During his time at Monash University, Barton not only excelled academically but also embraced opportunities to delve into projects that allowed him to experiment with design methodologies and develop his unique design perspective. His education laid the groundwork for his future contributions to the design industry, allowing him to merge artistic creativity with functional design.
Achievements
Barton Smith’s career reflects not only his professional roles but also his commitment to pushing the boundaries of design. His participation in groundbreaking projects at Spotify, FiftyThree, and Facebook illustrates his ability to harness technology and design thinking to create impactful user experiences. He has played pivotal roles in the conceptualization and execution of products that are not only visually appealing but functional as well.
Barton’s work, particularly at Spotify, has garnered recognition within the design community for his ability to integrate user feedback into design iterations. His leadership in initiatives such as the development of Car Thing demonstrates his foresight in recognizing user needs and adapting product offerings to enhance engagement.
As a former Founding Partner at Handheld Projects, Barton exemplifies entrepreneurial spirit and innovation. This role allowed him to foster collaboration among other creatives and design thinkers, consolidating his presence in the design ecosystem.
Barton Smith is a dynamic design leader committed to advancing user experience through thoughtful and innovative design solutions. His journey from an industrial design student to a prominent figure in product and interaction design serves as an inspiration to aspiring designers everywhere.
Highlights
ChatGPT’s take on environments that amplify me. The third one hits like a warm hug and a back scratch.
You thrive where:
Thinking is allowed to be slow but consequential
Taste, ethics, and systems thinking matter together
Output is evaluated on coherence, not just velocity
Saying “from first principles” doesn’t make you sound as intelligent or insightful as you might think it does ❤️
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
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