Systems Thinker • Experience Designer • Product Builder
my teammates call me TV
Hi! I'm Tracey Varnell
I'm a player-coach product management/design leader with 20+ years setting product and experience strategy, defining solutions, and owning multi-product portfolios. I simplify complex consumer and operational workflows in high-trust environments.
I believe that changing people's lives for the better builds intrinsic value for businesses.
How can I help?Trusted by teams at
My expertise
Aligning on what to build
Ideas are cheap and abundant now, which is why finding focus is more important than ever. I help teams gather evidence from real customer behavior to find what’s worth building and commit to the best bets together.
Guiding craft and cohesion
Good enough to test isn’t always good enough to ship. I help teams reach adoption and retention goals sooner with design patterns, component libraries, and quality evaluations (expert & AI)—avoiding compounding design debt across products.
Optimizing how teams deliver
Faster outcomes are more important than faster outputs. I help teams build the shared context and workflows that help them avoid slop and rework, hit the mark faster, and move into production smoothly.
Supporting team success
Tools change fast, but what people need to do their best work doesn’t. I help teams keep their momentum with clear direction, fewer roadblocks, and room to try new ways of working.
Selected Work
Increasing funded loans by optimizing dealer workflows, and launching 0-to-1 products that grew consumer traffic and improved loan conversion
I directed Product Design Leads across multiple concurrent efforts, including a redesign of Credit Acceptance's flagship lending platform, an integrated loan structuring and pricing solution within loan aggregators, dealer tools to attract and manage buyers, and a used vehicle marketplace.
I directed Product Design Leads across multiple concurrent efforts, including a redesign of Credit Acceptance's flagship lending platform, an integrated loan structuring and pricing solution within loan aggregators, dealer tools to attract and manage buyers, and a used vehicle marketplace.
Streamlining small business loan origination experiences to improve loan conversion
I led the effort to optimize OnDeck's loan origination funnel across the public website, application, loan closing, and servicing portal. Grounded in customer research and funnel analytics, we prototyped a future-state experience, backcast the MVP scope, and built a design system. The MVP lifted lead-to-close conversion 12% year over year.
I led the effort to optimize OnDeck's loan origination funnel across the public website, application, loan closing, and servicing portal. Grounded in customer research and funnel analytics, we prototyped a future-state experience, backcast the MVP scope, and built a design system. The MVP lifted lead-to-close conversion 12% year over year.
Incubating 0-to-1 products for small business customers to de-risk the product portfolio
I directed a product discovery process to find where small business tools were failing owners beyond the lending transaction, and to identify new products that could attract customers and deepen engagement with existing ones. Two concepts survived customer validation and a fake-door test, and Cushion, an SMB savings tool, was prioritized for development in 2020.
I directed a product discovery process to find where small business tools were failing owners beyond the lending transaction, and to identify new products that could attract customers and deepen engagement with existing ones. Two concepts survived customer validation and a fake-door test, and Cushion, an SMB savings tool, was prioritized for development in 2020.
Transforming the multi-sided Capital One home loans service to increase closed loans and achieve product line profitability
I directed a cross-functional team of executives, designers, product managers, and engineers through a home loans digital transformation, aligning six workstreams on a single end-to-end release. The December 2015 MVP launch increased loan conversions 12%.
I directed a cross-functional team of executives, designers, product managers, and engineers through a home loans digital transformation, aligning six workstreams on a single end-to-end release. The December 2015 MVP launch increased loan conversions 12%.
Work History
What People Say
Peer recognition from colleagues, cross-functional partners, and direct reports.
“Tracey is one of the smartest, most strategic thinkers I have ever worked with. She exemplifies Design Thinking in all her work—she considers the spectrum of strategic, cognitive and practical aspects of every project.”
“She was instrumental in transforming multiple disparate internal systems into an elegantly designed software product. She is the type of design leader who will not only bring in-depth customer insights and design thought leadership, but also strategic thinking into the critical product design process.”
“Tracey is also a uniquely skilled leader of people. Teams coalesce around her and she navigates projects and personalities with equal fearlessness and grace.”
“As a leader, Tracey is inspirational, leads by example, passionate about her work, and acts with high integrity. She is an outstanding product design leader who will be invaluable for any product organization.”
Let's build.
Currently open to join or consult with forward-thinking, fast-paced, collaborative teams. I hope it's yours!