Hi, I'm Sam Peniak

Currently, I'm improving the way people commute through carpooling as the Lead Product Designer at Scoop. Previously I was solving the mortgage problem at Blend and Sindeo.

My goal is to make a positive impact on people's lives through human-centered design. I help startups and established companies create solutions for today's biggest problems and help facilitate a design-driven culture.

When I'm not designing, I'm exploring the world, finding and eating new food, playing and watching sports, and learning new skills. I'm an avid fan of the Arsenal Football Club and Chicago Blackhawks.

Scoop

I have done and learned many things at Scoop. From managing the first Product Designer intern, to leading the redesign of the mobile apps which dramatically improved the experience.

Highlights

  • I have worked on many features including but not limited to Feedback, Shortlist, Community, Profiles, app redesign, Carpool details, Partial Cancellations, Carpool Credits, and Scheduling Guidance. Each of these features was led by me and worked with Product Designers, Product Managers, Engineers, Marketers, Community specialists, and Support to create the best experience.
  • After familiarizing myself with the product, designing features, and understanding what was and wasn't working well from a UX and implementation perspective, I decided that we needed to make a large change to the core experience. That change lead to the redesign of the mobile apps, which greatly improved the UX and accessibility and ultimately laid a solid foundation to build upon.
  • Being the hiring manager for the first Product Designer intern gave me the ability to learn about the entire process. I wrote the job posting, scheduled interviews, coordinated on-sites, and used feedback from co-workers to make decisions.
  • I was able to gain experience as a Manager during the Product Design intern's internship. I talked with the intern to understand what they wanted to get out of the internship, which I used to create a plan to achieve those goals. Additionally, I was able to mentor them on best practices and working with Engineers.