Product Design
Design Systems
AI
Advancing products, systems, and teams
I focus on identifying gaps and designing the strategies that close them— whether in products, teams, or processes.
Selected Work
2020 - 2025
AskIBM
Bringing AI to a global workforce
Product Design
AI
w3 Unification
Increasing productivity for over 280,000 IBMers
Product Design
Carbon for IBMers
A complete design system migration
Design Systems
Product Design
Figma Guild
Overhauling IBM’s design ecosystem for modern product teams
Design Systems
Strategy
Freelance Projects
Passion projects that make an impact
Coming Soon
The heart of my work
These beliefs and values extend my impact beyond the products and design work — sharing my skills with those I mentor, collaborating closely with teammates, and contributing to shaping and influencing leadership.
Learning
My core belief is that everything is in pursuit of learning. Whether it’s technical skills, industry knowledge, or managing relationships, there is no final course. I evolve and adapt to support growth while aligning with the company vision.
Collaboration
A culture of diverse skills and shared experiences fuels personal growth and product innovation. This environment fosters genuine connections, trust, authenticity, and the transparency needed for teams to thrive.
Drive
I respect action, proactive involvement, deep knowledge, and a passion for the work. I hold myself to these standards and expect the same from the people I work with. I show up to contribute meaningfully, not just check the boxes.
My experience at a glance
Over the past 12 years, I’ve been fortunate to experience a wide range of projects that helped me grow technically and learn from the many different disciplines I’ve had the chance to work with.
0-1 Initiatives
AskIBM
Design Lead
Role
Design Lead
Responsibilities
Product strategy, design implementation, ecosystem integration, prototyping, and Carbon alignment
Description
A 0 → 1 initiative launched in 60 days, Ask IBM is a conversational AI experience for IBM’s internal intranet—powered by watsonx and the Granite large language model (LLM). The goal was to create a fast, intuitive interface for employees to access answers, policies, and internal resources through natural language.
Core Features
Conversational AI, Chat with documents, Translation, Summarization, Custom workflows, and full access to IBM AI catalog
w3 Unification
Design Lead
Role
Design Lead
Responsibilities
Visioning, product strategy, design direction, team building, prototyping, and stakeholder alignment
Description
This initiative aimed to unify IBM’s most frequently used internal tools into a single, cohesive platform—providing employees with one streamlined point of entry for all intranet needs.
By reducing fragmentation and improving discoverability, the unified experience empowered IBMers to navigate internal resources more efficiently, boosting both productivity and satisfaction across the organization.
Core Features
Unified search, unified profile, unified settings, unified notification system, and seamless navigation between applications
w3 Mobile
Design Lead
Role
Design Lead
Responsibilities
Product strategy, design implementation, prototyping, setting native standards, and ecosystem alignment
Description
As an extension of the w3 Unification initiative, w3 Mobile was designed to bring critical internal tools and resources to IBMers on the go—ensuring continuity and productivity when away from primary workstations.
The app supported seamless transitions between desktop and mobile environments, and played a vital role in making IBM’s internal ecosystem more accessible, responsive, and employee-centered.
Core Features
Unified search, offline people search, offline IT Support, IBM news feed, push notifications, and joining/editing meetings
IBM App Store
Design Lead
Role
Design Lead
Responsibilities
Design implementation, prototyping, setting native standards, alignment with iOS app store
Description
Centralized access to mobile applications across the enterprise, the IBM App Catalog served as an internal tool for IBMers to discover, access, and launch native and hybrid apps being developed within the company.
Initially built to streamline internal app distribution, the platform’s success led to its evolution into a product offering for external partners and clients. It became a scalable solution that supported secure access, improved app visibility, and enhanced the overall mobile experience across IBM.
Core Features
App search, featured apps, app categorization, installing apps, and app version/details
Call In
Co-lead
Role
Visual & Product Design Lead
Responsibilities
Design implementation, prototyping, branding, illustration, and setting native standards
Description
Call In was a dedicated mobile app designed to help IBMers prepare for and join meetings directly from their mobile devices—offering a seamless experience before platforms like Webex became standard.
The app centralized calendar access, meeting details, and one-tap join functionality, making it especially valuable for executives and traveling employees needing quick, reliable access to scheduled calls.
Core Features
Daily summaries, meeting calendar, VIP callouts, meeting details, joining meetings
Watson Classroom
Co-lead
Role
Visual Design Lead
Responsibilities
Golden thread development, prototyping, presenting to apple, iOS HIG standards, and design implementation
Description
Watson Classroom was an iPhone and iPad application designed to support educators in managing their schedules while gaining deeper insights into student and classroom needs.
The app provided teachers with actionable data on student performance, attendance, interests, and engagement—helping them tailor instruction and support in real time. It aimed to lighten the administrative load and empower teachers to make more informed, student-centered decisions.
Core Features
View daily schedule, school notifications, attendance tracking, grade tracking, student profile/interests, and spotlighting students
Field Inspect
Co-lead
Role
Visual Design Lead
Responsibilities
Golden thread development, prototyping, presenting to apple, iOS HIG standards, and design implementation
Description
Field Inspect was developed as an iPhone and iPad application to support field technicians conducting quality and safety inspections at chemical plants.
Designed for use in high-risk, on-site environments, the app streamlined the inspection process with intuitive forms, photo capture, and real-time reporting—reducing paperwork and ensuring compliance with safety standards.
It enabled technicians to work more efficiently and helped organizations maintain rigorous quality controls in the field.
Core Features
Task management, safety assessments, image annotations, dashboard reports, and voice recording.
Hospital Lead
Co-lead
Role
Visual Design Lead
Responsibilities
Golden thread development, prototyping, presenting to apple, iOS HIG standards, and design implementation
Description
Hospital Lead was an iPhone and iPad application designed to assist nurses and nurse practitioners with bedside support—enhancing both the efficiency of care delivery and the overall outpatient experience.
Core Features
Patient database, patient dashboard, note taking, and assigning patient status
Incident Aware
Co-lead
Role
Visual Design Lead
Responsibilities
Golden thread development, prototyping, presenting to apple, iOS HIG standards, and design implementation
Description
A map-based iPhone and iPad application designed to support law enforcement officers with real-time situational awareness through surveilance feeds.
The app provided a live view of active incidents and responder locations, enabling officers to quickly understand where events were unfolding and who was nearest to respond.
By enhancing visibility and coordination, Incident Aware aimed improve response times and help ensure officer and public safety in the field.
Core Features
Visual map of all officer locations (think Uber), surveillance camera access, push notifications, creating initial reports, and requesting support
Design Systems
w3 Design System
Design Lead
Updated and established IBM’s internal design system to better support product teams building on w3. This initiative involved introducing new brand values, a revised type scale, a new icon library, refreshed color palettes, accessibility standards, and new components—all while migrating the system from Sketch to Figma.
Carbon Native Mobile
Migration Lead
Led the rebuild of the Carbon Native Mobile library in Figma, ensuring alignment with official design system standards. The role required close collaboration with Carbon leadership, delegation of component builds, status tracking, hands-on component development, and final review of all work prior to publishing.
Carbon
Contributor/Consulting
Volunteered to support the core Carbon library’s migration from Sketch to Figma. Contributed twelve component builds and provided strategic feedback on component usability and workflow improvements throughout the transition process.
Carbon for IBM Products
Contributor/Consulting
Volunteered to support the Carbon for IBM Products initiative by partnering with design system leadership to align our work with Carbon’s evolving structure and processes. I facilitated hands-on workshops and design sessions to coach both design leads and contributors on system best practices and consistent ways of working.
I also identified and encouraged designers on our team to participate as a way to deepen their systems knowledge and grow their craft. Personally contributed 3 production-ready components, while our broader team delivered over 10 new contributions to the system.
IBM.com
Contributor/Consulting
Volunteered to support the Carbon for IBM.com initiative by partnering with design system leadership to align our work with Carbon’s evolving structure and processes. I participated in hands-on workshops and design sessions to support both design leads and contributors on system best practices and consistent ways of working.
IBM Presentation Library
Migration Lead
To streamline how teams present work, I developed the Figma-based IBM Presentation Library as an alternative to Keynote and PowerPoint. This systems-driven approach transformed slides, titles, and layouts into reusable components that could be easily prototyped and assembled for more effective storytelling.
IBM Email Library
Lead
Email assets previously existed only within tools like Acoustic and Marketo, limiting design flexibility and collaboration. To address this, I created a systematized library of components, layouts, and full template variations in Figma—mapped to the capabilities of both platforms. This enabled designers to prototype, review, and iterate on emails with greater creative freedom. The work was done in close partnership with IBM brand leads to ensure alignment with brand standards and readiness for broader distribution across the design community.
Carbon Charts
Contributor
Supported a major initiative led by Juan Encalada to create a highly flexible data visualization library, enabling users to customize every aspect of each chart with minimal need for detaching components. This required innovative techniques and utility components (resizers, aspect ratios, slot components, spacers, icon shells, etc...) to closely mirror our Storybook implementation. I contributed three components to the library, developed the color system, and reviewed Figma contributions from additional collaborators to ensure consistency and usability.
Apple + IBM Enterprise
Design Lead
Collaborated across teams to align Apple and IBM design principles, creating a shared component and style library for our enterprise apps in both keynote and sketch.
Design Ops
Figma Guild
Strategic Partner
As Figma adoption accelerated across IBM, I co-founded the Figma Guild with two colleagues to create a collaborative space for designers to learn, share, and refine their craft.
The Guild quickly grew into a vital support system—offering workshops, office hours, best practice documentation, and cross-team forums on everything from component design to design system alignment.
I led sessions focused on team libraries, workflow optimization, and scalable design practices. This initiative evolved into the formation of a Figma Governance Board, where I helped oversee the quality, consistency, and distribution strategy of IBM’s templates and shared libraries.
As a board member, I took an active role in the creation, maintenance, and review of all IBM templates built on top of our systems.The Guild demystified advanced Figma features, accelerated onboarding, and established design cohesion across teams. It became a cornerstone of design enablement at IBM.
Special thanks to Juan Encalada (Figma Guild Leader) and Eugene To (Strategic Partner) for their collaboration and support.
Product Design Guides
Design Ops Partner
To raise the quality of our work and improve the end-to-end designer-to-developer lifecycle, we built a comprehensive set of operational processes and checklists.
These included project setup guides, design QA checklists, developer handoff protocols, Jira story frameworks, pull request review guidelines, collaboration session formats, and clear escalation pathways for support.
These systems became foundational for maintaining quality across teams, and played a critical role in onboarding new designers and developers. They also enabled smoother cross-squad collaboration and helped standardize expectations for execution and delivery across our organization.
CIO Experience Guide
Web & Mobile Lead
Before the launch of the w3 Design System, I created the foundational content that gave CIO designers access to essential guidance for designing internal web and mobile applications.
This work established early standards for how projects were scoped, designed, and delivered across the CIO organization.
In parallel, I developed learning paths to help designers deepen their understanding of product design from both web and mobile perspectives.
These paths introduced core concepts in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and the frameworks our teams build on—bridging the gap between visual design and development.
Operating within a UX + Visual Design model, this initiative significantly improved designer–developer communication and served as a catalyst for professional growth—supporting our evolution into a team of well-rounded product designers with strong technical fluency.
IBM Project Template
Creator
To bring greater structure and clarity to how design work was organized within the CIO, I created a standardized Figma project template.
Designed for scalability and accessibility, this framework quickly gained traction—eventually being adopted company-wide and duplicated over 30,000 times.
As Figma introduced new levels of collaboration and transparency, the need for consistent structure became essential. This template enabled designers, developers, product owners, iteration managers, and leadership to easily navigate files, track progress, and provide actionable feedback—regardless of their role or familiarity with the project.
The framework sparked dozens of cross-team connections, with peers reaching out to learn how to implement it within their own workflows. It became a foundational tool for organizing work and aligning teams around shared outcomes.
IBM Documentation Library
Creator
This lightweight yet powerful Figma library was built to standardize how teams structure and document work. It includes reusable components for project thumbnails, notes, callouts, and other organizational elements—empowering designers to create clarity and consistency across their files.
The Documentation Library played a foundational role in the success of the IBM Project Template and became an essential layer of structure for every official IBM template and library. It is actively used across Carbon Core, Carbon Native Mobile, Carbon for IBM.com, Carbon for IBM Products, IBM Security, Carbon for AI, IBM Technical Diagramming, and many more.
By making documentation scalable and consistent, this system improved collaboration, increased transparency, and helped establish a higher standard of operational design excellence across IBM.
Supporting SMBs
Business Networking International
Member
BNI is a global organization focused on empowering small and medium-sized businesses through structured networking, mentorship, and relationship-building.
As a member, I’ve had the opportunity to share my expertise in AI, design, low-code development, and marketing—offering practical insights that support the growth of local businesses in my community.
This platform not only allows me to give back through knowledge-sharing, but also helps me understand where businesses most often need support. In turn, it opens doors for our own company to seek out mentorship, referrals, and partnerships in key areas of growth.
The BNI core values:
Givers Gain
Building Relationships
Lifelong Learning
Tradition + Innovation
Positive Attitude
Accountability
Recognition
Brehm Preparatory
Web | Marketing
Brehm School is a private, non-profit boarding school dedicated to supporting students with learning disabilities. I led the redesign of their website, crafting a new landing experience focused on showcasing the school’s transformative impact through real student and family success stories.
As part of the redesign, I migrated their platform from WordPress to Webflow to create a cleaner, more modern site.
I restructured their information architecture and sitemap for clarity and usability, and integrated a scheduling system that automated appointment booking and follow-up emails—building a streamlined pipeline for prospective families.
In parallel, I developed a comprehensive marketing strategy that included blogging, SEO, social media, reputation management, and paid advertising. I also implemented a CMS framework to support content authorship and category tagging—boosting topical authority and discoverability.
Since the site launched in February 2023, Brehm has seen a 46% increase in web traffic and an average of 15 new appointments per month. I collaborated closely with their marketing manager to ensure long-term adoption and success of these systems.
Built Clough
Brand | Web | Marketing
As a 1/3 partner in Built Clough—a construction and remodeling company I co-own with my two brothers—I lead all efforts related to brand, digital presence, and marketing. While my brothers bring over 15 years of hands-on expertise in high-end construction, my role ensures that the craftsmanship and quality they deliver are reflected across every customer touchpoint online.
I developed the brand identity, logo, website, and marketing materials to present a polished, trustworthy, and professional image.
I'm responsible for driving client acquisition through digital marketing, SEO, and content strategy. I also explore new tools, AI integrations, and evolving technologies to streamline operations and enhance both the customer and team experience.
Built Clough is rooted in family, craftsmanship, and excellence—and I make sure that’s clear in every interaction.
Judge Services
Brand | Web | Consulting
Judge Services is a local power washing and cleaning company that I supported through comprehensive brand and digital development. I designed the brand identity, created the logo, and produced a full suite of print materials—including uniforms, hats, five vehicle wraps, and signage.
To support their online growth, I developed their initial website on WordPress and provided SEO strategies centered around blogging and local visibility—helping the business attract and convert new customers through organic search.
CocoBar
Web | Consulting
CocoBar is an outdoor dining expereince on the Chicago Riverwalk, I designed and developed a their website in Webflow. Beyond the build, I provided consultation on digital marketing strategies—including how to boost visibility through Google reviews and local SEO.
To ensure the site remained current and easy to manage, I trained a staff member to take ownership of ongoing updates and maintenance of the site.
DownHome CrossFit
Brand | Web | Marketing
Located in Pooler, Georgia, DownHome CrossFit is a new gym focused on building community through functional fitness. I collaborated with the founders to workshop and develop the brand identity, including logo design and core messaging.
Currently, I’m designing and building a conversion-focused Webflow site aimed at establishing trust and driving sign-ups.
To support operational growth, I’ve also implemented automation systems for lead tracking, email drip campaigns, and SMS follow-ups. In parallel, I’m training key staff members to manage these systems independently for long-term sustainability.
Launch planned for Fall
Five Hen Farm
Brand | Web | Commerce
Five Hen Farm was a local operation focused on pasture-raised pork, chicken, and eggs—built around values we deeply believe in: knowing where your food comes from and supporting local producers.
I partnered with the farm to bring their brand to life, developing their visual identity including logo, color palette, typography, and product photography.
To help them grow their business, I also designed and built a WordPress + WooCommerce site that allowed customers to explore products and place orders online.
This work helped the farm expand their reach while staying grounded in their community-based mission.
Table Manners
Brand | Web | Blog
Born from my wife’s vision, Table Manners was a creative platform that combined our love for storytelling, education, and hands-on craftsmanship.
It served as a space for her to share insights on motherhood, homeschooling, and Montessori-inspired learning—while offering handcrafted toys designed to help kids learn through play.
I built each toy in our home woodshop, and my wife created the content and community through blogging.
As our family grew, so did the challenge of keeping up with both the product creation and content publishing. While Table Manners is currently paused, we hope to revive it in the future.(And if you're curious—we'd love to share some of the toys we made in the shop!)
Recognized for contributions that improve user experiences, enhance team workflows, and deliver effective design solutions. These awards highlight consistent dedication to quality and collaboration.
Culture Catalyst Award
1x
Nielsen Norman Top 10 Intranet Award
3x
IBM Eminence & Excellence Award
2x
IBM Special Equity Award
2x
CIO Challenge Coin Recipient
1x
Manager Choice Award
8x
GBS Service Exellence Award
2x
F&O Peer Recognition
5x
BlueThanks
12x
Insights from peers and leaders
The network, family, and friends I’ve built by pursuing my passion for design is my greatest achievement. I’m endlessly grateful for these relationships, people and connection are my source of inspiration.
The Carbon Team
IBM's Official Design System
Special thanks to Pat Clough for pushing the boundaries of our Figma strategy and implementation across so many efforts (Carbon Charts Library, Carbon Layout Library, IBM Email Library, IBM Presentation Library, Carbon Redlining Library) for leading the Carbon Native Mobile library and being a tireless advocate for consistency, alignment, and contribution across the Carbon ecosystem.
Niloo Salahi
Senior Product Manager @ IBM
Pat consistently brings a rare combination of strategic thinking and executional excellence to every project, making him a true subject matter expert in the rapidly evolving field of AI and a cornerstone of our team’s success.
LinkedIn →
Eugene To
Brand & Product Designer @IBM
The saying goes, “You can have it done fast or you can have it done right, but not both.” Working with Pat at IBM has proven otherwise. One of Pat’s most remarkable talents is his ability to simplify complex concepts, making intricate ideas accessible to a wide audience, regardless of their technical background. This skill is invaluable in fast-paced environments and multidisciplinary teams, where clarity can be the key to success.
LinkedIn →
Juan Encalada
Senior Product Designer @IBM
His ability to foster collaboration among disparate design teams, uplift and nurture the next generation of designers, and balance productivity with selflessness makes him an invaluable mentor and a true inspiration.
LinkedIn →
Shaun Long
Senior Design Manager @IBM
Pat, thank you so much for all your hard work on w3 core/mobile, Carbon migration, and AskIBM this year. You are incredibly knowledgeable, capable, and insightful with your designs, and I truly believe you are absolutely the best person to help lead the new search integration capabilities going into 2025. You have the versatility and expertise to lead different areas, and you just add value wherever you go and in whatever you do. Thank you so much, and especially for your calm handling of stress that helps ground both your projects and your teammates as well.
LinkedIn →
Jill Fourie
Vice President AI, Automation, and Data Platform @IBM
Thank you for your leadership and impact. w3 wouldn't be the same without you, and I always hear from product leadership about the amazing work that you do. The last few months was no exception -- I was able to walk into the conversation with Arvind Krishna (IBM CEO) in a fundamentally different position due to the fast and incredible impact you had on our w3 mobile app. Thank you for that work, and for all that you do to make w3 great.
Jay LaPlante
Head of w3 Product @IBM
The recent vision work you contributed is pivotal to shaping the direction we need to take. Your ability to craft a compelling vision that inspires excitement and aligns teams is invaluable, especially as we pivot in our search efforts. Thank you for consistently stepping up as a leader and for being such an enthusiastic and dependable collaborator every single time—it’s truly appreciated.
LinkedIn →
Hope Brandes
Product Designer @IBM
Pat is a top talent for design at IBM, he is not only a master of his craft but also an outstanding mentor. Working with Pat naturally elevates the skills of those around him, whether they are fellow designers or cross-functional team members like developers, iteration managers, or product owners.
LinkedIn →
Rich Kummer
Design Systems Lead @IBM
I wanted to thank you again for your amazing work with the Carbon for IBM.com v2 initiative! It was an absolute joy working with you in order to get the library out to adopters faster. You always have a great attitude and are willing to look at something from a different angle. Absolutely looking forward to the next time we get to work together!
LinkedIn →A philosophy for success
You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.
- Zig Zagler