Hope Armstrong

Hi, I'm Hope.

I’m a product design leader blending strategy, empathy, and craft to build products that matter.

Since 2010, I’ve built products by simplifying complexity and designing with deep insight that makes people feel genuinely seen. My foundation comes from RISD, where critique is constant and craft is everything — a mindset I bring into every product review.

I approach design like creating a gift for a friend: thoughtful, purposeful, and well-crafted. I bring care and attention to detail to everything I touch, fueled by insatiable curiosity. Great design leadership balances vision with empathy — creating clarity for teams, alignment for partners, and experiences that reflect a deep understanding of human needs.

Experience

Instrumentl — Head of Product Design

Since April 2021 · B2B · SaaS · social good

As the first designer at Instrumentl, I built and now lead the design function as the company scales from 9 to 100+ employees. Partnering closely with product and engineering, I’ve driven the expansion from a single grant tool to a full-lifecycle grants platform for 5,000 nonprofits. Through this hypergrowth phase, Instrumentl has doubled ARR year over year and expanded upmarket, while maintaining exceptional customer love (NPS 65+).

• Scaled the design org from 1 to 4 designers, building team structure, processes, and a design system that enabled rapid product growth
• Led the design vision for platform expansion—from grant discovery to end-to-end grant management—shaping product direction, design systems, and user experience
• Led design for 30+ 0→1 initiatives, guiding cross-functional teams from problem definition and research to launch—contributing directly to ARR growth and expansion upmarket
• Co-led product strategy with founders and PMs to set vision, roadmap, and product priorities
• Drove continuous product iteration, such as the LLM-powered Award Assistant that cut administrative time by ~50% and reached 60% MAU in its first quarter
• Introduced UX research practices that grounds product decisions in deep user insight
• Established scalable design systems and cross-functional processes to align E/P/D teams

Past Roles

2010 – 2021

Treehouse · SimilarWeb · Quettra (acquired by SimilarWeb) · Visa · Carnegie Mellon University

Over the past 15+ years, I’ve designed for early stage 0→1 B2B SaaS startups, spanning EdTech, Market Intelligence, FinTech, and Nonprofits. I thrive in ambiguous, high-impact environments.

Freelance & Pro Bono

Airbnb · 350 Bay Area · YIMBY Action · The Story of Stuff · Farm Sanctuary · Vegan Hacktivists · Better Eating International · Factory Farming Awareness Coalition · East Bay Animal PAC · Berkeley Earth Day · Santa Clara Activists for Animals · The Humane League

Pro-bono consulting for mission-driven orgs advocate for affordable housing, climate activism, animal rights, and food justice. Commissioned by Airbnb to create illustrations for their book on the future of travel.

Community & Mentorship

I care deeply about people and bring that same curiosity and care to my communities.

• Santa Cruz YIMBY Lead — Volunteer lead for YIMBY Action, a national nonprofit advocating for housing
• City of Santa Cruz Master Recycler — Completed a volunteer program to promote zero-waste practices and environmental stewardship
• DesignLab Mentor — Supported emerging UI/UX designers entering the field

Side Projects

• Illustrations — zines, greeting cards, and creative experiments
• Paintings — gouache works inspired by food and 90s pop nostalgia
• Tinkering — pom poms, fabric art, and a farting Arduino piano
• Teaching — UI/UX design and visual art foundations