Tyler Hartrich

Tyler is a seasoned product designer and leader with 16 years of experience creating innovative, human-centered solutions that drive meaningful impact. With a background in urban design, ecological systems, and sustainable enterprise, he brings a unique, multidisciplinary approach to solving design challenges. His professional journey spans industries such as solar technology, electric mobility, sustainable food systems, and climate impact analysis. Tyler’s experience includes collaborating with impactful organizations like Enphase, Imperative, Farmigo, and General Assembly to develop impact-driven products, services, and educational experiences. He has excelled in enabling world-class workflows within cross-functional teams, fostering collaboration and innovation to deliver solutions that drive change. Currently, Tyler serves as a UX Design instructor at General Assembly, where he empowers the next generation of designers with his expertise. His dedication to excellence and mentorship has earned him a place in GA’s Distinguished Faculty program and a role on the Product Advisory Board for design courses. Driven by a mission to create delightful digital experiences that resonate deeply, Tyler is both a designer and catalyst for impact-driven design, seamlessly blending design innovation, education, and environmental and social responsibility into his work. His work bridges product and learning experience design, enabling individuals and organizations to create meaningful impact through thoughtful, human-centered solutions.

What is your favorite technical skill to work with on your own projects and why?

My favorite technical skill to work with on my own projects is the ability to quickly prototype a potential design solution, as it allows me to bring ideas to life quickly and tangibly. From here, getting the design into the hands of users through usability testing plays a crucial role in this process, helping me learn directly from users’ interactions with the prototype and uncover insights that shape the direction of the product.

I am a big proponent of teaching students how to synthesize user research insights into actionable design features, as it allows students to directly understand what it means to connect real user needs with thoughtful product decisions. I’ve found that this is often the first area where learners begin to grasp how to apply systems thinking to effectively solve a user’s core problem through data-backed research.

I find teaching design tools such as Figma to be incredibly gratifying. This is typically the moment emerging UX designers gain a comprehensive sense of what it means to build thoughtful interfaces and build confidence in their design work. Turning a digital design into a prototype that is ready for usability testing is often a major ‘aha’ moment for students, as they begin to understand the power and speed of the iterative design process.

As we move into the era of AI, it’s essential for emerging designers to leverage tools to further enhance our workflow across ideation, prototyping and making data-driven decisions. Staying at the forefront of AI technology will be increasingly important as it becomes deeply integrated into design processes, tools, and user experiences. By actively learning and applying AI in areas like user research analysis, content generation, and personalized design, designers can streamline workflows and help to accelerate career growth opportunities.

Outside of teaching, I’ve collaborated closely with cross-functional startup teams—designers, engineers, and product managers. I have found that communication and storytelling have further built my designer craft and has made me a much stronger designer. Iteration and prototyping has also been key, allowing me to explore ideas quickly, validate solutions, and bring concepts to life in a way that resonates with both users and stakeholders.

WHAT [INSTRUCTOR NAME] STUDENTS ARE SAYING...

"Ty, you have changed my life. I was someone who heavily burned out in high school and college, and this course is the first time in literal years that I have felt confident, intelligent, and capable. The tools and motivation you have helped me cultivate are things that will be core to how I navigate the world for decades to come, and I truly can't express how grateful I am to have been given the privilege from learning from you. I wish you all the best in the world and hope I can make you proud as a real, professional designer! ."

In recognition of his exemplary service in the classroom, Tyler has been selected as a member of General Assembly’s Distinguished Faculty program.