Garrett Simmer is a leader for Optum's consumer journey team. His work blends UX design and software engineering to reimagine the future of the healthcare experience.

His professional experiences have been varied and fulfilling - he has designed commercial air travel experiences, consumer electronic accessories, co-founded a baby carrier company, consulted for startups and fortune 500 companies, and much more. Over the last twenty years, his work has slowly evolved from industrial design and soft goods to digital and experiential design. A proponent of the mantra "Learn by doing," Garrett aims to help future College of Design graduates continue their education as they build their careers. 

Garrett holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design from Georgia Tech. He represented GT at the IDSA Student Merit Awards in 2008. His wife Elizabeth is a fellow Georgia Tech alum who works in Atlanta's tech startup space.