Catt Small
Staff Product Designer at Dropbox and Author of The Staff Designer
An observer at heart, Catt focuses on ways to improve the lives of people through design. She is interested in ways to increase empathy through interactive media. Many of her personal projects center around the human experience and tackle issues related to interpersonal relationships, self-expression, gender, and race. In addition to her product design work, Catt makes video games by herself and with friends. She is co-organizer of the Game Devs of Color Expo, an annual event that amplifies the creative power held by people of color in games. In her spare time, she writes about professional development and creates artwork of all kinds.
Catt’s work has been covered by many publications including Net Magazine, VentureBeat, BuzzFeed, and Black Enterprise . She has spoken at schools and events across the world including Yale, Columbia University, AIGA Design Conference, Beyond Tellerrand in Germany, UX Week, Microsoft’s Codess Seattle, Google’s Women Techmakers NYC, and TEDxFoggyBottom. Her games have been in a variety of exhibitions at venues such as IndieCade and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. You can view her work at cattsmall.com
Rosenverse talks by Catt:
" If there’s no plan or no handoff after the vision, then the vision feels like an artifact that has no legs. "
Craft a Vision that Actually Gets Shipped
April 30, 2026
" The difference between director and principal often lies in whether you’re inspired more by leading people or focused on outputs and craft. "
What's Next for ICs: Exploring Staff and Principal Designer Roles
February 22, 2024
" I ask how a goal could go wrong and who might be harmed to help design safer, more effective goals. "
Morning Insights Panel
December 6, 2022
" Showing up and inserting yourself, delightfully weaseling your way into spaces where design can add value, is a powerful tactic. "
Moving from Execution to Strategy as a Designer
December 6, 2022