Matt Deming
I've spent 20 years helping organizations make complex information findable—from 14-million-SKU marketplaces to Fortune 500 e-commerce platforms to scientific research databases.
The pattern is always the same: the systems that create product data weren't designed to keep it healthy. I fix the systems, not just the data.
What I learned where
4.5 years at McMaster-Carr—the gold standard for catalog design
- Redesigned faceted search for the three largest product categories
- Drove up to 15% sales increase through improved findability
- Product-managed transition to database-driven publishing
- Learned that findability is a design problem, not a data entry problem.
6 years at Lyons Consulting Group and HS2 Solutions (now Capgemini and Bounteous)
- 40+ client engagements: Fortune 500 to high-growth startups
- Industrial sector clients: ArcelorMittal, Rockler, Tool Parts Direct, Sears Parts Direct, Advance Auto Parts
- Deep platform experience: Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Adobe Commerce, SAP Hybris, Drupal
- The go-to person for taxonomy and information architecture projects
- Learned that every organization's problems feel unique, but the patterns are remarkably consistent.
7 years at Zoro US, ending as Head of Product
- Founded and built Zoro's UX practice from scratch; grew team to 46 people
- Accountable for customer experience on a $1B+ marketplace with 14M+ SKUs
- Built product teams for AI-powered search, ML recommendations, and supplier data governance
- Improved employee understanding of customer value from 65% to 87%—reducing attrition and improving outcomes
- Learned that data problems are system problems. Solving them permanently means redesigning the incentives, not just cleaning the data.
The pattern I kept seeing
At Zoro, merchant teams were rewarded for assortment growth. Onboarding teams were measured on speed-to-market. And search teams were left to deal with the resulting mess. Everyone was hitting their numbers. The system was still failing.
The same pattern repeated with every acquisition, every new supplier integration, every catalog expansion. The symptoms varied—search abandonment, conversion drops, customer complaints—but the root cause was always the same: operational design that treated data quality as someone else's problem.
That's when I understood: data problems are system problems. Solving them permanently means redesigning the system, not just cleaning the data.
What colleagues say
I don't have client case studies to share yet—Plait & Pattern is new. But I can offer something that might be more useful: colleagues who've worked alongside me and are willing to take your call.
Matt is a deep thinker, deliberate in his decisions, and willing to find solutions whenever roadblocks appear. Matt's approach to leadership draws others in and facilitates positive outcomes to complex problems.
He taught me a great deal about how to take a more curious and empathetic approach to problem solving—something that has truly changed how I approach my role.
What sets Matt apart is his remarkable empathy for others. He truly understands the needs and desires of both customers and team members, ensuring that products are not only functional but also resonate on an emotional level.
How I work
Collaborative, not prescriptive
You know your business. I bring pattern recognition from seeing these problems across organizations.
Systems over symptoms
I spend as much time understanding organizational dynamics as analyzing data—because that's what determines whether solutions stick.
Built for implementation
Every engagement is designed to create measurable change—not documents that gather dust.
Want to talk through your situation?
I'm always happy to spend 30 minutes helping you think through a product data challenge—whether or not it leads to working together.