Experience
April 2021 - Mar 2024
Zwift is a fitness app used by cyclists and runners that pairs hardware devices with a virtual game experience. Where members can explore, train, and compete with others from around the world.
Lead Product Designer
At Zwift, I led numerous design projects from discovery to release, including a complete overhaul of the game app's home screen and a new feature allowing club administrators to create events with the companion app. I supported multiple engineering teams, designing for near-term sprints and future state outcomes aligned with the highest-priority company goals. Partnering directly with leadership, product, engineering, data analytics, research, marketing, and customer support. I led design workshops, UX & UI design, moderated research sessions with end users, contributed widely to our Figma design system and Confluence documentation, championed Miro, and evangelized many cross-functional process improvements.
May 2020 - Apr 2021
Founding partners Harvard and MIT brought together over 30 million learners, offering over 3,500 courses from top universities and organizations worldwide.
Product Design Lead / UX Design Manager
At edX, I designed wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes to add discussion capabilities to course units. Improving navigation, filtering, social engagement, and authoring functionality to increase participation and usability for both learners and moderators. I designed concept flows for a new course authoring content library experience, to make it easier for creators to publish and manage shared content across learning modules and exams. Partnering directly with product, learning designers, and tech leads. I presented to stakeholders at partner institutions, contributed to our Figma design system, and supported a team of three direct reports.
Jul 2017 — May 2020
Meltwater offers comprehensive media monitoring and analysis across online news, social media, and podcasts. Capturing more content and conversations than anyone else in the industry.
Product Design Lead / UX Design Manager
At Meltwater, I designed wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes for numerous projects across the product suite including new media monitoring dashboards with advanced configuration control and improved data visualization. As well as redesigning the platform’s information architecture with new navigation components and improved wayfinding patterns to support efficient scaling, usability, and personalization. Partnering directly with leadership, product, engineering, and research. I led design workshops and project kickoffs, contributed to our evolving Figma design system, hired the first UX researcher for the company, and supported a team of three direct reports.
Apr 2012 — Jul 2017
Sametz is a brand strategy, design, and digital media firm. Creating communication platforms and programs that build connections, encourage participation, and strengthen relationships.
User Experience Director (Promoted from Digital Strategist)
At Sametz, I led UX design, rearchitecting client websites from the ground up, including discovery and competitive research, information architecture, wireframing, prototyping, usability testing, and project management. Partnering with brand strategists, UI designers, writers, developers, and cross-functional client teams. Clients included MIT, Northeastern University, Sarah Lawrence College, Suffolk University, The National Fire Protection Association, Skinner (auctions), Project Bread, New England Development, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, and Direxion Investments.
How I lead and partner
Discovery & Definition
- Conducting generative research to identify business goals, problems to solve, and aspirational outcomes with senior leadership, cross-functional partners, and end users
- Workshop facilitation ranging from concept sketching to prioritization discussions using a variety of methods and frameworks
- Current experience analysis with end-to-end opportunity mapping across multiple platforms and communication channels
Design
- Building alignment through visual storytelling with low and medium-fidelity UX flows, journey mapping, story mapping, and persona development
- Interaction and UI design including contributing to and evangelizing design systems
- Advocating for accessibility through color contrast, scale affordances, localization considerations, friendly microcopy, and navigation device consideration
- Presenting to leadership and project stakeholders to increase visibility, gather strategic feedback, and build consensus
- Running collaborative design review sessions to reach better outcomes together
- Partnering with engineering to improve solutions and align on phased-release approaches
Research
- Uncovering pain points and opportunities with end users through unmoderated task-based testing, and moderated in-depth interviews
- Usability testing with interactive prototypes, pre-release builds, or staging environments
- Gathering feedback from released products to identify and prioritize improvements
- Partnering with researchers and data analysts to make data-informed decisions
© Ange Romanska 2024