Aaron Cacali

Designer in Austin, TX, United States

Member since July 19, 2021

Aaron is a multidisciplinary designer and creative director who combines UX/UI expertise with marketing and brand building knowledge. He seeks to truly understand his clients’ business challenges and takes a strategic, collaborative approach to solve each new problem. For 20+ years, Aaron’s work has made a positive impact on companies across a wide range of industries for clients that include UPS, Samsung, DeVry University, Taj Hotels, Waste Management, The Home Depot, and GlaxoSmithKline.

UI Design UX Design Brand Building UX UI Visual Design User Experience (UX)Web Design Product Design Pitch Decks Prototyping Web App UX Web App UI User Interface (UI)User Flows Show more

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Portfolio

Digital Design

Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces Responsive Website
- UX
- UI
- Experience Strategy
- Visual Design
- Brand Building
- Content Strategy
- Component Libraries
- Adobe Experience Manager
- Annotated Wireframes
- Travel
- Luxury Industry
- Hotels & Resorts
- Restaurants & Dining
- Digital Creative Direction
- Adobe AEM
The Home Depot Project Color Mobile App and eCommerce Experience
- Mobile eCommerce
- Mobile UI
- Mobile UX
- Mobile
- UI Style Guides
- UI Patterns
- Mobile App UI
- B2C
- eCommerce Design
- Retail & Wholesale
- Home Improvement
- Home Decor
- Digital Creative Direction
UPS.com Global Website Design System Refresh
- Adobe Experience Design (XD)
- Business to Business (B2B)
- B2C
- Component Libraries
- Styled-components
- Style Sheets
- UX Audits
- UI Audits
- Page Templates
- Corporate Design
- User Experience (UX)
- UI
- Web Design
- Responsive Layout
- Sitecore
- Design Systems
- Corporate Websites
- Enterprise Site Design
- Freight & Logistics Services
- Shipping Management
- Responsive Web Apps
- Digital Creative Direction
Varilux Responsive Website
- UX
- UI
- Brand Building
- Product Positioning
- B2C Marketing
- Responsive
- Eyewear
- Web Design
- Product Demonstrations
- Medical Devices
- Health Products
- Creative Direction
- Adobe Experience Manager
- Adobe AEM
Gateway Hotels & Resorts Responsive Website
- UX
- UI
- Web Design
- Design Systems
- Responsive Layout
- Adobe Experience Manager
- User Experience (UX)
- Content Strategy
- UX Architecture
- Experience Strategy
- Brand Building
- Hotels & Lodging
- Component Libraries
- Digital Creative Direction
- Travel
- Hospitality
- Adobe AEM
Taj Hotel Group Responsive Website
- Web Design
- Web UX
- Web UI
- Responsive Layout
- Design Systems
- Component Libraries
- Adobe Experience Manager
- Content Strategy
- Experience Strategy
- Visual Design
- Annotated Wireframes
- Page Templates
- Luxury Industry
- Lodging & Resorts
- Hospitality
- Travel
- Restaurants & Dining
- Digital Creative Direction
- Adobe AEM

Employment

Creative Director (Contract)
2022 - PRESENT
Swenson He
- Led the UX/UI design of a self-help mobile product based on personality profiles. Helped translate psychological profiling technology into a compelling user experience. After user research, led the ongoing design of feature and usability updates.
- Led a team of product designers in the MVP design for a home-sharing mobile app. Helped the client shape the experience strategy and prioritize product features. Developed a tappable prototype for user testing and as a tool to gain funding.
- Designed the concept for a mobile app the connects sports figures with their fans. Worked closely with the startup founders to shape the product experience, designed the UX/UI of the MVP, and developed a tappable prototype used to pitch funding.
- Led the UX/UI design and development of a prototype for an emotional support product for members of the armed forces and their families.
- Led the design of a tracking and reporting dashboard for an enterprise SaaS product that allows companies to monitor and evaluate employee satisfaction and manage employee retention.
Technologies: Figma, After Effects CC, Adobe Illustrator, Google Docs, Confluence, WordPress, Style Guides, Graphic Design, Copywriting, Marketing, SaaS, Information Architecture (IA), Sitemaps
Product Design Lead | Creative Director
2021 - PRESENT
Self-employed
- Provided creative direction, UI/UX design, and product design strategy consulting services directly to brands and through agencies to their clients.
- Assisted business leaders strategically in optimizing their marketing programs and customer experiences by creating user-centered design solutions and improving their current digital products.
- Consulted with numerous startups and small businesses, providing product strategy for founders and C-suite management and delivering development-ready UI/UX solutions for go-to-market digital products.
- Created and delivered UI/UX direction and design systems for regional and national brands, universities, government groups, and SaaS products.
Technologies: Adobe Experience Design (XD), Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, CRM Design, Customer Journeys, Consumer Research, UX Prototyping, UI Prototyping, SaaS Design, Product Design, Team Leadership, Brand Positioning, Content Management Systems (CMS), Zeplin, App UX, Responsive UI, Responsive UX Design, WordPress, Style Guides, Graphic Design, Copywriting, Marketing, SaaS, Information Architecture (IA), Sitemaps
Group Creative Director
2015 - 2021
T3
- Served as the creative and design lead for the UPS account by guiding and shaping web design, digital product design, social media, customer experience, and content creation; also managed a 12-person team and helped grow the account to eight figures.
- Conducted a full design and user experience audit for UPS.com, established a new design strategy for the global shipping company's website, and then designed an updated style guide and component library for the UPS site.
- Redesigned multiple web apps central to the UPS business, including the online shipping flow (improving efficiency and reducing the number of steps in the process by nearly half) and improving the online delivery tracking experience.
- Led the website redesign for Waste Management, North America's largest waste and recycling company. Applied user research and site metrics to guide the site design and to reimagine the online service ordering and onboarding experience.
- Reimagined the digital paint shopping experience for The Home Depot, designing more effective product landing and product information web pages, as well as a paint-focused mobile app. Connected all parts to The Home Depot eCommerce experience.
Technologies: Adobe Experience Design (XD), Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe InDesign, WordPress, InVision, Figma, Component Libraries, Creative Direction, Product Design, Storytelling, Chatbot Conversation Design, Mobile, Videos, Social Media, User Research, User Testing, User Surveys, Storyboarding, User Journeys, Digital Product Design, Mobile Apps, Usability Testing, Lodging & Resorts, Hotels & Lodging, Enterprise Site Design, Corporate Websites, Responsive Web Apps, Retail & Wholesale, Hospitality, Hotels & Resorts, Travel, Web UX, Web UI, UX Architecture, Design Systems, Responsive Layout, Web Design, Corporate Design, Page Templates, UI Audits, UX Audits, Style Sheets, Styled-components, Business to Business (B2B), eCommerce Design, B2C, User Experience (UX), Mobile App UI, UI Patterns, UI Style Guides, Mobile UX, Mobile UI, Responsive, Product Positioning, Annotated Wireframes, Content Strategy, Visual Design, Experience Strategy, UI, UX, Brand Building, B2B, Strategy, Branding, Sketch, Adobe After Effects, UI Design, UX Design, Creative Problem Solving, User-centered Design (UCD), Dashboard Design, User Interface (UI), Web App UI, Web App UX, Rapid Prototyping, Prototyping, UX Research, Presentations, Pitch Decks, InVision App, WordPress Themes, WordPress Design, CSS, UX Direction, B2C Marketing, User Flows, Design Thinking, Wireframing, eCommerce, Editorial Design, Blog Design, Landing Pages, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Presentation Design, Adobe Creative Suite, Websites, Mobile Design, Design Consultation, Web App Design, Google Material Design, Dashboards, Responsive Design, Design Leadership, User Stories, User Personas, Personas, Email Design, Communication Design, Marketing Design, SaaS Design, Team Leadership, CRM Design, Customer Journeys, Consumer Research, UX Prototyping, UI Prototyping, Brand Positioning, Content Management Systems (CMS), Zeplin, App UX, Responsive UI, Responsive UX Design, Style Guides, Graphic Design, Copywriting, Marketing, SaaS, Adobe Experience Manager, Information Architecture (IA), Adobe AEM, Sitemaps
Associate Creative Director
2014 - 2015
Publicis Sapient
- Served as the design lead for the multimillion-dollar Taj Hotel Group website redesign, directing an international team of 12 UX/UI designers and content strategists while playing a leading role in managing and strengthening the client relationship.
- Took over and turned around a struggling multimillion-dollar initiative for the Abbott global consumer brand launch—transforming it into a successful, ongoing event marketing program for the business.
- Managed the UX and UI design team for the John Deere account by overseeing the ongoing UX design improvements to Johndeere.com.
- Designed an updated and enhanced online customer experience for Chrysler Mopar, including an improved front end to the brand's eCommerce website.
- Managed the UX and UI design team for the DeVry University account.
Technologies: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, Adobe InDesign, Creative Direction, WordPress, Annotated Wireframes, Design Systems, Component Libraries, Experience Strategy, Mobile, Videos, Adobe Experience Manager, Storyboarding, User Journeys, Digital Product Design, Mobile Apps, User Research, User Testing, Usability Testing, Event Design, Lodging & Resorts, Hotels & Lodging, Enterprise Site Design, Corporate Websites, Restaurants & Dining, Hospitality, Hotels & Resorts, Luxury Industry, Travel, Web UX, Web UI, UX Architecture, Responsive Layout, Web Design, Corporate Design, Page Templates, UI Audits, UX Audits, Style Sheets, Styled-components, Business to Business (B2B), B2C, Digital Kiosks, User Experience (UX), Mobile App UI, UI Patterns, UI Style Guides, Mobile UX, Mobile UI, Responsive, Content Strategy, Visual Design, UI, UX, Brand Building, B2B, Strategy, UI Design, UX Design, Storytelling, Creative Problem Solving, User-centered Design (UCD), User Interface (UI), Dashboard Design, Web App UI, Web App UX, Rapid Prototyping, Prototyping, UX Research, Presentations, Pitch Decks, UX Direction, Branding, B2C Marketing, User Flows, Design Thinking, Wireframing, eCommerce, Landing Pages, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Presentation Design, Adobe Creative Suite, Websites, Mobile Design, Design Consultation, Web App Design, Dashboards, Responsive Design, Design Leadership, User Stories, User Personas, Personas, Email Design, Communication Design, Marketing Design, Team Leadership, Customer Journeys, Consumer Research, UX Prototyping, UI Prototyping, Product Design, Brand Positioning, Content Management Systems (CMS), Responsive UI, Responsive UX Design, Style Guides, Graphic Design, Copywriting, Marketing, SaaS, Information Architecture (IA), Adobe AEM, Sitemaps
Associate Creative Director
2012 - 2014
Razorfish
- Led the design and development of five key digital experience and digital out-of-home components of the Samsung Galaxy S III launch campaign, Samsung's largest product launch at the time, winning an Effie Award for the results.
- Led the UX, visual design, and content development teams in redesign projects for the Government of Mexico. Designed Mexico.com, an image and brand building website for the country, and crafted and managed an editorial process for the site's content.
- Oversaw user research and customer experience enhancements for US Cellular, creating an updated eCommerce design for the carrier. Conducted user testing on the brand's rewards program and applied the learnings to a user-centered program redesign.
- Used customer research to redesign the Varilux Progressive Lenses website for prescription lens giant Essilor—creating a new design system and responsive site for the brand.
Technologies: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe InDesign, Adobe After Effects, Creative Direction, Adobe Experience Manager, Product Design, Digital Kiosks, Event Design, Digital Out-of-home Advertising, Videos, Mobile, Usability Testing, User Testing, User Research, Storyboarding, User Journeys, User Surveys, Digital Product Design, Mobile Apps, Enterprise Site Design, Corporate Websites, Responsive Web Apps, Web UX, Web UI, UX Architecture, Design Systems, Responsive Layout, Web Design, Corporate Design, Page Templates, UI Audits, UX Audits, Style Sheets, Styled-components, Business to Business (B2B), B2C, User Experience (UX), Mobile App UI, UI Patterns, UI Style Guides, Mobile UX, Mobile UI, Responsive, Annotated Wireframes, Component Libraries, Visual Design, Experience Strategy, UI, UX, Brand Building, B2B, Strategy, UI Design, UX Design, Storytelling, Creative Problem Solving, User-centered Design (UCD), User Interface (UI), Dashboard Design, Web App UI, Rapid Prototyping, Prototyping, UX Research, Presentations, Pitch Decks, WordPress Design, CSS, UX Direction, B2C Marketing, User Flows, Design Thinking, Wireframing, Editorial Design, Blog Design, Landing Pages, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Presentation Design, Adobe Creative Suite, Websites, Mobile Design, Design Consultation, Web App Design, Dashboards, Responsive Design, Design Leadership, User Stories, User Personas, Personas, Email Design, Communication Design, Marketing Design, Consumer Research, UX Prototyping, UI Prototyping, Team Leadership, Brand Positioning, Content Management Systems (CMS), App UX, Responsive UI, Responsive UX Design, Style Guides, Graphic Design, Copywriting, Marketing, Information Architecture (IA), Adobe AEM, Sitemaps
Creative Director
2008 - 2012
Brunner
- Oversaw the overall excellence of digital work across the agency, including web design, mobile, digital product design, online video, social media, email marketing, online advertising, and interactive exhibits and installations.
- Led the UX/UI design of numerous consumer product websites for GSK, including sites for TUMS, Abreva, Fiberchoice, and global websites for Aquafresh and Sensodyne Toothpastes.
- Designed a touchscreen experience and educational installation in the corporate lobby of Consol Energy. Redesigned Consolenergy.com and produced online digital content for the brand.
- Designed the first mobile responsive websites for multiple clients including Glaxo SmithKline. Designed several mobile apps for GSK—some of the first for the business—and a mobile training assistant app for UPMC Sports Medicine.
Technologies: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Corporate Websites, Videos, Mobile Games, Mobile Apps, Digital Creative Direction, Storyboarding, User Journeys, Digital Product Design, User Testing, Usability Testing, Event Design, Digital Kiosks, Social Media, Enterprise Site Design, Restaurants & Dining, Web UX, Web UI, UX Architecture, Design Systems, Responsive Layout, Web Design, Corporate Design, Page Templates, UI Audits, UX Audits, Style Sheets, Styled-components, Business to Business (B2B), B2C, User Experience (UX), Mobile App UI, UI Patterns, UI Style Guides, Mobile UX, Mobile UI, Responsive, Product Positioning, Annotated Wireframes, Component Libraries, Content Strategy, Visual Design, Experience Strategy, UI, UX, Brand Building, B2B, Strategy, Branding, UI Design, UX Design, Storytelling, Creative Problem Solving, User-centered Design (UCD), User Interface (UI), Dashboard Design, Rapid Prototyping, Prototyping, Presentations, Pitch Decks, CSS, UX Direction, B2C Marketing, User Flows, Design Thinking, Wireframing, Landing Pages, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Presentation Design, Adobe Creative Suite, Websites, Mobile Design, Design Consultation, Web App Design, Dashboards, Responsive Design, Design Leadership, User Stories, User Personas, Personas, Email Design, Communication Design, Marketing Design, UX Prototyping, UI Prototyping, Product Design, Team Leadership, Brand Positioning, Content Management Systems (CMS), App UX, Responsive UI, Responsive UX Design, Style Guides, Graphic Design, Copywriting, Marketing, SaaS, Information Architecture (IA), Sitemaps
Associate Creative Director
2006 - 2008
Brunner
- Led the design of numerous websites for GSK products, including several websites using interactive video within a Flash interface.
- Designed an interactive in-classroom mobile experience for DeVry University, creating an application that students used on custom PDAs to determine their own personality profile based on Meyers-Briggs and finding matching careers.
- Designed a self-help customer experience website for Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield—creating an intricate decision tree and video-based interface to guide customers to the right support information.
Technologies: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Flash, HTML5, JavaScript, ActionScript 3, Mobile, Digital Creative Direction, HTML, CSS, PHP, User Journeys, Storyboarding, Digital Product Design, User Testing, Usability Testing, Videos, Enterprise Site Design, Corporate Websites, Web UX, Web UI, UX Architecture, Web Design, Corporate Design, Page Templates, UI Audits, UX Audits, Business to Business (B2B), B2C, User Experience (UX), UI Patterns, UI Style Guides, Annotated Wireframes, Visual Design, UI, UX, Brand Building, B2B, UI Design, UX Design, Storytelling, Creative Problem Solving, User-centered Design (UCD), User Surveys, User Interface (UI), Dashboard Design, Rapid Prototyping, Prototyping, Presentations, Pitch Decks, UX Direction, B2C Marketing, User Flows, Design Thinking, Wireframing, Landing Pages, Startups, Presentation Design, Adobe Creative Suite, Websites, Web App Design, Dashboards, Design Leadership, User Stories, User Personas, Personas, Email Design, Communication Design, Marketing Design, UI Prototyping, Product Design, Team Leadership, Brand Positioning, Content Management Systems (CMS), Style Guides, Graphic Design, Copywriting, Marketing, Information Architecture (IA), Sitemaps
Art Director | Designer | UX Manager
1996 - 2006
Brunner
- Designed dozens of websites and web apps for numerous B2B and B2C clients.
- Created a component- and template-based design system for an investment research website product, which would be reskinned and implemented for mutual funds and financial institutions in a website as a service model.
- Designed touchscreen kiosk experiences for digital sales, education, and product demos used in tradeshows for industrial products, including interfaces incorporating early uses of embedded video.
Technologies: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, HTML5, PHP, JavaScript, CSS, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Flash, HTML, User Journeys, Storyboarding, Digital Product Design, Digital Kiosks, Videos, Enterprise Site Design, Corporate Websites, Web UX, Web UI, UX Architecture, Web Design, Corporate Design, Page Templates, UX Audits, Business to Business (B2B), B2C, User Experience (UX), UI Patterns, Annotated Wireframes, Content Strategy, Visual Design, UI, UX, Brand Building, B2B, UI Design, UX Design, Creative Problem Solving, User-centered Design (UCD), User Interface (UI), Dashboard Design, Web App UI, Rapid Prototyping, Prototyping, Presentations, UX Direction, B2C Marketing, User Flows, Design Thinking, Wireframing, eCommerce, Landing Pages, Startups, Presentation Design, Adobe Creative Suite, Websites, Web App Design, Design Leadership, User Personas, User Stories, Personas, Email Design, Communication Design, Marketing Design, UI Prototyping, Product Design, Team Leadership, Content Management Systems (CMS), Graphic Design, Copywriting, Marketing, Information Architecture (IA), Sitemaps

Education

Bachelor of Science Degree in Journalism and Advertising
1992 - 1996
University of Wisconsin–Madison - Madison, WI, United States

Experience

Web Design20 years
Product Design20 years
Brand Building20 years
UI Design20 years
Team Leadership20 years
UX Design20 years
Creative Direction15 years
Mobile12 years

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Designer in Austin, TX, United States

Portfolio

Employment

Creative Director (Contract)

Product Design Lead | Creative Director

Group Creative Director

Associate Creative Director

Associate Creative Director

Creative Director

Associate Creative Director

Art Director | Designer | UX Manager

Education

Experience

Location