Becky is available for hire
Hire BeckyBecky Specking
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Location
Chicago, IL, United States
Toptal Member Since
May 26, 2022
Becky is a lead product and UI/UX designer, writer, creative leader, and educator based in Chicago, Illinois, with over 10 years of experience digging into complex challenges. She leads her work with curiosity, empathy, and a passion for ethical and sustainable design approaches. Skilled in designing award-winning experiences and using authentic storytelling to resonate with users' real needs.
Portfolio
Work Experience
Design Director & Founder
2022 - PRESENT
Speck Studio (Multiple clients)
- Provided best-in-class UI/UX design recommendations and solutions to exceed client goals, prioritizing ethical and sustainable design throughout the human-centered design approach.
- Developed strategic, forward-thinking visions resulting in an average 20% increase in project value across 5 – 8 client projects.
- Delivered a 30% increase to the studio's annual revenue through strategic roadmap implementation and innovative design initiatives.
Technologies: Figma, Sketch, Adobe CC, Notion, Webflow, UI Design, UX Design, Content Strategy, Teaching, Creative Direction, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Procreate, Business Strategy, Design Ops, Prototyping, Design Systems, Zeplin, MURAL, Illustration, Mockups, Email Design, Zoom, Psychology & Mental Health, Startups, Design Thinking, User Research, Leadership, User Journey Maps, User Flows, Personas, Design Leadership, Responsive Design, Mobile Design, Web Applications, Web Development, High-tech Startups, Squarespace, Landing Page Design, Adobe, Copywriting, Google SEO, Project Tracking, SEO Tools, Brand Guidelines, Emotional Design, Brand Design, Storytelling, Workshop Facilitation, Web, Mobile, Product Benchmarking, App Design, Ethical Design, Sustainable Design, Product Design, Jobs to be Done (JTBD), A/B Testing, UserZoom, Behavioral Design, AI Design, Mind Mapping, Data-informed Visual Design, Human-centered Design (HCD), UX Audits, UI Audits, Heuristic Evaluation, Roadmaps, Startup Consulting, Visual Design, Jira, Tailwind CSS, FigJam, Rapid Prototyping, Interviews, Marketing Design, Competitive Analysis, Usertesting.com, Product Requirements Documentation (PRD), Mental Model, Internal Communications, Critical Thinking, Research, International Affairs, Human Rights, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Content Writing, Creativity, Organizational Leadership, Innovation, Interaction Design (IxD), Inclusive Design, Best Practices in Design, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Typography, Web UI, Web UX, Websites, Wix, WordPress Design, Software as a Service (SaaS), Lean UX, B2B, SaaS Product Marketing, Product Discovery, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Landing Pages, Presentations, Professional Services, Android UI Design, Healthcare, Mobile UI, Mobile UX, Agile, Mobile App Design, iOS UI Design, iOS UX Design, B2C, Direct to Consumer (D2C)
UX Content Strategist
2021 - PRESENT
Ulta Beauty
- Provided end-to-end content strategy recommendations for omnichannel touchpoints, assessing the digital ecosystem's current state, research, competitors, and best practices.
- Created conceptual representations of optimized layouts and annotated guidelines, leveraging the design system and content strategy recommendations.
- Reviewed, modified, and approved the UX copy for the most effective user experiences throughout the digital ecosystem.
Technologies: Sketch, Miro, InVision, Microsoft, UX Design, UI Design, Content Strategy, UX Writing, Notion, Business Strategy, Zoom, G Suite, Storybook, Web Design, Branding, Web Architecture, Enterprise, UX Research, Mobile App Design, iOS UX Design, Multimedia Design, Digital Marketing Design, Product Design, User Journeys, Responsive Design, Leadership, User Research, Design Thinking, User Journey Maps, Mobile Design, Web Applications, Copywriting, Project Tracking, Brand Guidelines, Emotional Design, Brand Design, Storytelling, eCommerce, Marketplaces, Mobile, Web, Product Benchmarking, A/B Testing, UserZoom, Usertesting.com, Mental Model, Behavioral Design, Ethical Design, Sustainable Design, Human-centered Design (HCD), Data-informed Visual Design, UX Audits, Heuristic Evaluation, Roadmaps, Jira, FigJam, Rapid Prototyping, Email Template Design, Marketing Design, App Design, Competitive Analysis, Jobs to be Done (JTBD), AI Design, Critical Thinking, Research, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Content Writing, Creativity, Innovation, Inclusive Design, Best Practices in Design, Typography, Websites, Product Discovery, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Landing Pages, Presentations, Professional Services, Mobile UX, Agile, B2C, Direct to Consumer (D2C)
UX Design Lead
2023 - 2023
Carrier - Residential - Mobile Apps Product Management
- Designed an end-to-end mobile app experience (UX and UI) for the company's new residential thermostat to compete with leading mobile applications in the industry.
- Designed and implemented a new, direction-setting design library in Figma, leveraging UX/UI best practices, prioritizing accessibility, and collaborating closely with the development team for seamless integration with the Tailwind CSS framework.
- Introduced strategic research and user testing into the product design process so real data and user needs would inform the company's new mobile app design roadmap and future launches.
Technologies: Figma, Jira, Tailwind CSS, FigJam, Sketch, Rapid Prototyping, Notion, UI Design, UX Design, App Design, User Research, Competitive Analysis, Responsive Design, Ethical Design, Sustainable Design, Design Systems, Usertesting.com, Product Design, Product Requirements Documentation (PRD), Behavioral Design, Data-informed Visual Design, Human-centered Design (HCD), UX Audits, UI Audits, Heuristic Evaluation, Roadmaps, Visual Design, Interviews, Marketing Design, UserZoom, Mental Model, Jobs to be Done (JTBD), AI Design, Data Visualization, Critical Thinking, Research, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Creativity, Organizational Leadership, Innovation, Interaction Design (IxD), Inclusive Design, Best Practices in Design, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Typography, Websites, Software as a Service (SaaS), Lean UX, B2B, SaaS Product Marketing, Product Discovery, Presentations, Professional Services, Android UI Design, Mobile UI, Mobile UX, Agile, Mobile App Design, iOS UI Design, iOS UX Design, B2C, Direct to Consumer (D2C)
Lead Instructor: UI/UX Design
2020 - 2023
General Assembly
- Taught students user experience and visual design best practices, design thinking, tools, processes, and how to apply these learnings to their projects and careers.
- Created hands-on learning experiences to understand design best practices, research methods, and how to leverage ethical and sustainable design methods as new designers.
- Developed lesson plans that clarify complex design concepts and provide opportunities for students to practice these concepts and collaborate with peers.
Technologies: Figma, Zoom, Notion, G Suite, Maze, UX Design, UI Design, Teaching, Prototyping, Design Systems, Web Design, Branding, Web Architecture, Information & Communications Technology (ICT), Enterprise, UX Research, iOS UI Design, iOS UX Design, Wireframing, Color Theory, Logo Design, Visual Design, User Journeys, Responsive Design, Leadership, User Research, Design Thinking, MURAL, User Journey Maps, User Flows, Personas, Design Leadership, Mobile Design, Web Applications, Landing Page Design, Adobe, Copywriting, Google SEO, Project Tracking, SEO Tools, Brand Guidelines, Emotional Design, Brand Design, Storytelling, Workshop Facilitation, Web, Mobile, Product Benchmarking, Ethical Design, Sustainable Design, Product Design, Accessibility, Data-informed Visual Design, Human-centered Design (HCD), UX Audits, UI Audits, Heuristic Evaluation, Roadmaps, FigJam, Rapid Prototyping, Interviews, Marketing Design, App Design, Competitive Analysis, Internal Communications, Critical Thinking, Research, Content Writing, Creativity, Organizational Leadership, Innovation, Interaction Design (IxD), Inclusive Design, Best Practices in Design, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Typography, Web UI, Web UX, Websites, Software as a Service (SaaS), Product Discovery, Landing Pages, Presentations, Android UI Design, Mobile UI, Mobile UX, Mobile App Design, B2C, Direct to Consumer (D2C)
Senior Design and Strategy Lead
2020 - 2022
BP
- Oversaw more than 5 high-profile UI/UX design initiatives across the organization and guided designers to exceed stakeholder expectations.
- Collaborated with the corporate brand team to create global design cohesion across internal print and digital teams as well as external agencies.
- Recruited, interviewed, and hired candidates who demonstrated excellent design skills to help shape the growing design discipline.
- Created operational standards and processes for onboarding, career growth, design critiques, community building, and more.
Technologies: Sketch, InVision, Zeplin, Microsoft, Adobe Illustrator, MURAL, Teaching, UX Design, UI Design, Content Strategy, UX Writing, Webflow, Figma, Notion, Business Strategy, Design Ops, Prototyping, Design Systems, Zoom, G Suite, Bootstrap, Storybook, Web Design, IT Security, Branding, Microsoft Power Apps, Energy, Web Architecture, Information & Communications Technology (ICT), Enterprise, UX Research, Information Architecture (IA), Mobile App Design, iOS UI Design, iOS UX Design, Wireframing, Color Theory, Logo Design, Animation, Visual Design, Multimedia Design, Product Design, User Journeys, Responsive Design, SaaS Design, Leadership, User Research, Design Thinking, User Journey Maps, Personas, Design Leadership, Mobile Design, Web Applications, High-tech Startups, Landing Page Design, Adobe, Project Tracking, Brand Guidelines, Emotional Design, Brand Design, Storytelling, eCommerce, User Flows, Marketplaces, Workshop Facilitation, Web, Mobile, Product Benchmarking, Accessibility, Ethical Design, Sustainable Design, Behavioral Design, Data-informed Visual Design, Human-centered Design (HCD), UX Audits, UI Audits, Heuristic Evaluation, Roadmaps, Startups, Startup Consulting, Jira, Rapid Prototyping, Interviews, Marketing Design, App Design, Competitive Analysis, Product Requirements Documentation (PRD), Internal Communications, Critical Thinking, Research, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Content Writing, Creativity, Organizational Leadership, Innovation, Interaction Design (IxD), Inclusive Design, Best Practices in Design, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Typography, Web UI, Web UX, Websites, Software as a Service (SaaS), Lean UX, B2B, SaaS Product Marketing, Product Discovery, Presentations, Professional Services, Android UI Design, Mobile UI, Mobile UX, Agile, B2C, Direct to Consumer (D2C)
Lead Visual Designer
2020 - 2020
Jones Lang LaSalle
- Developed compelling designs across print, web, mobile, and email that elevated the real estate brand during the height of the pandemic.
- Led digital design projects from concept through execution, developing UX foundational framework and pixel-perfect UI designs.
- Translated business requirements and user needs into visually exciting, easy-to-use, and emotionally engaging designs, collaborating cross-functionally to amplify voices across the company.
- Built interactive, high-fidelity prototypes for usability testing and validation, which introduced a new standard of research and strategy for the team.
Technologies: Sketch, Microsoft, MURAL, InVision, UX Design, UI Design, Prototyping, Design Systems, Email Design, G Suite, Bootstrap, Web Design, Branding, Commercial Real Estate, Residential Real Estate, Investing, Enterprise, UX Research, Wireframing, Color Theory, Logo Design, Visual Design, Multimedia Design, Digital Marketing Design, Responsive Design, Leadership, Design Thinking, Mobile Design, Web Applications, Landing Page Design, Adobe, Project Tracking, Brand Guidelines, Brand Design, Storytelling, eCommerce, User Flows, Marketplaces, Workshop Facilitation, Mobile, Web, Product Benchmarking, Email Template Design, Ethical Design, Behavioral Design, Product Design, Accessibility, Data-informed Visual Design, Human-centered Design (HCD), UX Audits, UI Audits, Heuristic Evaluation, Rapid Prototyping, Marketing Design, App Design, Competitive Analysis, Data Visualization, Critical Thinking, Research, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Creativity, Innovation, Interaction Design (IxD), Inclusive Design, Best Practices in Design, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Typography, Web UI, Web UX, Websites, Lean UX, B2B, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Landing Pages, Presentations, Professional Services, Android UI Design, Mobile UI, Mobile UX, Agile, B2C, Direct to Consumer (D2C)
UI Design Lead
2019 - 2020
Motorola Solutions
- Led the creation of the company’s first-ever global design system, integrating a diverse set of platforms, including commerce and user interfaces.
- Guided a team of five to ten UI/UX and hybrid designers globally, instilling best practices into systems and processes while managing individual and team performance.
- Directed the conceptual strategy and execution of the re-design of premier pages with a key focus on four high-priority brand pages.
- Collaborated with marketing, eCommerce, developers, and outside agencies to align and integrate Motorola acquisitions.
Technologies: Sketch, InVision, Microsoft, Teaching, UI Design, Content Strategy, UX Writing, Adobe Photoshop, Business Strategy, Design Ops, Prototyping, Design Systems, Zoom, G Suite, Bootstrap, Storybook, Web Design, IT Security, Branding, Web Architecture, Public Safety, Information & Communications Technology (ICT), Enterprise, UX Research, Information Architecture (IA), Wireframing, Color Theory, Logo Design, Animation, Visual Design, Digital Marketing Design, Product Design, User Journeys, Responsive Design, SaaS Design, Leadership, User Research, Design Thinking, User Journey Maps, Personas, Design Leadership, Mobile Design, Web Applications, Landing Page Design, Adobe, Project Tracking, Brand Guidelines, Emotional Design, Brand Design, Storytelling, eCommerce, User Flows, Marketplaces, Workshop Facilitation, Web, Mobile, Product Benchmarking, A/B Testing, Interviews, Marketing Design, Data-informed Visual Design, Human-centered Design (HCD), UX Audits, UI Audits, Heuristic Evaluation, Accessibility, Ethical Design, Jira, Rapid Prototyping, App Design, Competitive Analysis, Usertesting.com, Product Requirements Documentation (PRD), UserZoom, Data Visualization, Critical Thinking, Research, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Creativity, Innovation, Interaction Design (IxD), Inclusive Design, Best Practices in Design, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Typography, Web UI, Web UX, Websites, Software as a Service (SaaS), Lean UX, B2B, SaaS Product Marketing, Product Discovery, Landing Pages, Presentations, Professional Services, Android UI Design, Mobile UI, Mobile UX, Agile, UX Design, iOS UX Design, iOS UI Design, Mobile App Design, B2C, Direct to Consumer (D2C)
Consultant and UX Researcher
2015 - 2018
Kenway Consulting
- Spearheaded design thinking and agile methods to collaborate with business stakeholders, developers, and platform users to define requirements for improvements to the drop-ship platform.
- Led interviews with 30 drop-ship platform users to complete current and future state journey mapping, understand pain points, and inform the user requirements.
- Managed client relationships and integrated the data and business analysis into presentation designs and dashboards for diverse audiences.
Technologies: Microsoft, UX Design, Business Strategy, G Suite, Platforms, Web Design, IT Security, Web Architecture, Information & Communications Technology (ICT), Enterprise, UX Research, Information Architecture (IA), SaaS Design, User Research, Design Thinking, Web Applications, Web Development, Adobe, Google SEO, Project Tracking, Storytelling, eCommerce, User Flows, Marketplaces, Workshop Facilitation, Web, Product Benchmarking, Interviews, Data Visualization, Roadmaps, Competitive Analysis, Leadership, Startups, Startup Consulting, Product Requirements Documentation (PRD), Critical Thinking, Research, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Content Writing, Creativity, Innovation, Web UI, Web UX, Websites, Software as a Service (SaaS), B2B, Product Discovery, Presentations, Healthcare, Mobile UI, Mobile UX, Agile, B2C
Communications and Visual Strategist
2013 - 2014
Edelman
- Led the content management and campaign branding for a global hedge fund within the client's WordPress platform to drive community engagement.
- Designed visual layouts, including graphics, articles, banners, and emails, and made editorial decisions for the internal news platform of a global IT client.
- Drove the internal employee engagement for clients through communication campaigns, leveraging the content strategy, copywriting, and UX best practices.
Technologies: Microsoft, WordPress, Adobe Photoshop, Platforms, UI Design, Content Strategy, Teaching, Email Design, G Suite, Web Design, Branding, Investing, Enterprise, Color Theory, Logo Design, Visual Design, Digital Marketing Design, Adobe, Copywriting, Project Tracking, Brand Guidelines, Emotional Design, Brand Design, Storytelling, eCommerce, Web, Product Benchmarking, UX Writing, Internal Communications, Marketing Design, Multimedia Design, Email Template Design, Competitive Analysis, Critical Thinking, Research, Content Writing, Creativity, Innovation, Typography, Websites, WordPress Design, B2B, Presentations, B2C
Education
2009 - 2013
Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Relations
Brown University - Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Certifications
MARCH 2023 - PRESENT
Certified Design Leader, AIGA
AIGA
AUGUST 2018 - PRESENT
UI Design Certification
Career Foundry
Experience
Collaboration That Works
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