
Emiliano Manuel
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Guatemala City, Guatemala Department, Guatemala
Toptal member since November 15, 2021
Emiliano is a product designer, brand consultant, and visual artist with nine years of experience leading multidisciplinary teams in product strategy and design, branding, advertising, and audiovisual storytelling. He is a full-time people watcher who nurtures and connects ideas, turning them into triumphant brand strategies and user experiences. He's built 40+ projects in the US, Europe, and Guatemala with successful products and well-positioned brands that have reached thousands of customers.
Portfolio
Work Experience
Freelance Product Designer | Brand Consultant
Toptal
- Researched, structured, and designed a visual UI mockup of the new Goodyear corporate website in under three days, allowing Toptal to close a deal for the website revamp.
- Revamped Kickfurther's web assets and branding, allowing them to relaunch their inventory financing product.
- Wrote the visual script for Owens Corning's CEO Townhall video.
Founder | Creative Director
Santoral - Agency
- Revamped the whole brand and product for Osmo, a Latin American fintech startup, allowing them to grow their user base, increase LTV, and raise funds.
- Built three end-to-end products for two American startups in 2024 in their early stage, allowing them to raise more funds (Heali, Conduit, and Gemifi).
- Designed five end-to-end digital products in 2023 for American, Latin American, and European companies like Hush and Petite Optique, NY.
- Sourced production and user experience services to 30+ well-known artists and fashion and culture businesses through exhibitions, international mural festivals, music concerts, and cultural experiences in Guatemala, Mexico, and Europe.
- Created 10+ personal brands and monthly content for B2B and B2C companies, successfully growing their audience and inbound leads.
Video/AI Expert
Spectrum Brands - Marketing
- Produced a high-quality, AI-generated (edited on Photoshop frame by frame) video that included audio, animation, and color grading, allowing the client to showcase their innovation initiatives.
- Co-wrote a 1-minute script encompassing the company challenges, roadmap, and differentiator in just two days.
- Opened the door for many branding and marketing opportunities in the future.
Product Designer
Stanford Business
- Led the product strategy and design initiative that would allow Toptal to pitch against a competitor for a high-ticket, long-term contract with Stanford.
- Researched, ideated, and designed the product requirements, strategy roadmap, and UI screens that would serve as the main tool for Stanford stakeholders to gain access to their funding to produce a financial literacy initiative.
- Designed and developed a fully clickable prototype with five main features and dozens of screens in just five weeks, alongside a research report and a strategy document.
UX Design Lead
Heali
- Managed and executed the six-month Heali app revamp 1.0, which required market and user research, UX audits, UI design system redesign, prototyping, and high-fidelity tech handoffs to the engineering team.
- Researched, managed, and designed the Heali Diabetes Prevention Program app, allowing the company a B2B income stream.
- Conducted multiple markets and UX audits, allowing the company to make key strategic choices and improve the product throughout various iterations.
- Built and outsourced a UX team comprised of interns and international freelancers to streamline work output while reducing costs.
Creative Director | Product Lead
EÑE con Arte
- Conceptualized, managed, and executed 40+ brand and UI/UX projects in Guatemala for brands such as Coca-Cola, Acton Academy, Cerveza Gallo, and Apolo Real Estate, reaching over 500,000 customers.
- Conceived and supervised 20+ copywriting and UX initiatives for outdated and newly-created businesses, engaging approximately 50,000 customers per campaign.
- Increased the client base by 50% in one year through cold callings, social events, and one-to-one communication with C-level executives. Built and led up to 40-person account-specific teams with strict schedules.
Contemporary Artist | Cultural Manager
Self-employed
- Paved my way as one of the youngest artists of my generation to stand out with solo exhibitions and share gallery space with some of the old masters from Guatemala in various collective exhibitions.
- Conceptualized, curated, and produced 20+ art and fashion exhibitions, international mural festivals, music concerts, and cultural experiences in South America and Europe, along with their web and social media design.
- Developed the art that serves as a commercial tool for real estate companies to sell their projects with added value by combining my graphic and product design expertise.
Founder | Creative Director
Anker Wear
- Conceptualized and directed all creative and UX design aspects of the arts and fashion clothing brand Anker Wear with operations in Mexico and Guatemala, selling both collections.
- Overviewed a small textile operation that demanded complex logistics and mixed sales strategies.
- Positioned the brand in the artistic and cultural niche in Guatemala City and Mexico City.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design and Marketing with Specialization in UI/UX
Universidad del Istmo - Guatemala City, Guatemala
Certifications
Gamification–Creating Addictive User Experiences
Interaction Design Foundation
Google UX Design Professional Certificate
Coursera
Skills
Tools
Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, InVision, Adobe CC, Adobe Creative Suite, Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe, Photo Editors, Wix, Apple Keynote, Facebook Ads Manager, Adobe Experience Design (XD), Adobe InDesign, Maze, Jira, Advertising Tools & Platforms, Adobe After Effects
Languages
Visual Design Language, HTML, CSS
Platforms
Figma, Webflow, WordPress, Adobe Suite, Web, Mobile, Android, iOS, Shopify, Music Streaming
Industry Expertise
Advertising, Information Technology, Technology, Professional Services, Social Networking, Media, Fashion, Entertainment & Leisure, Events, Marketing, Real Estate, Education Technology (Edtech), Consumer Products, Architecture
Other
User Experience (UX), Branding, Market Research, Creativity, Advertising Design, Copywriting, Storytelling, Art Direction, Graphic Design, UX Design, UI Design, Sales, Creative Direction, User Research, Digital Product Design, Content Creation, Instagram, Product Design, Mobile UX, Marketing Strategy, Art, User Interface (UI), Event Design, Web Services, Web App UX, Online Payments, Digital Payments, Production, Visual Design, UX Research, Brand Identity, User Personas, Information Architecture (IA), Wireframing, UX Wireflows, Prototyping, Experience Design, Design, Art Installations, Digital Design, Presentation Design, Public Relations (PR), Web UI, Web UX, Web Design, User Flows, User Journeys, User Journey Maps, B2C, UX Prototyping, Responsive Web Apps, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Design Systems, Enterprise SaaS, Ideation Workshops, User Validation, B2B, Color Theory, Web Content, Writing & Editing, Mobile UI, Landing Page Design, Mobile UX Design, Mobile UI Design, Web App Design, SaaS Design, Mobile App Design, App Design, Project Management, eCommerce, Squarespace, Web UX Design, Design Leadership, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Mobile Design, Mobile Apps, Typography, Social Media Design, Logo Design, Brand Design, Product Branding, Brand Guidelines, User Interviews, Ideation, Template Design, Music Industry, Illustration, Personas, Design Documentation, Gamification, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Onboarding, User Onboarding, Desktop App Design, UI Components, Display Advertising, Brochure Design, Marketing Design, Email Design, Identity Design, UX Wireframes, High-fidelity Mockups, Mobile App UI, Team Mentoring, Interactive Prototypes, Websites, Logotype, Presentations, Pitch Decks, Mockups, Company Naming, Naming, Design Thinking, Landing Pages, Landing Page Optimization, Product Pages, Customer Journeys, Interactive UI, Stakeholder Interviews, Museums & Exhibits, Motion Design, Event Branding, Touchscreens, Layout Design, SEO Content, Content Strategy, Content Writing, Brand Books, Rapid Prototyping, Low-fidelity Prototypes, High-fidelity Prototypes, Loyalty Programs, Discovery, Discovery Workshops, Human-computer Interaction (HCI), Qualitative Research, UX Leadership, Brochures, UX Strategy, Workshops, Mobile First, MVP Design, Component Libraries, Brand Strategy, Social Media Advertising, Social Media Covers, Video Editing, Ads, Videos, Style Guides, Journey Mapping, Layout, Software as a Service (SaaS), Business Services, Web Illustration, Content Management Systems (CMS), PDF Design, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Color Palettes, UI Prototyping, Print Design, Image Retouching, Photography, Visual Storytelling, Social Networks, Corporate Branding, Iconography, Enterprise Design, Enterprise, Social Media, Conceptual Design, Diagrams, Meta Ads, Communication, Infographics, Visual Communication, Storyboarding, Product Videos, Video Animation, Demos, Product Demonstrations, AI Prompts, No-code Development, AI-generated Video, Shopify Design, Funnel Optimization, Interface Design, Minimalism, UX Branding, UX Consulting, User Conversion, Website Conversion, Content Design, Content Marketing, Taxonomy, UX Writing, Investor Presentation, Pitch Deck Consultant, Web Consulting, Interaction Design (IxD), Fintech, Environmental Design, Commercial Real Estate, User Testing, Direct Marketing, Installation, Visual Merchandising, Agile, Data Visualization, Product Management, Dashboard Design, IT, Non-fungible Tokens (NFT), Facebook Ads, UX Audits, Digital Health, Dashboards, Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), Interior Design, SEO Audits, Quantitative Research, SaaS, Research, B2B2C, Responsive Design, Instagram Ads, Animation, Marketplaces, PowerPoint Design, Hat & Cap Design, Fashion Design, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), Social Media Apps, 2D Animation, 3D Animation, AI Design, Print, Print Ads, Print Layout, Messenger, B2C Marketing, Video Production, ClickUp, Video Streaming, Cross-platform UX, App UX, Technical Hiring, Service Providers, Didactics, Educational Platform Design, Online Banking, Mobile Banking, Loans & Lending, Scrum, Outsourcing, School, Below The Line Marketing (BTL), Consumer Services, Web App UI, eCommerce UX, eCommerce UI, Responsive UI, Urban Design, Game Design, User-generated Content, Psychology, Business Intelligence (BI), Crowdsourcing, 3D Design, Blogs, Newsletters, Marketing Technology (MarTech), Midjourney, Strategy, Content, Personal Branding, Product Strategy, Startups, Booking Systems, Fashion Web Design, Eyewear, Nutrition & Supplements, Diet, Consumer Health, Foodtech, iOS Video, video content, Video Ads, Organic, Organic Content Marketing, AI Content Creation, Organic Social Media, Short Films, Inbound Marketing, Svelte, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Scripting
Experience
- Logo Design - 7 years
- Content Creation - 7 years
- User Interface (UI) - 7 years
- Graphic Design - 7 years
- Copywriting - 7 years
- Branding - 6 years
- Product Design - 6 years
- User Experience (UX) - 5 years
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