Melissa Patenaude, Designer in Oakland, CA, United States
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Melissa Patenaude

Verified Expert  in Design

Bio

Melissa has over 17 years of experience in design (UI/UX, visual, product, and identity) as well as art direction and strategy. She's worked for Fortune 500 companies and startups in various fields, including B2B, developer tools, retail, food, education, and finance. Melissa's passionate about the relationship between people, technology, and culture and is dedicated to creating experiences that charm people from the digital world to daily life.

Portfolio

Work Experience

Design Strategist | Growth Consultant

2021 - PRESENT
Independant Consultant
  • Uncovered gaps and opportunities for a fashion eCommerce company growth. Developed and implemented CRO strategies that increased organic traffic to the site by 9% and increased conversion rate by 0.7%.
  • Increased a restaurant chain's customer satisfaction and retention with in-restaurant experience audit, strategy, implementation, and a cohesive and relatable online and social presence.
  • Designed and built a new global home decor brand, from business concept to financial modeling, operations, branding and marketing, asset delivery, and Shopify website building.
  • Rebranded and built an animé and pop culture apparel Shopify store. Designed and constructed Klaviyo emails and email templates targeting Gen Z.
  • Rebranded a Silicon Valley group of CTO consultants and built their WordPress website, marketing, and SEO strategy, targeting venture capitalists, private equity firms, and mid-market enterprise companies.
  • Developed a fashion marketplace concept for a startup funding presentation from branding to UX to future web app product concepts. As a result, the client got the funding.
Technologies: Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, Figma, Keynote Templates, Shopify, WordPress, Squarespace, Mobile Design, User Interface (UI), Conversion Rate, User Experience (UX), Website Redesign, Illustration, Web Page Mockups, A/B Testing, Conversion, Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), Mobile, Prototyping, Usability Testing, InVision, Design Thinking, Adobe CC, Communication, Responsive Design, User Research, Brand Identity, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Web UX, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Landing Page Design, Landing Pages, Web Marketing, UX Audits, User Journeys, Landing Page Optimization, Navigation Design, Design Reviews, Navigation, Cross-platform UX, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Visual Identity, Color Palettes, Typography, Mobile Prototypes, MVP Design, Feature Prioritization, User Testing, Design Systems, WordPress Design, WordPress Themes, UI Components, Adobe Experience Design (XD), Mobile First, UI Animation, Best Practices in Design, Marketing, Pitch Decks, Logotype, Agency Websites, Design Strategy, Workshops, Workshop Facilitation, Strategic Design, Gamification, Marketplaces, Web Application Design, Email Design, Email Template Design, Social Media Design, Adobe, Advertising, White Papers, Marketing Collateral Development, Digital Design, Ad Design, Collateral Design, PowerPoint Templates, Document Design, Reports, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Web 3.0, Checkout, User Management, Shopify Customizations, Parallax Design, Shopify Design, Shopify Theme, Apparel & Accessories, Print Design, Responsive UI, Elementor, Tone of Voice, Market Research, Layout Design, Data, Design, Web UI, Merchandise, Storytelling, Content Writing, Visual Storytelling, Content Strategy, Copywriting, Lean Research, Visual Design Language, UX Tools, UX Leadership, Pitch Presentations, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Hands-on Implementation, Executive Presentations, Mobile UI Design, Pixel Perfect, Mobile UX Design, User Interviews, Advertisement Design, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Web UI Design, Minimalism, PDF Design, Infographics, Readability, Interactive Prototypes, Usertesting.com, Web Applications, Stakeholder Management, ChatGPT, Content Management Systems (CMS), Heuristic Evaluation, Layout, Rapid Prototyping, Presentation Development, Blog Posting, Webinars

Design Director

2017 - 2020
LaunchDarkly
  • Led product, marketing, and brand for the company. Established design principles, brand guidelines, design thinking processes, and workflows that ensured ongoing feedback and iteration.
  • Built the design team. I was the only designer for a year, then made a centralized design team of six designers, three specialized in the product and three specialized in branding and marketing.
  • Built the design systems for LaunchDarkly—one for the product and one for marketing—integrated with code and the engineering team.
  • Led the evolution of a SaaS product. Oversaw the redesign of the entire information hierarchy and evolution of the dashboard and designed a new experimentation offering and visual usage dashboards.
  • Led branding and marketing for a brand new user conference for a developer and product audience in Oakland, California.
Technologies: Google Slides, Apple Keynote, Adobe, Figma, Sketch, Creative Direction, Product Design, Branding, UI Design, UX Design, UX Research, Information Architecture (IA), Strategy, Leadership, Design Leadership, User Personas, User Flows, User Stories, Web App Design, Agile, UX Strategy, Lean, Visual Design, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Data Visualization, Dashboards, Brand Design, Responsive Web Apps, Web Design, Websites, Presentation Design, Marketing Design, Brand Guidelines, Presentations, PowerPoint Design, Graphic Design, Consumer Technology, Web App UI, Web App UX, Wireframing, High-fidelity Mockups, System Design, User Roles, Color Theory, Digital Brand Identity, User Experience Strategy, User Experience (UX), Growth, UX Wireframes, Mockups, Remote Team Leadership, Scrum, Dashboard Design, User Interface (UI), Mobile Design, Website Redesign, Illustration, Web Page Mockups, A/B Testing, Conversion, Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), SaaS Design, B2B, Mobile, Prototyping, Usability Testing, InVision, Design Thinking, Adobe CC, Communication, Responsive Design, User Research, Enterprise, Brand Identity, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Web UX, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Landing Page Design, Landing Pages, Web Marketing, Complex Application User Interfaces (UI), UX Audits, User Journeys, Landing Page Optimization, Navigation Design, Design Reviews, Navigation, SaaS, Cross-platform UX, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Visual Identity, Color Palettes, Typography, Apps, Mobile Prototypes, MVP Design, Feature Prioritization, User Testing, Design Systems, WordPress Design, WordPress Themes, UI Components, Mobile First, UI Animation, Best Practices in Design, Marketing, Pitch Decks, Design Strategy, Workshops, Workshop Facilitation, Strategic Design, Analytical Dashboards, Web Application Design, Email Design, Email Template Design, Social Media Design, Advertising, White Papers, Marketing Collateral Development, Digital Design, Ad Design, Collateral Design, PowerPoint Templates, Document Design, Reports, Microsoft Word, Asana, User Management, Parallax Design, Print Design, Responsive UI, Tone of Voice, Market Research, Layout Design, Data, Design, Web UI, Merchandise, Storytelling, Content Writing, Visual Storytelling, Content Strategy, Copywriting, Lean Research, Visual Design Language, UX Tools, App UI, UX Leadership, Pitch Presentations, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Hands-on Implementation, Executive Presentations, Mobile UI Design, Pixel Perfect, Mobile UX Design, User Interviews, Advertisement Design, Web UI Design, Zeppelin, Jira, PDF Design, Infographics, Readability, Interactive Prototypes, Usertesting.com, Web Applications, Stakeholder Management, Zeplin, Content Management Systems (CMS), Heuristic Evaluation, Layout, Rapid Prototyping, Presentation Development, Blog Posting, Webinars

Chief Experience Officer

2016 - 2020
Fewofmany
  • Architected a unique inclusive process to discover value, challenges, risks, and opportunities which I facilitated within companies and individual entrepreneurs.
  • Designed the brand identity, website, and growth strategy for a gourmet cannabis pop-up event company.
  • Created and built a website and marketing materials for a B2B business continuity company.
  • Rebranded a vape cannabis company along with all marketing collaterals and designed and built their website.
  • Designed and built our agency website and marketing collaterals.
  • Branded and built the website for a mental health group therapy startup.
Technologies: InVision App, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, Creative Direction, Branding, UI Design, UX Design, UX Research, Information Architecture (IA), Product Design, Strategy, Leadership, Design Leadership, User Personas, User Flows, User Stories, Web App Design, Agile, UX Strategy, Lean, Visual Design, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Brand Design, Web Design, Websites, Presentation Design, Marketing Design, Brand Guidelines, Logo Design, Presentations, PowerPoint Design, Graphic Design, Wireframing, High-fidelity Mockups, eCommerce, System Design, User Roles, Color Theory, Digital Brand Identity, User Experience Strategy, eCommerce UX, User Experience (UX), Growth, eCommerce UI, eCommerce Web Design, UX Wireframes, Mockups, Remote Team Leadership, Scrum, User Interface (UI), Mobile Design, Conversion Rate, Website Redesign, Illustration, Web Page Mockups, Mobile, Prototyping, Usability Testing, InVision, Design Thinking, Adobe CC, Communication, Responsive Design, User Research, Brand Identity, Web UX, Web Marketing, Complex Application User Interfaces (UI), UX Audits, User Journeys, Design Reviews, Cross-platform UX, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Visual Identity, Color Palettes, Typography, Mobile Prototypes, MVP Design, Feature Prioritization, User Testing, WordPress Design, WordPress Themes, UI Components, Mobile First, Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), UI Animation, Best Practices in Design, Marketing, Logotype, Agency Websites, Design Strategy, Gamification, Social Media Design, Adobe, Advertising, Marketing Collateral Development, Digital Design, Ad Design, Collateral Design, PowerPoint Templates, Document Design, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Asana, Checkout, Shopify, Shopify Customizations, Shopify Design, Shopify Theme, Apparel & Accessories, Print Design, Responsive UI, Elementor, Tone of Voice, Market Research, Psychology & Mental Health, Layout Design, Booking Systems, Data, Design, Merchandise, Storytelling, Content Writing, Visual Storytelling, Content Strategy, Copywriting, Lean Research, T-shirt Design, Visual Design Language, Clothing, UX Tools, UX Leadership, Pitch Presentations, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Hands-on Implementation, Mobile UI Design, Pixel Perfect, Mobile UX Design, User Interviews, Advertisement Design, Web UI Design, Zeppelin, Minimalism, PDF Design, Infographics, Readability, Interactive Prototypes, Usertesting.com, Stakeholder Management, Landing Page Design, Zeplin, Content Management Systems (CMS), Layout, Rapid Prototyping, Presentation Development, Blog Posting

Design Manager | Strategy Designer

2013 - 2016
Macy's
  • Led the UI/UX and visual design as well as product management for a sister-company testing platform.
  • Strategized and built radical consumer-facing features, monitored the data, and conducted user interviews to learn and iterate.
  • Led a team of 10 designers who worked across the Macys.com platform.
  • Instilled the importance of design guidelines, consistency, and clean and delightful experiences.
  • Created sessions and fostered working relationships between departments to merge a siloed old way of working.
  • Led design (UI/UX) in a lean and agile team to build a marketplace for Macys.com.
Technologies: InVision, Adobe Creative Suite, Creative Direction, Product Design, Branding, UI Design, UX Design, UX Research, Information Architecture (IA), Strategy, Leadership, Design Leadership, User Personas, User Flows, User Stories, Web App Design, Agile, UX Strategy, Lean, Visual Design, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Brand Design, Responsive Web Apps, Web Design, Websites, Presentation Design, Marketing Design, Brand Guidelines, Logo Design, Presentations, PowerPoint Design, Graphic Design, Web App UI, Web App UX, Wireframing, High-fidelity Mockups, eCommerce, System Design, User Roles, Color Theory, Digital Brand Identity, User Experience Strategy, eCommerce UX, User Experience (UX), Growth, eCommerce UI, Marketplace Design, eCommerce Web Design, UX Wireframes, Mockups, Remote Team Leadership, Scrum, Dashboard Design, User Interface (UI), Mobile Design, Conversion Rate, Website Redesign, Illustration, Web Page Mockups, A/B Testing, Conversion, Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), Mobile, Prototyping, Usability Testing, Design Thinking, Adobe CC, Communication, Responsive Design, User Research, Brand Identity, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Web UX, Web Marketing, UX Audits, User Journeys, Landing Page Optimization, Navigation Design, Design Reviews, Navigation, Cross-platform UX, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Visual Identity, Color Palettes, Typography, Apps, Mobile Prototypes, MVP Design, Feature Prioritization, User Testing, Design Systems, UI Components, Mobile First, UI Animation, Best Practices in Design, Marketing, Logotype, Design Strategy, Workshops, Workshop Facilitation, Strategic Design, Gamification, Web Application Design, Email Design, Email Template Design, Adobe, Advertising, Marketing Collateral Development, Digital Design, Ad Design, Collateral Design, PowerPoint Templates, Document Design, Reports, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Checkout, User Management, Parallax Design, Apparel & Accessories, Print Design, Responsive UI, Tone of Voice, Market Research, Layout Design, Data, Design, Web UI, Merchandise, Storytelling, Visual Storytelling, Copywriting, Lean Research, Visual Design Language, UX Tools, App UI, UX Leadership, Pitch Presentations, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Hands-on Implementation, Executive Presentations, Mobile UI Design, Pixel Perfect, Mobile UX Design, User Interviews, Advertisement Design, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Web UI Design, Zeppelin, Jira, Minimalism, PDF Design, Infographics, Readability, Interactive Prototypes, Usertesting.com, Web Applications, Stakeholder Management, iOS App Design, Landing Page Design, Zeplin, Mobile UI, Mobile App Design, Heuristic Evaluation, Layout, Rapid Prototyping, Presentation Development

Design Director

2009 - 2016
Studio7
  • Designed Walgreen's grand opening books showcasing local culture for each location opening.
  • Designed and strategized a gaming app and in-store experience for Walmart and EA Sports.
  • Built and strategized on a three-year roadmap marketing plan for Urban Outfitters.
  • Designed two new-concept project management and communication web apps.
  • Designed a multitude of brand identities, websites, and apps from consumer goods to restaurants, finance, and education companies.
Technologies: Adobe Creative Suite, Creative Direction, Branding, UI Design, UX Design, UX Research, Information Architecture (IA), Product Design, Strategy, Leadership, Design Leadership, User Personas, User Flows, User Stories, Web App Design, Agile, UX Strategy, Lean, Visual Design, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Brand Design, Web Design, Websites, Presentation Design, Marketing Design, Brand Guidelines, Logo Design, Presentations, PowerPoint Design, Graphic Design, Web App UI, Wireframing, High-fidelity Mockups, eCommerce, System Design, User Roles, Color Theory, Digital Brand Identity, User Experience Strategy, eCommerce UX, User Experience (UX), Growth, eCommerce UI, eCommerce Web Design, UX Wireframes, Mockups, Remote Team Leadership, User Interface (UI), Web UX, Design Reviews, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Visual Identity, Color Palettes, Typography, Apps, Mobile Prototypes, MVP Design, WordPress Design, WordPress Themes, Marketing, Logotype, Agency Websites, Design Strategy, Gamification, Adobe, Marketing Collateral Development, Digital Design, Ad Design, Collateral Design, Document Design, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Asana, Apparel & Accessories, Print Design, Responsive UI, Tone of Voice, Market Research, Layout Design, Design, Merchandise, Storytelling, Content Writing, Visual Storytelling, Content Strategy, Copywriting, Lean Research, T-shirt Design, Visual Design Language, Clothing, UX Tools, App UI, Pitch Presentations, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Hands-on Implementation, Mobile UI Design, Pixel Perfect, Mobile UX Design, Web UI Design, Minimalism, PDF Design, Infographics, Readability, Web Applications, Stakeholder Management, iOS App Design, Landing Page Design, Mobile UI, Mobile App Design, Content Management Systems (CMS), Layout, Presentation Development
2001 - 2004

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion and Art Design

Lasalle College of Montreal - Montreal, QC, Canada

1998 - 2001

Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering

Polytechnique of Montreal - Montreal, QC, Canada

1996 - 1998

Associate of Applied Science in Pure and Applied Sciences

College de Maisonneuve - Montreal, QC, Canada

APRIL 2022 - PRESENT

Marketplace Platform Business Sprint

Section4

JUNE 2021 - PRESENT

Strategy Bootcamp

Mark Pollard's Sweathead

SEPTEMBER 2018 - PRESENT

Management Bootcamp

Harrison Metal

MAY 2015 - PRESENT

Design Thinking & Lean Development

Pivotal Labs

Tools

Figma, Adobe, Sketch, InVision, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe CC, Microsoft Word, Asana, UX Tools, Jira, Zeplin, Adobe Experience Design (XD), Microsoft PowerPoint, Usertesting.com, Adobe Creative Suite, InVision App, Pivotal Tracker, Miro, MURAL, Apple Keynote, Google Slides, Lean Testing

Languages

Visual Design Language, HTML, CSS

Industry Expertise

Marketing, Apparel & Accessories, Advertising, Psychology & Mental Health, Restaurants & Dining, Food & Beverage

Platforms

WordPress, Web, Mobile, Shopify, Zeppelin, iOS, Magento, Apple TV

Other

Prototyping, Information Architecture (IA), Art Direction, eCommerce, eCommerce UX, eCommerce UI, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Responsive UI, Creative Direction, Usability Testing, Marketing Design, Presentation Design, Product Design, WordPress Design, Storytelling, Strategy, Branding, Lean UX, UX Research, Websites, Visual Design, UI Design, Lean Startups, Identity Design, UX Design, Leadership, Design Leadership, User Personas, User Flows, User Stories, Web App Design, UX Strategy, Lean, Brand Design, Responsive Web Apps, Web Design, Brand Guidelines, PowerPoint Design, Graphic Design, Wireframing, High-fidelity Mockups, Color Theory, Digital Brand Identity, User Experience Strategy, User Experience (UX), eCommerce Web Design, UX Wireframes, Mockups, Remote Team Leadership, Scrum, User Interface (UI), Mobile Design, Web UX, Website Redesign, Web Page Mockups, A/B Testing, Design Thinking, Communication, Responsive Design, User Research, Brand Identity, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Landing Page Design, UX Audits, Navigation Design, Design Reviews, Navigation, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Visual Identity, Color Palettes, Typography, MVP Design, Feature Prioritization, User Testing, Design Systems, WordPress Themes, UI Components, Mobile First, Best Practices in Design, Logotype, Agency Websites, Design Strategy, Strategic Design, Marketing Collateral Development, Digital Design, Ad Design, Collateral Design, PowerPoint Templates, Document Design, Checkout, User Management, Shopify Customizations, Shopify Design, Print Design, Tone of Voice, Market Research, Layout Design, Design, Web UI, Merchandise, Content Writing, Visual Storytelling, Content Strategy, Lean Research, T-shirt Design, Clothing, App UI, UX Leadership, Pitch Presentations, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Hands-on Implementation, Executive Presentations, Mobile UI Design, Pixel Perfect, Mobile UX Design, User Interviews, Advertisement Design, Web UI Design, Minimalism, PDF Design, Infographics, Readability, Interactive Prototypes, Web Applications, Stakeholder Management, Content Management Systems (CMS), Heuristic Evaluation, Layout, Rapid Prototyping, Presentation Development, Blog Posting, Email Design, Illustration, Presentations, Social Media Design, Marketplaces, Apps, Marketplace Design, Agile, Data Visualization, Dashboards, Logo Design, Consumer Technology, Web App UI, Web App UX, System Design, User Roles, Growth, Dashboard Design, SaaS, SaaS Design, Conversion Rate, Conversion, Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), B2B, Enterprise, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Landing Pages, Web Marketing, Complex Application User Interfaces (UI), User Journeys, Landing Page Optimization, Cross-platform UX, Mobile Prototypes, UI Animation, Pitch Decks, Workshops, Workshop Facilitation, Gamification, Analytical Dashboards, Web Application Design, Email Template Design, White Papers, Reports, Parallax Design, Shopify Theme, Elementor, Booking Systems, Data, Copywriting, Artificial Intelligence (AI), iOS App Design, Mobile UI, Mobile App Design, ChatGPT, Webinars, Interface Design, Writing & Editing, eCommerce Design, Mobile eCommerce, Responsive, Style Guides, UI Style Guides, Product Management, Social Media, Web Development, Photography Direction, Image Manipulation, Event Design, Cannabis, Digital Strategy, Social Media Content, Management, Web Components, Template Design, Email Templates, Email, Component Libraries, Production, Social Media Marketing (SMM), Tech Packs, Package Design, Recommendation Systems, Two-sided Marketplaces, Apple TV UI, Keynote Templates, Squarespace, Web UX Design, Web Dashboards, WebApp, High-tech Startups, Enterprise SaaS, Enterprise Design, Enterprise Startups, Web 3.0, Business, Change Management, Lean Canvas, Lean Inception, Design Thinking Facilitation, Brand Strategy

Experience

  • Branding - 12 years
  • UX Design - 12 years
  • UI Design - 12 years
  • Creative Direction - 10 years
  • Strategy - 10 years
  • Product Design - 8 years
  • UX Research - 5 years
  • Information Architecture (IA) - 5 years
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