
Melissa is available for hire
Hire MelissaMelissa Shimada
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Location
San Diego, CA, United States
Toptal Member Since
October 23, 2017
Melissa is a strategic design leader skilled in cultivating and guiding cross-functional design teams, collaborating with Business, Product, and Engineering to drive UX strategies and solutions. Her experience spans consumer and enterprise products and emerging technologies across startups, agencies, academia, and big tech companies like Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Dell, and HP. Melissa is committed to fostering strong relationships, effective communication, and delivering top-notch craftsmanship.
Portfolio
Work Experience
UX Consultant
2017 - PRESENT
Self-employed
- Advised clients and created deliverables pertaining to UX strategy, research, information architecture, data visualization, UI, product design, and interaction design.
- Coached agencies on how to approach clients with consideration to design, development, and budget constraints.
- Directed stakeholder meetings and workshops.
Technologies: Apple Keynote, Axure, OmniGraffle, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign
UX Lead
2017 - 2017
Appetize
- Directed UX vision and strategy for mobile ordering SDK and POS apps for retail, restaurants, and concessions stands.
- Established how UX design integrates with product, engineering, and quality assurance.
- Balanced short-term agile/scrum deliverables with long-term UX strategy.
- Managed and mentored a team of designers.
Technologies: Apple Keynote, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop
UX Designer
2015 - 2016
Deutsch
- Led UX and strategy on multidisciplinary teams to build responsive websites and apps for clients including Anthem, Target, Foster Farms, Taco Bell, and Volkswagen.
- Evangelized usability testing and rapid prototyping to expand client services.
Technologies: Apple Keynote, Axure, Adobe InDesign
UX Designer
2014 - 2015
HYFN
- Executed UX and UI design for mobile apps and responsive websites for clients such as Behr, Cornerstone, CyberU, Fandango, FritoLay, Philosophy, and more.
Technologies: Apple Keynote, Axure, Adobe Photoshop, OmniGraffle
Web Developer & Researcher
2013 - 2014
Qualcomm Institute at Calit2
- Directed and presented HCI research on museum technology, virtual reality, and health trackers.
- Published and presented findings at conferences.
- Managed social media, wrote articles, and coded websites for UCSD’s technology-enhanced learning and online course development initiatives.
Technologies: JavaScript, Tableau, Apple Keynote, Adobe Photoshop
Education
2013 - 2013
Design Media Certificate in Visual Design
UC San Diego Extension - San Diego
2009 - 2013
Bachelor of Science Degree in Cognitive Science – Human Computer Interaction
UC San Diego - La Jolla