Melissa Shimada, Designer in San Diego, CA, United States
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Melissa 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.

Information Architecture (IA)UX DesignUser FlowsUser InterviewsPersonasInDesign CCVisual DesignAdobe PhotoshopMobile UXUX ResearchUX StrategyeCommerceUX FlowsApp UXChatbotsStoryboard

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
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

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