Michael is available for hire
Hire MichaelMichael Clingerman
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Akron, OH, United States
Toptal member since June 22, 2016
Bio
Over the past two years, Michael has spearheaded the formation of a Lean UX team at Adaptive Biotechnologies, enhancing the functionality of a suite of front-end systems crucial for MIRA genetic experiments in the MRD sector by implementing a Lean UX research methodology, which integrates simple modern qualitative tools.
Work Experience
Senior UX Manager
2022 - 2024
Adaptive Biotechnologies
- Worked as a senior UX manager at Adaptive Biotechnologies and rebuilt a lean UX design and research team of young designers and one researcher.
- Mentored my team in a service bureau style. Forged new relationships with business partners/leadership and SMEs, building trust with solid delivery of our new order management suite.
- Managed my team on a shoestring budget. UX research leveraged Steve Krug’s best practices for task-based user testing on a dime with other tools I've used historically with success in redesigning old features and building new ones.
- Crafted a human-centered UX/CX strategy for our unified digital products to be realized in 3-5 years.
- Defined CX touchpoints across the extensive journey mapping used in leadership meetings to assess investment opportunities and quick wins across the ecosystem.
- Applied "design pairing" techniques to foster and encourage designers to work more quickly with "generation and synthesizing" their ideas.
- Educated leadership to understand the design process related to UX research, low fidelity, rapid prototyping, and balsamic and high fidelity deliverables and approvals in Figma.
- Utilized secondary lenses involving Six Sigma process improvement as outside data streams, much like quantitative information for us to pull from regarding process improvement and workflow efficiency.
- Managed the oversight of all customer clinical diagnostic reports, critical clinical diagnostic deliverables, and revenue. These reports were considered critical to customer satisfaction.
- Conducted SME interviews and ethnographic observations to identify workflow challenges in Adaptive's order management platform swiftly.
Technologies: Figma, Hotjar, Balsamiq, User Stories, Maze, UserZoom
Lead UI/UX Designer and Researcher (via Toptal)
2021 - 2022
VoiceOps.com
- Spearheaded the strategic direction and usability research planning with the rapid development of LoFi wire and simple user testing, using quantitative data from HotJar and video from insightful.io.
- Contributed to a 27%-36% higher retention rate in playbook decision-making for representatives.
- Assisted coaches in a high-paced call center environment. This resulted in opportunities for coaches to mentor in less than one minute on-site.
- Crafted a design system for a responsive web-based product. Developed user journeys, scenarios, mock-ups, and wireframes for stakeholders in leadership discussion and testing for client interviews. Delivered high-fidelity wireframing.
- Worked on regular, ongoing post-sprint observational research in Hotjar to analyze stumbling blocks and make continuous agile improvements to our launched features. The team and Heap collected additional quantitative information.
- Mentored a talented team and guided them through the discovery phase, ideation, and envisioning future states. Ensured seamless execution of our design initiatives.
- Implemented Balsamiq and Figma Enterprise for efficient design processes.
- Assisted in adding to a custom design system based on Google Material guidelines.
- Conducted industry research to identify emerging trends in Generative AI (GenAI).
- Utilized story mapping techniques for a UX strategy to translate goals into actionable Agile UX initiatives with the team.
Technologies: Figma, Hotjar, Heap, Journey Mapping, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Rapid Prototyping, Software as a Service (SaaS), Workshops, Creative Design, Product Development, Analytics, Scrum, Mental Model, UX Flows, Proto-personas, Client Interviews, Customer Journeys, Big Data, User Interface (UI), UX Design, Product Design, User Experience Strategy, Web Portals, User Experience Design, Design Strategy, CX Strategy, User Research
Director UX Design and Research
2018 - 2021
OpSec Security
- Was responsible for UX strategy, research plan in alignment with the ongoing sprint cycles. Mentored a small team, leading discovery, ideation, future-state, general project management and reporting, and ongoing usability research.
- • Scheduled initial qualitative observations onsite in Boise from a sampling of. 200+ in-house analysts. Produced findings for C-level staff. • Co-lead customer interviews, data collection for UX research.
- • Audited customer exit interviews produced findings for C-level staff. • Worked on regular UX observations of mockups and qualitative data collection, with analysts and task-based testing. • Did qualitative research to achieve efficiency gains in major workflows.
- Mentored junior UX designers to think comprehensively E2E to expedite delivery time and communications skills.
- Improved UX design efforts to visual scan-ability of the data-grid thereby reducing the cognitive load for analysts.
- Designed and tested a series of prototypes leading to future-state design for brand protection responsible for $70M in annual revenues.
Technologies: Sketch, Figma, Adobe CC, Office 365, UserZoom, SaaS Design, Adobe Creative Suite, Balsamiq, Microcopy, Qualitative Research, User Journeys, User Journey Maps, User Stories, Story Mapping, User Experience (UX), Task Flows, UX Prototyping, Ethnographic Interviews, User Personas, Moderation, Conceptual Model, Color Schemes, Responsive Web Apps, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Web App Design, Mockups, UX Scenarios, Balsamiq Mockups, Art Direction, UI Design, Dashboard Design, Creative Design, Product Development, Analytics, Scrum, Validately, Mental Model, UX Flows, Proto-personas, Client Interviews, Customer Journeys, Big Data, User Interface (UI), UX Design, Product Design, User Experience Strategy, Web Portals, User Experience Design, Design Strategy, CX Strategy, Android, User Research
Lead Product Designer
2017 - 2018
Deloitte Taiwan
- Worked for Bersin, an HR research publisher and advisory services firm offering enterprise learning, talent management, and strategic HR solutions adding deep value to a $1.3B revenue stream in HR consulting for the Human Capital division.
- Led customer interviews and qualitative data collection and analysis. Produced findings reports and design change recommendations to team and stakeholders.
- Worked on regular formative UX observations of mockups and qualitative data collection.
- Led the redesign of a vast PDF database (HR research and publications) to a. converted mobile-first HTML-based Kindle-Style e-reader (supporting 4x. viewports responsive).
- Led the redesign of an Elasticsearch system UX with insights to search term (use-cases in search results).
- Worked on ideation and prototyped a D3.js driven PDF library and UI framework call. (Bersin-Oracle) Oversaw and drove the formative qualitative data collection to justify the project.
Technologies: Sketch, Adobe CC, Office 365, Adobe, Excel 2013, JavaScript, SaaS Design, Dashboard Design, Adobe Creative Suite, Mobile, Balsamiq, InVision, Microcopy, Infographics, UserZoom, Qualitative Research, User Journeys, User Journey Maps, User Stories, Story Mapping, User Experience (UX), Task Flows, UX Prototyping, Ethnographic Interviews, User Personas, Moderation, Conceptual Model, Color Schemes, Responsive Web Apps, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Web App Design, UX Scenarios, Balsamiq Mockups, Creative Direction, Art Direction, UI Design, Creative Design, Product Development, Analytics, Scrum, Validately, UX Flows, Proto-personas, Client Interviews, Customer Journeys, Big Data, User Interface (UI), UX Design, Figma, Web Design, Product Design, User Experience Strategy, Web Portals, User Experience Design, Design Strategy, CX Strategy, Android, User Research
Lead UX/UI Designer | Project Manager | Scrum Master
2015 - 2016
Microsoft (Contract)
- Worked on the ethnographic workstation for regular observation of new features, testing, conducting user research, interviews, and crafting informed UX decision-making to leadership. Created persona, scenario writing, and scheduled interview sessions with users. (UX research).
- Was responsible for guiding leading UX/UI ideation. Managed two small teams of front-end developers as a PM and scrum master,. and UX designer. Wrote UX strategy, roadmap creation, timeline. • Axure/InVision mockups and user flows. (product design).
- Worked for OneRM, which was a Big Data CRM - a multi-channel marketing campaign solution driving an estimated millions in business value. Merged usage data live in CRM; largest Azure account processing 650k+ transactions per sec (Microsoft - OneRM Office Division).
Technologies: Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe CC, Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel 2010, Visual Studio 2017, Jira, SaaS Design, Dashboard Design, Mobile, Balsamiq, Microcopy, Qualitative Research, User Journeys, User Journey Maps, User Stories, Story Mapping, User Experience (UX), Task Flows, UX Prototyping, Ethnographic Interviews, User Personas, Moderation, Color Schemes, Responsive Web Apps, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Web App Design, Balsamiq Mockups, Axure RP Pro, UI Design, Ethnographic Research, Product Development, Scrum, UX Flows, Proto-personas, Client Interviews, Customer Journeys, Big Data, User Interface (UI), UX Design, Figma, Web Design, Product Design, User Experience Strategy, Web Portals, User Experience Design, Design Strategy, CX Strategy, Android, User Research
Lead UX/UI Designer
2014 - 2015
Horse Authority
- Worked for the Horse Authority, which is the leading online equestrian community. Included extensive design work into user profiles, navigation, community pages, forms, new user registration workflows. Built a fraction of delivered work, however, has a ten-year horizon.
- Worked directly with the founder and her advertising partners to consider best advertising positioning and new product experiences for customers by unique placement on-site across multiple viewports including mobile devices.
- Worked directly with the founder of the company to redesign and rethink a social media experience for the equestrian industry.
Technologies: Hand Sketch, Sketch 4, Balsamiq, Web App Design, Social Media Apps, Advertising, Balsamiq Mockups, UI Design, Creative Design, Product Development, Scrum, UX Flows, Proto-personas, Client Interviews, Customer Journeys, User Interface (UI), UX Design, User Experience Strategy, Design Strategy
Industrial Designer
2004 - 2012
Michael Sean
- Developed, designed, and manufactured over 200 modern pieces of steel furniture. Sold and distributed them to designers and architects nationally, focusing on NYC (www.michaelsean.com).
- Focused on hand skills: in 3D for sculpture in stone, marble, wood, clay, and bronze. Also 3D sculpture in software like Strata Studio Pro.
- Focused on fine art and Hand skills, painting in oils and many other mediums from watercolors and acrylics to inks.
Technologies: Branding, Furniture Design, 3D Design, Sculpture, Digital Sculpting, Hand Sketch, Oil Painting, Art & Painting, Lighting Design, Strata Design 3D CX, Adobe Creative Suite, Balsamiq, Qualitative Research, User Stories, User Experience (UX), UI Design, Creative Design, Product Development, Scrum, UX Flows, Proto-personas, Client Interviews, Customer Journeys
Interactive Design Director
1997 - 2001
Yahoo!
- Directed interactive design efforts for projects developed by the awesome folks at Yahoo!.
- Built a team managing Y! homepage campaigns. 20% work-time role in R&D for new monetized ad solutions/features.
- Co-managed an agency-style group of designers, and engineers (five-fifteen headcounts). Total team size: 90+.
Technologies: Adobe Creative Suite, HTML5, JavaScript, Microsoft, Office 365, Art Direction, Mobile, Balsamiq, InVision, Qualitative Research, User Stories, Story Mapping, User Experience (UX), Task Flows, UX Prototyping, Ethnographic Interviews, User Personas, Responsive Web Apps, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Web App Design, UI Design, Creative Design, Product Development, Scrum, UX Flows, Proto-personas, Client Interviews, Customer Journeys, Big Data, User Interface (UI), UX Design, Web Design, Product Design, User Experience Strategy, Web Portals, User Experience Design, CX Strategy, User Research
Education
2016 - 2018
Master's Degree in Information Architecture: HCI/UX Design and Research
Kent State University - Kent, OH, USA
1991 - 1995
Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Design (Minor subject: Art History)
Savannah College of Art and Design - Savannah, GA
Certifications
JUNE 2019 - PRESENT
The Web Development Fundamentals
Nucamp
JUNE 2018 - PRESENT
Human-Computer Interaction for User Experience Design
MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology
JANUARY 2016 - PRESENT
Certified Scrum Master | SCRUM and Project Management
SCRUM Alliance
JANUARY 2015 - PRESENT
HCD and Design Thinking
IDEO.ORG
Skills
Tools
Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe Illustrator, Axure RP Pro, Balsamiq, Balsamiq Mockups, Figma, Sketch, Adobe CC, InVision App, Validately, Adobe InDesign, InVision, Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel 2010, Jira, Adobe, Strata Design 3D CX, DataTables, Microsoft Power BI, Cluster, Sketch 4, Hotjar, Maze
Platforms
Android, Mobile, Visual Studio 2017, UserZoom, Microsoft, Web
Languages
JavaScript, HTML5, CSS
Industry Expertise
Advertising
Other
Microcopy, Creative Design, Art Direction, UI Design, Analytics, Pen & Paper, User Interface (UI), Lean UX, UX Research, Design Thinking, Mockups, UX Scenarios, Personas, Ideation, UX Design, UX Strategy, Project Management, User Experience (UX), Information Architecture (IA), Product Design, Marketing Design, Presentation Design, Responsive Web Apps, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Web App Design, User Experience Strategy, Web Portals, User Experience Design, Design Strategy, User Research, Creative Direction, Product Development, eCommerce, Scrum, SaaS Design, Wireframing, Web Design, Fintech, Ethnographic Research, CX Strategy, Branding, Writing & Editing, Infographics, Design Patterns, Dashboard Design, SaaS, Agile UX, Mobile App Design, Office 365, Excel 2013, Research, Qualitative Research, User Journeys, User Stories, Story Mapping, Task Flows, Mental Model, Microinteractions, UX Flows, UX Prototyping, Ethnographic Interviews, User Personas, Moderation, Conceptual Model, Color Schemes, Digital Creative Direction, User Journey Maps, Lean Project Management, Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Ethnographic Studies, Information Design, Bootstrap, UI Components, Web Components, Complex Web Systems, Complex Problem Solving, Proto-personas, Lean Six Sigma, Workflow Diagrams, Workflow, User Interviews, Client Interviews, Customer Journeys, Customer Insights, Design Systems, Big Data, Graph Databases, Node Clusters, 3D Design, Designing for Data, Charting, Themes, Automation, Furniture Design, Sculpture, Digital Sculpting, Hand Sketch, Oil Painting, Art & Painting, Lighting Design, Voice User Interfaces (VUI), Social Media Apps, Web UX Design, Web Design Patterns, Responsive, Graphic Design, Heap, Human-computer Interaction (HCI), Mobile UX, Mobile UI, Google Material Design, Agile, Journey Mapping, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Rapid Prototyping, Software as a Service (SaaS), Workshops
Experience
Tools
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