Ryan Augustine
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Cape Coral, FL, United States
Toptal member since November 8, 2021
Ryan is an award-winning lead product UI/UX designer with a decade of hands-on experience. He has worked with multiple government agencies, international non-profits like United Way and Etopia, and over 100 startups and small businesses to meet business goals and users' needs through innovative, user-friendly product design. Ryan's mission is to produce accessible, impactful, and engaging products and experiences, focusing on seamless user experiences.
Experience
- Responsive UI - 10 years
- Responsive Web Design (RWD) - 9 years
- Mobile App UI - 9 years
- Design Thinking - 9 years
- Web Accessibility - 8 years
- Figma - 7 years
- Design Systems - 6 years
- Rapid Prototyping - 5 years
Portfolio
Foodtech Native App for Enterprise, Kraft Heinz.
Machine Learning SaaS Product for Micro-team From Facebook
Work Experience
Lead Designer
Clover Health - Main
- Ran a complete UI/UX audit of the website to identify key issues and led a workshop to prioritize them through an impact vs effort scale.
- Established ways of working in Figma for the organization, as they hadn't had much actual design support or expertise in the past.
- Established a design system foundation with all primary styles, assets, and components. These were integrated with Figma's new tokenized system for ease of use and flexibility.
- Led the redesign of their blog user experience to assist the company in establishing itself as an authority in the medicare space.
- Ensured the website's main pages met WCAG AA/AAA accessibility requirements.
- Redesigned all major pages to be accessible and responsive across all devices.
- Championed the redesign of the Provider search experience from scratch, which entailed competitor research, user interviews, and research synthesis, followed by iteration and moderated testing.
Product Designer (via Toptal)
Buoy Health, Inc.
- Championed the design of the responsive AI chatbot for their current website using their established form style conversational UIs and research.
- Led the redesign of their responsive blog pages to optimize conversion and accessibility, ensuring at least WCAG AA compliance.
- Created the roadmap for the AI assistant, with the ultimate goal of converting this experience into a mobile application.
UX Designer
SHL US - Main
- Redesigned a human resource management tool primarily addressing its accessibility, responsive design, and API integration with Zoom for a large human capital management company.
- Documented a robust heuristic valuation of the existing solution and developed a scope of recommendations.
- Partnered with the product owner to strategize and prioritize deliverables to be presented to the team's major stakeholders.
- Designed high-fidelity prototypes for user and concept testing.
Senior UX Analyst
Wait What Inc
- Ran a heuristic analysis on the existing application to identify usability and accessibility issues.
- Facilitated the development of the product roadmap with all major stakeholders using a combination of heuristic findings, UXR, and an impact effort matrix.
- Championed the redesign of their UI guidelines and design system for the application.
- Led user research and ran usability tests for onboarding and the content experience with potential users.
- Redesigned the UI for the onboarding experience, user listening experience, and all content pages within the mobile application.
- Prepared requirements and documentation for the handoff to developers.
UX/UI Designer
Agilerank LLC
- Facilitated design sessions with all major stakeholders, ensuring business and product goals were aligned before kickoff.
- Ran a heuristic analysis of the existing application to identify pain points, usability issues, accessibility issues, and limitations of the products to clarify the new design direction.
- Created user stories, empathy maps, and user journeys based on the user research and profiles identified.
- Designed wireframes for the design direction to clearly show how we would address user problems before going into mid to hi-fi designs.
- Built mid to hi-fi design iterations for testing using the new suggested design guidelines.
- Carried out concept and usability testing for mid to hi-fi designs with four to five users of the current product.
- Created a hi-fi prototype of the entire application in Figma.
- Prepared requirements and documentation for handoff.
- Created a foundational design system and guidelines for the suite of applications.
UX/UI Designer | Multiple eCommerce Projects
Zappos, Inc. - Main
- Championed designing the foundation for the new Zappos At Work B2B solution, focusing primarily on branding, accessibility, responsive design, and establishing the base for their new design system.
- Designed and optimized responsive landing pages for the primary B2B end users to generate interest in their new offerings, driving them to a funnel.
- Led accessibility testing to ensure the best possible proximity to AAA WCAG compliance across all devices.
Product Designer
PhoenUX, Inc
- Designed an iOS prototype and assisted in the presentation design that led to partnerships with companies like Delta, American Airlines, Starbucks, and American Express.
- Led design workshops to take the Web 3.0 solution from ideation through UX research to hi-fi prototyping and handoff.
- Created a design system for the brand and digital UI that was published to the company's files, componentized, and easy for future designers and developers to understand and edit.
- Developed user flows and customer journeys for the product to clarify their target audience and demographic.
- Presented unique B2B solutions based on research and insights for which I designed web app MVPs that assisted in the major partnerships mentioned above.
Senior UX/UI Designer
Celanese
- Designed a unique team management solution and web application using modern data visualization methods to track and improve performance. This was the determining factor in closing a 4-million-dollar contract for three years.
- Developed user research plans, ran user research via online calls, and led user research synthesis via Dovetail and FigJam.
- Created user journeys after research, which ushered us into wireframing and ideation for potential solutions.
- Designed an MVP web application encompassing team management, data visualization, administrator oversight, and event management.
- Designed an MVP mobile application for 24/7 operators for gamified and more user-friendly incident management.
Lead Visual Designer
The Kraft Heinz Company
- Championed the visual design for both the iOS and Android applications for the company's live cooking class services.
- Improved and developed the product's information architecture from ideation to completion and tested task flows and user flows.
- Led rapid wireframing and prototyping from wireframes to high-fidelity prototypes.
- Championed design workshops and user research, running user tests on the products signup and onboarding using Maze while leading competitive analysis and reporting.
- Led accessible design critique and testing, redesigning and optimizing the product's usability and accessibility for the broad user base.
Lead Product Designer
Considr, Inc
- Led the brand discovery and design workshops to bring the product idea to life and developed a clear roadmap from user research to the final product for testing. The brand discover blueprint is now an asset the company uses daily.
- Managed competitor research and reporting to identify gaps and opportunities in the given market.
- Facilitated and led design sessions to create greater alignment amongst the team members, leading to company buy-in on the approach moving forward.
- Designed and developed the marketing messaging and assets for the responsive website, iOS and Android app, and AppStore marketing optimization.
- Championed user testing leading to major improvements in the products conversion rates from 3% to 9% in 2 months.
Product Design Lead | Creative Director | Startup Co-founder
StudySpace
- Implemented the design thinking methodology to take the B2B2C edtech. from ideation to product design and development. The responsive web app was built to address the needs of four different users including government admin, schools, teachers, and students.
- Conducted competitive and comparative analysis, user interviews, synthesized results, and defined requirements for the product in different stages to validate user experience and business sustainability.
- Led brand strategy and product design sessions to align the company's stakeholders, developing a blueprint structuring and simplifying the vision of the brand and its services.
- Championed logo design and brand guidelines through an iterative and collaborative process while maintaining the determined brand messaging and vision.
- Crafted a complete design system using the atomic design methodology, leading to an award-winning user interface and experience.
Creative Head | UX/UI Lead | Agency Co-founder
The Client Catchers Ltd.
- Led product design for dozens of projects including B2B, B2C, SaaS, health, travel, food, education, and retail, serving inspiring startups and established corporations by following a user-centered approach, intensive design thinking, prototyping, and testing.
- Guided the product design (UI/UX for a responsive web app) of the Ministry of Transportation of Trinidad and Tobago, targeting a user-base of 700 thousand citizens on the new traffic updates and systems, noticed as the most effective government initiative of 2019.
- Championed the development of the digital brand identity and responsive web design for the largest cricket organization in the Latin American and Caribbean region.
- Led the training of persons with special needs from the National Centre for Disabilities to design and develop websites from scratch, as a means of providing them with job opportunities.
- Championed UI/UX improvements to existing products of the largest nonprofit in Latin America (mobile app and responsive web) leading the entire product cycle—from concept to final execution while working hand-to-hand with PMs and engineers.
- Designed specific outputs for different industries, included mockups, interactive products, heuristic evaluations, user personas, empathy maps, multi-variant testing, interactive prototypes, animations, and videos.
UX/UI Designer and Developer
Matthew Gambrell Corporation
- Led brand discovery sessions for a team of six to develop brand identity and design guidelines for the company, including typography, content, design system, iconography, logos, and digital products.
- Championed the production of an online course including funnel creation, content development, and CRO, leading to a massive two-week sales total of 90 thousand USD with a conversion rate of 7% and profits exceeding 500%.
- Worked as the sole product designer and developer for the expansion of the companies brand, developing four different responsive websites offering 20+ services, managing a team of 12 persons.
Junior Product Designer
Beids by Chuff
- Led the brand discovery for a company of four, developing the brand identity and guidelines which led to the crafting of the logo, brand strategy, and company vision.
- Championed the development of social media content and the management of social media marketing increasing sales by 200% by Q2.
- Designed and developed a responsive WordPress website for the company and led SEO strategy and implementation leading to an increase in brand engagement by 72%.
Certifications
UX/UI Design Foundations
UXCEL
The Ultimate Figma and UI Masterclass
The Designership
Designing Wireframes
UXCEL
CSS for Designers
UXCEL
Design Composition
UXCEL
Designing for Accessibility
UXCEL
Google UX Design Specialization
Foundations of HTML
Codecademy
Foundations of CSS
Codecademy
Skills
Tools
Framer X, WP eCommerce, Divi Builder 3, Google Analytics, Adobe CC, Framer Prototyping, Adobe Experience Design (XD), Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, UI Grid, Slack, Asana, Maze, UsabilityHub, Photoshop 7, Team Track, Zoom, Bubble
Platforms
Figma, WordPress, Web, Desktop, Webflow, Webflow CMS, Mobile, Android, MacOS, Google Analytics 360, iOS, Windows
Industry Expertise
Consumer Products, Education Technology (Edtech), Psychology & Mental Health, Education, Marketing
Languages
Visual Design Language, CSS, HTML
Other
User Interface (UI), Prototyping, Wireframing, Bootstrapping, Divi, Native Mobile Apps, Human Interface Design, Design Systems, Design Thinking, Responsive UI, Responsive Layout, App Design, Product Design, Web Accessibility, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Accessibility, Chatbots, Chatbot Conversation Design, Mobile UI, Mobile UX, User Journey Maps, User Journeys, WCAG 2, Remote Usability Testing, Web UI, eCommerce, eCommerce UX, Mobile eCommerce, Responsive Design, Mobile UX Design, Mobile UI Design, UI Design, UX Design, Web UI Design, Web UX Design, Web App UX, Web App Design, High-fidelity Mockups, High-fidelity Prototypes, Low-fidelity Mockups, Low-fidelity Prototypes, Mobile App UI, Visual Design, SaaS, SaaS Design, Web Design, Responsive Web Apps, Content Management Systems (CMS), iOS UI Design, Design, Web Marketing, UI Branding, Mobile Apps, UX Research, Mobile App Design, Landing Page Design, Web UX, WordPress Design, Landing Pages, User Research, eCommerce UI, Brainstorming, Mobile-first Design, Atomic Design, Strategic Design, Mobile Design, Mobile Web Design, Interface Design, Design Composition, Wireframe to Product, Rapid Prototyping, Website Redesign, Interactive Prototypes, Information Architecture (IA), Product Strategy, Digital Product Design, Digital Product Styling, Product Owner, Desktop App Design, Concepting, Interactive Web Design, Persona Design, Strategy, Startups, Lean Startups, Early-stage Startups, Mobile Applications, Web & Mobile Applications, Low Code, Usability, Apps, User Psychology, User Experience Strategy, MVP Design, Product Management, Product Ownership, UI Prototyping, Ideation, Web Components, Visual Component Library (VCL), Graphics, UX Review, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Interactive UI, Cross-platform UX, iOS Design Guidelines, iOS Design Trends, UX Analysis, 508/WCAG 2.0, Navigation, Best Practices in Design, UX Documentation, UX Pattern Design, Mockups, UX Wireframes, Teaching, School, Training & Training Content Development, Heuristic Review, Design Consultation, Design Production, Marketing Design, Design Leadership, Layout Design, Layout, WebApp, Enterprise Application Design, Leadership, UI Audits, Design Reviews, UX Assessment, Framer, Mobile Prototypes, Complex Application User Interfaces (UI), IT, Conversational Design, Heuristic Evaluation, ClickUp, User Experience (UX), Usability Testing, Product Leadership, Agile Sprints, Branding, Sitemaps, Edtech Design, Tablet UI, Accessible Design, User Interviews, Taxonomy, Google Analytics API, Web App UI, User Stories, Brand Design, Mobile App Development, Online Banking, Mobile Banking, Consumer Banking, Login & Registration, Primary Research, Secondary Research, Design Sprints, B2B, Agile, B2C, User Flows, Empathy Mapping, Design Workshops, Lean UX, User-centered Design (UCD), Flexbox, Grid Systems, Mobile First, Atomic CSS, Rapid Interactive Prototyping, Web Dashboards, Dashboard Design, Brand Guidelines, Dashboards, Design Documentation, Ideation Workshops, Interaction Design (IxD), UX Strategy, Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), Website CMS, Content Management, Style Guides, Onboarding, User Onboarding, Consumer Finance, App Store Marketing, Agile UX, Gamification, Web 3.0, Learning Management Systems (LMS), Design Libraries, Research, Finance, Financial Software, Monetization, Usability Analysis, Heuristic Analysis, Apple Human Interface, Design Research, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Material Design, Instructional Design, Marketplaces, Product Branding, Market Research, Workflow, Automation, CRM Design, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), UX Audits, System Design, Template Design, Graphic Design, Component-based Development, Maps, Charts, Interviews, Presentations, Google Material Design, White Labeling, User Behavior, Audience Targeting, Communication, Blockchain, Colleges & Universities, eCommerce Design, Productivity, Journey Mapping, Web Animation, Industrial Equipment, Animation, Marketing Technology (MarTech), Reservation Flow, Google Search Console, Local SEO, Tablet UX, Student Engagement, K-12 Education, User Testing, Public Transportation, Local & Municipal Government, State Government, Foodtech, Booking UX, Event Design, Mentorship, Service, Facebook Ads, Leaderboards, Rewards, iOS UX Design, Android App Design, Project Management, Task Management, Task Flows, Fintech, Login Screens, CSS Grid, Annotated Wireframes, Data Visualization, Websites, Landing Page Optimization, Color Theory, Component Libraries, UI Components, Responsive UX Design, Microsoft Teams, Office 365, iOS App Design, Recipes & Cooking, B2C Marketing, Remote User Testing, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, User Personas, Enterprise, Enterprise Design, App UI, App UX, App Store Optimization (ASO), Product Discovery, Customer Discovery, React Native for Web, Unmoderated Remote Usability Testing, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Analysis, Competition Research, Online Classes & MOOCs, Ads, Mobile Advertising, Machine Learning, Facebook, Artificial Intelligence (AI), AI Design, Analytical Dashboards, Tables, DataViz, Enterprise SaaS, Software as a Service (SaaS), Web Applications, Crypto, Cryptocurrency, Cryptocurrency Wallets, Cryptocurrency Exchanges, Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Data-informed Visual Design, Big Data, Industrial IT, Industrials, Teams, Teamwork, Business to Business (B2B), Enterprise Systems, Enterprise Software, iPhone, Cryptocurrency Payments, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency, Cryptocurrency Development, B2B2C, B2B Lead Generation, Sales Pipeline Management, API Design, Web API, Interviewing, Microinteractions, Microinteraction Design, Commercial Real Estate, API Integration, Section 508 Compliance, Conversion, APIs, Blockchain Platforms, Adult Education, Business to Business to Consumer (B2B2C), Illustration, Business Intelligence (BI), Conversational UX, Conversational AI, Healthcare IT, Website Design, User Validation, Growth-driven Design (GDD)
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