Jeff Buettin

Co-founder & CEO at Notch

Alex is a really talented designer and a great guy to work with.What sold me on hiring him was how quickly he just got it. He knew exactly what we were trying to build and had incredibly creative ideas almost immediately on how to best go about it.He is a true professional and passionate about his work. No matter what the task presented, Alex never ceases to amaze.I hope to work with him again in the future and highly recommend him and his work.

Victor Murygin

Technical Director at Internet Brands

Alex is a skilled and talented web designer. He has worked on dozens of projects with me - big and small. He is able to follow directions if we have a clear concept idea AND is able to be more creative and come up with his own ideas when asked. He works great in a collaborative group setting, being able to help with collective brainstorming.Alex also possesses some front end knowledge which helps tremendously to bridge the gap between design and development.Overall he's a great person to work with.

Fallon Christian

Senior Product Manager at Amazon

Alex is an extremely talented designer!He has highly creative ideas and can be a real partner in translating business needs to graphics. I worked with Alex as a website manager, and he did most of the creative for the site I managed. We also worked together for several site redesigns across the group, during which he was a pleasure to work with and really contributed to the process with good perspective and suggestions.The first branding concepts and designs he came up with for my site were just great -- he nailed it, first try, and we went with it. I felt confident in giving Alex just a basic idea of what I wanted -- he always came back with something amazing looking. His designs are fresh and I've seen him do a wide variety of styles well -- whether optimizing or coming up with something totally new. He has a great eye, and just does beautiful work.I can highly recommend Alex for his talent and reliability.

Mindy Bye

President at Lil' Advents

Our company has hired Alex numerous times over the years. He first built and designed our e-commerce site back in 2010 and he did a phenomenal job. His attention to detail and his ability to resolve issues and finish the job at hand makes him a asset to our business.We couldn't ask for a better person to support our business.Over the years we continually run into issues as the internet world evolves and when we have a problem, we call Alex to the rescue. He never lets us down and I know he goes above and beyond for us as his work is very challenging and time consuming. He also hosts some of our websites and trust me this is the guy you want to have hosting your websites, he delivers great customer service and when you need him he is there for you.I highly recommend Alex to anyone in need of his type of services. He is a asset to our company and we are grateful to have him part of our team.

Alvin McBorrough

Consultant | Board Member | Advisor

Three words to describe Alex - Creative - Dependable - Professional. Alex is a great designer. We hired him to work on a project for us, and he executed with great precision and tact. By the end of our engagement the final product was spectacular and we loved it. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Alex to anyone who is in need of a great designer that is Creative - Dependable - Professional.

PJ Hanna

Founder/CEO at Graemouse Technologies

Great web designer. He made my website from scratch and provided great insight too. When I ask him to make changes or update a few things he is speedy and precise.I recommend him to any business looking for a website designed.

Background

TennisPal connects tennis enthusiasts looking for hitting partners in their area. To support this mission, I focused on redesigning the onboarding experience and the core user flow to find a local partner, making it easier for users to start playing as quickly as possible.

Challenge

TennisPal had two main challenges: users found it cumbersome to schedule matches, which lowered engagement, and many didn’t know about or see the value in the app’s premium features. This made it tough to keep users happy and limited revenue. We needed to make the app easier to use and schedule a time to play as well as highlight the benefits of premium features to encourage more users to upgrade.

Goals

Solution

The redesigned app focused on three main areas: making onboarding simpler, enhancing the match scheduling process, and boosting premium feature adoption. As an avid tennis player and user of this app, I developed a scheduling tool that made setting up matches quick and easy. I also updated messaging to highlight the value of a subscribing to a premium account. The new onboarding flow helped new users get started faster, paving the way for greater engagement and increased use of premium features.

Table of Contents
Overview
Process
—Research
—Define
—Design
—Test
Conclusion

Research

We conducted user interviews and analyzed usage data to understand the pain points in the existing onboarding and matching flow. Insights revealed that new users found the initial setup confusing, which led to drop-offs.

User Interviews
I interviewed players at local tennis courts to learn about their experiences and challenges. This included current TennisPal users and players unfamiliar with the app but actively looking for hitting partners. Common issues included trouble scheduling matches, inconsistent communication, and a need for better ways to find compatible partners. As a tennis player and app user myself, I also drew on personal experiences to identify usability issues and areas for improvement.

Data Analysis
I analyzed TennisPal's user data to spot trends, such as where users dropped off during onboarding and which features weren’t being used. This revealed key areas to redesign for better retention and increased premium feature adoption. I worked with the founders and development team to understand their goals and frustrations, like low engagement with premium features and scheduling challenges, which helped shape my solutions for the UX.

Table of Contents
Overview
Process
—Research
—Define
—Design
—Test
Conclusion

Define

Objective: Create a streamlined and engaging user flow that minimizes setup time and encourages quick engagement with the app’s core features.

Key Problems

Research Insights

Design

Objective: Create a user-friendly interface that simplifies the core functionality while making premium features more enticing and accessible.

Brainstorming/Sketching
I collaborated with stakeholders to explore solutions, such as better partner-matching algorithms and more interactive scheduling tools. Then I sketched rough wireframes of an enhanced onboarding process, clearer partner profiles, and highlighted premium features.

Prototyping & User Flow Improvements
I then created interactive prototypes to test the flow and usability of redesigned features. As always, I prioritized simplicity and clarity in the design to reduce drop-offs during onboarding and feature navigation.

Result
These new and improved designs made onboarding a smoother process, improved match scheduling, and highlighted premium features much more effectively. Early testing showed users found the new scheduling tool intuitive and convenient, with many expressing excitement about its seamless functionality. These updates also showed early signs of boosting user engagement and premium feature adoption for TennisPal.

Test

Objective: Validate the redesigned features and identify additional refinements through user testing and feedback.

Usability Testing
Conducted in-person tests with recreational and competitive players to evaluate the ease of finding partners and scheduling matches. Feedback led to changes like adding clearer filters and improving calendar functionality.

A/B Testing
Compared the new onboarding flow with the original to measure the increase in completed sign-ups. Also tested variations of premium feature promotions to see which messaging resonated most with users.

Surveys/Feedback
Distributed follow-up surveys to testers, focusing on their satisfaction with the changes and likelihood of upgrading to premium. Positive responses highlighted the improvements to ease of use and feature clarity.

Result
Users reported feeling more confident about finding partners, and the app saw a 25% increase in initial match requests within the first week of onboarding this feature. In addition, subscriptions to TennisPal premium were up over 24% since before the launch.

Reflection

Being an avid tennis player who has personally used this app to find hitting partners, I really enjoyed working on it. This simple yet effective redesign shows the importance of deeply understanding user behavior and pain points from a first-hand perspective. By balancing usability improvements with business goals like premium feature adoption, we were able to improve the overall experience while increasing revenue.

Insights

Clear communication of value and a user-centered approach were critical to the success of this redesign. Users responded positively when premium features were subtly introduced during natural points in the app flow, such as while searching for partners or scheduling matches. This strategy helped increase adoption without disrupting the user experience. By focusing on small but impactful changes, we struck a balance between improving usability and increasing monetization.

Takeaways

This project proved to me the value of blending user needs with business objectives to create meaningful outcomes. By subtly promoting premium features, we encouraged adoption without disrupting the user experience, which was crucial. Early feedback confirmed that even small, targeted improvements, such as streamlining match scheduling, can significantly enhance usability. Working on the UX of an app that I personally use made me realize the importance of empathetic design and thoughtful iteration in driving both user satisfaction and sustainable growth.

Table of Contents
Overview
Process
—Research
—Define
—Design
—Test
Conclusion

Background

Saveplates was a social enterprise project aimed at reducing food waste by connecting consumers with local restaurants offering surplus or near-expired food at discounted prices. With a twofold mission to reduce food waste and provide affordable meals, Saveplates aimed to create an impact on both the environment and community.As the founding designer, I collaborated with a few developers over the course of a year to conceptualize an app that would allow consumers to purchase high-quality meals at reduced prices, giving unsold food a second chance while helping restaurants boost revenue. The mission was to reduce food waste and work toward ending world hunger, providing a win-win scenario for restaurants and budget-conscious diners alike.

Challenge

Many restaurants face the issue of wasted food at the end of each day, while consumers are looking for budget-friendly meal options. The challenge was to design a platform that would bridge this gap, allowing users to easily access affordable meals while helping restaurants minimize waste and increase their revenue.

Goals

Our primary objective with Saveplates was to build an accessible and practical platform that catered to the unique needs of both consumers and restaurants, while advancing a social mission. Specifically, we focused on:

Solution

I designed Saveplates as a mobile app that allowed consumers to browse, reserve, and pick up affordable surplus food from participating restaurants. Simple navigation and user-friendly interfaces made it easy for users to find deals and for restaurants to list items. This offered a win-win model where food was rescued from waste, and both users and restaurants benefited financially.

Table of Contents
Overview
Process
—Research
—Define
—Design
—Test
Conclusion

Research

Objective: Understand the complexities of food waste and the habits of potential users, which was essential to creating a valuable, socially impactful app like Saveplates. I conducted in-depth research to uncover pain points for both consumers and restaurant owners, examining their motivations, behaviors, and challenges around food waste and discounted dining.

Table of Contents
Overview
Process
—Research
—Define
—Design
—Test
Conclusion

Quantitative Survey of Restaurant OwnersTo understand the restaurant perspective, I collected survey responses from restaurant managers and owners. This helped identify key motivators for using such an app, like revenue recovery from unsold inventory and reducing waste costs. Feedback then guided features like easy meal listing and flexible pricing options, which were designed to make participation both appealing and practical for busy restaurant teams.

Qualitative Observational ResearchTo gain a deeper understanding of food waste practices, I conducted observational research at local restaurants and dining halls on college campuses. This offered valuable insights into how food surplus and near-expired items were managed throughout the day. Watching how staff interact with surplus food and noting the timing of food disposal patterns helped identify when waste was most likely to occur. By observing these patterns we hoped to identify the best times to offer deals and best align our app with user demand and restaurant needs.

User Interviews
I conducted interviews with potential users, including college students, budget-conscious consumers, and environmentally-minded individuals, to explore their motivations and expectations. These conversations shed light on the importance of affordability and convenience, as well as the appeal of contributing to a cause like reducing food waste. They also guide which features would be prioritized in v1.

Competitive Audit
I analyzed the strengths, weaknesses, and unique approaches of four leading apps in the food surplus and waste reduction market. By comparing key features, user experience, and positioning, I identified gaps and opportunities for Saveplates to stand out. These insights guided our strategy in order to increase accessibility and appeal.

Define

Objective: Articulate the specific needs, challenges, and expectations of Saveplates’ target users. By framing user stories, creating journey maps, and developing an information architecture, we hoped to refine the app's structure and flows to maximize its ease of use and effectiveness in reducing food waste.

Key Problems

Research Insights

1. Cost-Conscious Student

2. Busy Working Professional

3. Eco-Conscious Parent

4. Restaurant Owner

Design

Objective: Translate user insights and initial ideas into a functional, visually appealing app experience that aligns with Saveplates' mission to reduce food waste.

Brainstorming/Sketching
To kick off the design process, I started with brainstorming sessions to explore possible solutions for key user needs. I sketched out initial concepts focusing on the core user flows, like searching for meals, filtering options, and the checkout process. These sketches allowed me to experiment with different layouts and interaction ideas quickly, helping visualize a seamless experience for both consumers and restaurants.

Story Boarding
To capture the user experience in more depth, I created storyboards that mapped out key moments in a user's journey. Storyboarding helped me identify any gaps in the journey and made sure that the design captured the convenience and value that Saveplates aimed to deliver.

Wireflows

High-Fidelity Prototyping
After incorporating feedback from the first round of testing, I refined the prototypes into high-fidelity versions that included real content, visuals, and interactivity. The goal was to simulate a near-final experience so users could provide more detailed feedback on design elements and functionality for two slightly different concepts.

Test

Objective: Validate the effectiveness and usability of the Saveplates app with real users so that we know the design is intuitive, functional, and aligns with user needs. Through testing with diverse groups, we hoped to gather insights to guide improvements, ultimately creating a seamless experience that encouraged regular app engagement.

Usability Testing
To assess specific design elements, we conducted A/B testing with different versions of key screens, such as the meal selection and checkout pages. Participants were shown alternative layouts and features to gauge which version facilitated quicker navigation and a more enjoyable experience. This testing helped us identify which design choices led to higher engagement and a smoother user flow, allowing us to make data-driven design decisions.

Surveys/Feedback
We also used surveys and post-test interviews to collect feedback from users about their overall experience with the app. Users shared insights on what they found easy or challenging, as well as suggestions for additional features they would find valuable. This qualitative data was helpful in understanding how well Saveplates resonated with users and guided future iterations.

Reflection

Reflecting on Saveplates, I’m proud of the progress we made in bringing awareness to the issue of food waste and designing a solution for real social issue. Despite not securing funding to bring the app to market, the experience taught me a lot about the challenges and rewards of creating a social enterprise. Working on a mission-driven project like this was deeply motivating as it aligned with my values around sustainability and community support.

Insights

Starting an app from scratch exposed the unique challenges of early-stage product development, especially with limited resources. I learned the importance of prioritizing core features, managing scope, and making strategic design choices that would resonate with multiple stakeholders.

Takeaways

Saveplates reinforced my love for user-centered design, especially when it comes to mission-focused products. I learned how essential it is to validate concepts through direct user research and to be flexible when iterating based on feedback. This project taught me the importance of aligning design decisions with user motivations and market gaps, a lesson I’ll carry into future projects.

Table of Contents
Overview
Process
—Research
—Define
—Design
—Test
Conclusion

Background

Pogoseat is a mobile ticketing platform designed to enhance the live event experience by allowing users to seamlessly upgrade their seats at the beginning of or during events. Founded with the vision of transforming how fans engage with live entertainment, Pogoseat aims to provide real-time ticketing solutions that cater to sports, concerts, and other live performances.In 2014, I guided the redesign of Pogoseat as Lead Product Designer. The app was initially launched to enhance the experience of fans at concerts and sports events, but user feedback revealed several pain points that hindered its effectiveness and ability to gain traction. My primary goal was to improve the user experience by streamlining the ticket-purchasing and seat-upgrade processes. By making the app more intuitive and personalized, I hoped to increase user engagement and ultimately boost revenue for the early stage startup.

Challenge

As I explored the existing app, it became clear that users found the app’s navigation unintuitive and struggled to access the seat upgrade feature at critical moments during live events. This complexity led to frustration and a drop-off in engagement, user abandonment, and potential loss of revenue.

Goals

The primary goals of the redesign were to significantly enhance the overall user experience, focusing on usability and accessibility. Specifically, we aimed to:

Solution

To address these challenges, we embarked on a comprehensive redesign of the app, starting with user interviews, observations, and surveys to get a better understanding of their frustrations. We defined user personas and mapped out their journeys to identify where things went wrong. Then, I collaborated with the team to brainstorm ideas, creating wireframes, journey maps, and prototypes to visualize our plans. The redesigned app featured clearer navigation, easier access to seat upgrades, and personalized recommendations based on user behavior. I worked closely with the development team to ensure the final product matched our vision and provided a smoother, more enjoyable experience.

Table of Contents
Overview
Process
—Research
—Define
—Design
—Test
—Deliver
Conclusion

+42%

Increase in user engagement

+21%

Increase in user engagement

+37%

Adoption of new features

-26%

Decrease in user abandonment

Research

Objective: In this stage we sought to empathize with users by revealing pain points and gathering insights into the current app's limitations. To do so we used the following research methods:

User Interviews
To deeply understand the frustrations users were encountering, I conducted interviews with existing Pogoseat users. The goal here was to capture real-world insights on how they interacted with the app, what their primary pain points were, and where they felt the app was falling short, particularly during high-pressure moments at live events.

User Surveys
Along with interviews, we conducted user surveys to gather broader feedback about their experiences with Pogoseat. This allowed us to quantify which areas were most problematic for the majority of users, especially around seat upgrades and general navigation, and to explore what additional features users might find valuable, such as recommendations based on their behavior.

Table of Contents
Overview
Process
—Research
—Define
—Design
—Test
—Deliver
Conclusion

Define

Objective: In this stage the goal was to define the key issues with the existing design and map out a plan for improvement. We started by synthesizing the research data collected in the previous step to identify the key problems that we will attempt to solve with the redesign.

Key Problems

Research Insights

Journey Mapping
In this journey map, I outlined the experience of the "Avid Concert Goer" persona, capturing each step they take from first discovering Pogoseat to becoming a loyal advocate. The map illustrates their journey through awareness, onboarding, and general use, highlighting how Pogoseat addresses their needs, emotions, and potential frustrations at each touchpoint.

Design

Objective: Here the goal is to brainstorm potential design solutions which can address the identified issues and then build interactive prototypes to begin testing the new design with users to gauge its effectiveness as early as possible.

Ideation
With a clear understanding of user challenges, we conducted brainstorming sessions to generate ideas for improving the app’s usability. The objective was to explore different approaches that could make the navigation more intuitive, particularly focusing on how to bring the seat upgrade feature to the forefront without cluttering the interface.

Low-Fidelity Prototypes
Using tools like Balsamiq and Sketch, I developed basic, clickable wireframes to test our initial ideas with real users. The objective here was to gather early feedback on the new user flows and make sure they resonated with users before moving onto more polished designs.

High-Fidelity Prototypes
After incorporating feedback from the first round of testing, I refined the prototypes into high-fidelity versions that included real content, visuals, and interactivity. The goal was to simulate a near-final experience so users could provide more detailed feedback on design elements and functionality.

Test

Objective: Validate the final design by testing it with real users and making sure it meets their needs effectively. By gathering actionable feedback at this stage, we can make subtle tweaks to the design if necessary to improve usability and identify any remaining issues before full-scale deployment.

Usability Testing
The primary objective of usability testing was to observe how users interacted with the new design in a real-world context. We focused on whether users could easily navigate to the seat upgrade feature and complete their purchase in fewer steps. We also hoped to uncover any lingering issues that might not have surfaced in earlier phases.

Accessibility Testing
This important aspect of the testing process to ensure the product is intuitive, user-friendly, and accessible to all users, including those with disabilities or impairments.

A/B Testing
We conducted A/B tests to compare the original app with the redesigned version and to test small variations within the new app. Our objective was to track quantitative metrics like engagement rates, time spent in-app, and successful seat upgrades. These insights allowed us to measure the redesign’s impact and provided data-driven direction for future design decisions.

Iterations
Based on the data and feedback from both usability and A/B testing, we continued to refine the design. The objective was to fine-tune smaller details, like button placement and visual hierarchy, that could further improve the user experience without overhauling the core structure we had established.

Deliver

Objective: Now is the time to finalize the design and collaborate with the development team to prepare for launch.

Design handoff
I delivered comprehensive design specs to the development team, including detailed interaction flows, visual assets, and style guide. The goal was for a seamless transition from design to development by providing the necessary guidance and resources needed to bring the new app to life.

Collaboration
Throughout this phase I worked closely with the developers to troubleshoot any technical challenges that arose. I made sure that the final product matched the high-fidelity prototypes and remained true to the original vision while maintaining functionality and performance.

Technical testing
The final stage of testing to ensure there are no compromises in design before the final development of the app is ready to launch.

Post-Launch Monitoring
After the redesign went live, I continued to track key metrics to measure the impact of our work, including a 40% increase in user engagement and a 20% boost in revenue. In addition to quantitative data, we established a continuous feedback mechanism to capture user insights directly from app store reviews, surveys, and customer support channels. This allowed us to stay informed of any new or recurring issues, as well as gather suggestions for potential feature enhancements.

Reflection

In the end, the Pogoseat redesign had a significant impact with users, immediately boosting user engagement and revenue. A memorable moment during the project came when a user shared how their effortless seat upgrade completely changed their night seeing their favorite band in concert. Hearing how our efforts improved a real-world experience was a reminder of why I love what I do.

Insights

This project reinforced the importance of understanding user needs deeply before redesigning the experience. By addressing specific pain points and providing real solutions we were able to make a meaningful improvement to how users experience the app. It also highlighted how valuable early and frequent user feedback is throughout the design process in creating the solution truly aligns with user expectations.

Takeaways

The Pogoseat redesign continues to influence how I approach UX projects today. It taught me that user-centered design, clear communication, and collaboration are key to building successful products. Whether refining the user journey or working closely with developers, every detail matters when it comes to creating a seamless and impactful experience for users.

Table of Contents
Overview
Process
—Research
—Define
—Design
—Test
—Deliver
Conclusion

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