Pukka: 0→1 Mobile Wellness App

I founded design for a wellness coaching app that brought Ayurveda to western markets, working with Unilever's tea brand Pukka. Despite 5+ major pivots through native mobile intno a web app and working across 4 time zones, we launched an MVP in just 3 months that achieved 72% user wellness satisfaction and drove a 3x increase in tea purchases—proving that behavioral design can deliver both human impact and business results.

0-1 Product Strategy & Discovery

Unilever/Pukka wanted to bring Ayurvedic wellness to 35-year-old women in major US cities who practiced yoga. I led design thinking sprints while partnering on user research to find product-market fit.

Discovery revealed four user segments (chronic illness, new/expecting moms, career transitions, general wellness) with a crucial insight: users who felt better after 2-4 weeks were the ones who sustained long-term habit changes.

Rapid Iteration in Ambiguity

We tested habit tracking, educational courses, coaching, and tea sales. Habit tracking won with users, but the business model didn't work. Coaching showed decent interest with much better economics, so we pivoted hard.

5+ major pivots: Native app → mobile web for speed, habit tracking → coaching marketplace, static forms → guided wizard experience.

Mobile-First Design Execution

I designed core flows (registration → Dosha quiz → coach matching → habit tracking → tea purchase) for native mobile then created visual designs inspired by Ayurvedic principles.

For MVP launch, I adapted coach matching to mobile web for faster market validation.

Design That Performs

Launch showed 52% wellness satisfaction—4 out of 5 users were confused about Ayurveda despite coaching. I redesigned onboarding with guided wizards, progress visualization, and goal-setting explanations.

Results: 72% wellness satisfaction (exceeding 70% business threshold) and 3x tea purchase increase. Proved that behavioral design drives both wellness outcomes and business growth through authentic human connection.

Argo Insurance: 0→1 InsurTech Feature Design

I led design for a B2B2C insurance quick-quote web app for construction-site insurance that streamlined complex underwriting workflows for specialty insurance products. Through behavioral design and cross-functional collaboration on a scrum team (PM, eng, design (me)), I reduced underwriter strain from 60% to 5% while enabling broker self-service that cut call-ins by 55%, proving that thoughtful UX can transform both internal efficiency and customer experience.

User Research: B2B SaaS Workflow Analysis

Underwriters were drowning in manual processes while brokers constantly called for quote assistance to customize quotes (60% of quotes).

The VP of Underwriting asked our team to work on this problem, so the PM and I ran user research— interviews and on-site observational, contextual inquiries—to uncover user pains, needs, and behaviors around customization in order to automate underwriters’ manual, time-consuming customizations.

Cross-Functional Workshops to Define the Problem

I led cross-functional workshops with our engineers, product manager, and business stakeholders to build the insights from user research to a mental model the team could use through object-oriented design. Knowing I had highly technical teammates, I wanted to create familiarity and promote engagement




“The team exercises Mark led were honestly fun, and
they helped my brain slow down to think about the
user, which really helped dismantle assumptions I
didn't even know I had.“ 

–Toby Jackson, Lead Engineer

Wireframing the Solution

Working through the complex insurance logic, I created detailed wireframes for the self-service quote customization flow. The key was breaking down what used to require phone calls into digestible, progressive steps that brokers could navigate independently.

Design Systems Collaboration

Since the opportunity came up in wireframing, I spearheaded a notification component redesign project, leading the design system team through gathering use cases and creating scalable patterns. Working with 4 fellow designers, I pulled atomic elements from our UI kit to mock up a full set of notifications that could work across different contexts, including the quick-quote tool. This collaborative approach meant we could move quickly while maintaining consistency across both broker-facing and internal tools.

Launch & Impact Measurement

We launched the self-service feature after 6 months of iterative design and testing. The behavioral design focused on progressive disclosure—complex insurance logic presented in digestible steps.

Results: Reduced underwriter strain from 60% to 5% post-release while cutting broker call-ins by 55%. This freed underwriters to focus on writing better insurance policies instead of handling routine modifications.

Shimmer: 0→1 AR iOS Retail App

I joined FlyBy Media, an early-stage computer vision startup as their second design hire to prove our patent-pending image recognition technology through a consumer AR shopping app. I designed 5 core user flows, net-new AR interaction patterns, and in-store navigation features that would validate the tech's real-world reliability. These user experiences ultimately contributed to Apple's acquiring us for our computer vision technology for their first self-driving cars.

MVP Core Flow: Unlocking Brand Stories by Scanning Products In-Store

After tapping a product in the feed, the user is either shown directions to the store, or if beacon tech determines they are in-store, they are met with an in-store map that helps them find the product. They can then "unlock" the item, allowing them to consume the media/story behind the product.

Key Feature: In-Store Navigation & In-App Apple Maps

I partnered with engineers to define requirements for an in-store mapping system that used beacon technology to detect when users entered partner stores. Using Apple Maps as the design basis promoted ease-of-use among our iPhone users—the experience seamlessly integrated with embedded Apple Maps to help you find the store, then switched to our custom map once inside.

Our reps would scan the inside of partnering stores, and the system would load using map elements from the design system I developed. This spatial design work proved our computer vision could handle complex, real-world retail environments beyond simple product recognition.

Post-Launch Iteration: In-App Rewards for Product Discounts

After launch, we received feedback that indicated users felt a lack of value in the core unlock-flow. I partnered with our sales and marketing team and brainstormed ideas. I proposed that the app provide QR code-based discounts as a reward for using the app to unlock stories. We decided to move forward with that idea. 

Tech Validation & Strategic Impact

Rather than traditional e-commerce conversion metrics, success was measured by engagement data that proved our computer vision technology worked reliably in real-world conditions. High session lengths and product recognition accuracy rates demonstrated the tech was ready for larger applications.

The validation worked—Apple acquired our computer vision technology and integrated it into their self-driving car program. Our consumer app had successfully proven that the underlying technology could handle the complex visual recognition challenges needed for self-driving cars.

Valon Mortgage: Fintech Startup Founding User Research

🙋‍♂️ While I can only share a sample of this work publicly, please contact me if you’d like to see more

-- 

Discover how I transformed UX maturity within Valon Mortgage by developing foundational research processes. My leadership in assessing UX maturity and founding user research led to increased confidence in user research, empathy for users, and an enhanced ability to affect product decisions.

I started at Valon as a designer embedded in a product team that, while ambitious, was rife with hurdles to execution that meant a slow speed-to-market. For me that meant an opportunity; free time. I used that time to partner with leadership and ask “What would you like to see more of at this company?” The answer was user research.

But where to start? Leading the design team in a company-wide assessment, we evaluated the UX maturity of the organization to establish a baseline using an existing framework from the N/N Group. From there we were able to set a vision for the future state.

To lead execution of the newly minted research work, I stepped into the role of founding user researcher. I then led the designers in developing foundational research processes, artifacts, & documents, including customer journey maps, personas, a research repository, a research wiki, and more.

Overall, the work was a success in helping our organization to become more UX-mature. Running a follow-up assessment, we learrned the broader team reported more confidence, literacy, and empathy for our users, while the designers reported a greatly enhanced ability to affect fundamental product decisions using research as evidence.

“Kena: Bridge of Spirits”: Game UI Refresh (Fan Redesign)

“Kena: Bridge of Spirits” is a stunningly beautiful game and one that is near and dear to my heart. Created by the ex-Pixar artists at Ember Labs, I absolutely love this game and so enjoy getting lost in the Shinto-inspired world the creators made. 

But while the world & character design is mint, the UI is unfortunately not in the same league. Inconsistent visuals and unclear art direction create a lackluster UI that sticks out like a sore thumb against the simple, natural Zen-like visuals of the rest of the game.

I decided to redesign the UI and in the process discovered an opportunity to push the overall art direction in a way that prioritizes immersion into the natural settings of the game. This is a work in progress and is an ever evolving project.

From the UX to the 3D imagery* itself, I tackle a lot of different disciplines with this project. Join me in exploring how this already gorgeous game can go all the way.

*Midjourney.com and Runway.ml AI image & motion generation tools used to create some 3D scenes

Adding Depth & Drama

While the austere nature of a game that deals with Japanese Shinto spirit guides provides a solid baseline, there’s a missed opportunity for drama and depth. What makes a (good) Pixar film great isn’t just the delightful characters and animation, but the impact of a meaningful story. While Kena certainly has the ingredients, it often plays it too safe. See how I introduce more drama through visuals and more robust storytelling.

As a way to deepen the connection between the player and the story, I’ve introduced the idea of having more establishing sequences in the early-game to help the player develop a relationship to Kena and the other characters.

Let’s see how we can take that depth and apply it through other aspects of the art direction and visuals.

The previous Title Screen, while quite beautiful and serene, misses the opportunity to showcase the main character. Early in the game’s development, the team was unsure about whether to focus on Kena as the protagonist or rather to focus on the Rot (the cute little round spirits). Remnants of this conflicted direction show up in a few places, the Title Screen being one.

In the redesign, we establish from the get-go the sense of Kena’s epic journey, humble as it may be in tone.

In the original game, milestones and transitions to new chapters tend to go under the radar, when in reality something important had just happened in the players journey. To develop that sense, I chose to lean into the sprawling landscapes and dramatize the somber mysticism already present.

Creating Immersive In-Game UI

The in-game UI, while quite minimal, lacks a clear direction and is often inelegant. The menu, and map, pulls you out of the game into a totally disconnected full-screen UI. This is pretty common practice in games, but as a matter of personal preference I love when everything feels integrated and keeps me as a player immersed.

In the redesign, Kena pulls the map out of her bag in a quick transition into an map view that maintains environmental context. This emphasizes the sense of exploring in a lost forest, while also highlighting the inappropriateness of opening the map mid-battle.

The map itself has also been redesigned to emphasize clarity, with an eye towards priority user actions—firstly, navigation to quest objectives and secondly tracking collectibles. I’ve also reworked the layout and architecture to free up space and put focus back on the map, not on the overlays.

More intuitive navigation means the player can focus on immersion more with each in-game discovery. This extends to battle which has seen a few tweaks to fit better artistically. 

In addition to upgraded visuals for health bars, the ability meter (Rot Actions) has also been integrated into Kena’s health bar. The fan-celebrated UI minimalism is maintained, while effects like a glowing health bar that indicates charged abilities can push the arresting sense of an epic battle replete with swells of intensity.

Using the battle health bars as inspiration, I also redesigned the Rot progress bar.

In lieu of experience gained from combat, progress in “Kena: Bridge of Spirits” is rewarded through the accumulation of Rot, culminating in Rot Level Upgrades. Given that the average player will only experience 3 or 4 Rot Level upgrades, the moment should be visually pretty special. However, currently it’s somewhat unceremonious and visually sloppy. In the redesign, Kena’s body glows as the Rot gather around her, a haptic response accompanies a gentle shockwave as the new, stylish UI fades in and announces the upgrade.

After levleling up and gathering Karma to spend on abilities, upgrading Kena’s powers is a well-earned reward in the gameplay experience. I redesigned that screen as well to bring the UI in line with the new art direction, including placing the screen in the world as a stone tablet Kena quickly pulls out of her bag. The UX is also more streamlined making the icons easier to read and the overall layout cleaner and more intuitive.

Style Guide