Dan Lutger, UXC

UX Designer • Product Designer • User Researcher • Chicago, IL, US

UI/UX Design

User-Centered Design

Design Thinking

Product Design

Design Systems

UX Strategy

UX research

User Flows

Figma

Product Strategy

Heuristic Evaluation

Available for hire fromNegotiable

Contracts

Creative Founding Designer and Principal-level Design Lead with a passion for driving the delivery of best-in-class user experiences

A dynamic, visionary design organization leader known for propelling the creation of exceptional UX architecture and product design, I coach and direct teams in top-tier UX/UI and product developments in alignment with unique user needs. Known for my ability to shape and launch all-new design groups within already established organizations, I empower companies to elevate their performance and reputation through improved user experiences, embedding cultures of design thinking to catalyze results. To learn more about my history of Principal-level design leadership and stellar user-centric outcomes, or to discover how my skillset could support your brand’s needs and goals, reach out to me today.

Projects

The Future of Steel

The way people buy steel today is mostly through disparate email threads and phone conversations. I designed the Felux Buyer Procurement Platform (BPP) for Tesla and Felux’s other most demanding members, to organize and automatically analyze all quotes received in a single place.See More

SmartDogs

A brief overview of one of the last features I designed for the Label Insight platform. It also included a complementary feature design for the Consumer Brands Association platform, SmartLabel. And it helps dogs!See More

Work History

Senior UX/UI Product Designer

FeluxSep 2020 - Feb 2023 • 2 yrs 6 mosIn this recent role, I shaped and led the UI product design function, embedding a culture of product design thinking to elevate outcomes. Collaborating across all business units and stakeholders, I steered the creation of stellar, user-centric experiences across all products, elevating product offerings through a cohesive brand vision. • Steered multiple design product iterations, leading external design team in the full project lifecycle across multiple releases. • As first product hire, spearheaded the architecting of the full scope of product design strategy and operational culture. • Recruited a secondary Senior UX/UI Product Designer, providing mentorship, coaching, and direction on all design priorities and activities. • Activated a comprehensive redesign of all consumer-facing assets, advancing UX/UI to deliver cutting-edge user platform and experiences. • Headed marketing and rebranding initiatives, enhancing creative output through expert vision and strategy. • Served as product design SME, leading the development of competitive internal practices and dynamic product hire strategies to optimize product outcomes.

Senior Design Manager

Label Insight, IncNov 2013 - Jul 2020 • 6 yrs 9 mosDuring this time, I directed the team in the full stack design of user experience, design, systems, and component libraries, leading UX product design in alignment with cutting-edge industry standards. • Propelled large-scale company growth, scaling operations to deliver on ambitious UX objectives. • Defined design team structure and framework, unifying UX product operations under a common brand vision and mission. • Fostered a values-driven company culture, elevating performance through morale and engagement initiatives. • Propelled transformative company growth, expanding from 4 to 140 people and raising ARR from zero to $12M, establishing company as a dynamic competitive force. • Recruited, hired, and directed a top-talent design team and Summer Design Interns, shaping driven cultures of design thinking and excellence to propel achievements. • Co-led SmartLabel UX working group, partnering with top consumer packaged goods companies, regulatory bodies, and stakeholders to design and launch North American SmartLabel features and standards. • Championed culture development and strengthening across the organization, setting brand mission statement and leading enterprise-wide meetings/events to foster engagement.

Product Design Manager | Front End Engineer | Creative Director

Label Insight, IncOct 2008 - Nov 2013 • 5 yrs 2 mosIn this capacity with Label Insight, I propelled the company through two major rebrands, comprehensively redesigning business design systems and style guides to transform reputation and customer opinion. • Partnered with leadership and stakeholders to shape and implement flagship products and iterations, advancing brand offerings to capitalize on new market opportunities. • Helmed the launch of the initial SmartLabelTM template, directing front end engineering of all internal/external mobile and desktop products to meet customer demand. • Contributed to company evolution from FoodEssentials and EatingSafe to Label Insight, revitalizing offerings and brand image for optimal outcomes. • Captained remote development of internal product assortment and consumer-facing food scanning/recommendation apps, delivering seamless comparison and analysis capabilities for the consumer through flagship product platform. • Earned recognition in Gizmodo "This Week's Best iPhone Apps" for the FoodEssentials Scanner (March 2010), elevating brand reputation through consumer-driven innovation. Additional experience: Luku Rocks Photography & Design | Brandwand Media | up/dn Media Group, Inc. Web Developer | UX Product Designer | Animator UBS Investment Bank | Perot Systems (Contracted to UBS) Associate Director | Source Code Administrator

Education

University of Illinois at Chicago

Bachelor Degree, Photography / Film / Electronic VisualizationAug 1991 - Jun 1995

How Pangea Works

Effortlessly discover top talent

We’ve distilled the candidate search from endless hours down to just a few minutes. Using Pangea’s AI-powered search tools, you can find top fractional talent able to take on your next project. Our system looks at your company’s niche and your needs to find the perfect match faster than any traditional hiring platform.

Start working with talent today

The top talent on Pangea is ready to get started with you right now. You can message or hire a candidate right from their profile page and start assigning work as soon as they respond. And the best part? Pangea’s fractional contract structure lets you start small and ramp up as your needs change, keeping your costs manageable and your team’s capabliities flexible.

Track work and invoices in one place

Assign tasks, track progress, and complete invoices all on Pangea. We’ve combined every part of the hiring process into one platform to eliminate the miscommunication that’s unavoidable on other freelance platforms. We even send out 1099s to your contractors at the end of the year!

Talk with a Talent Expert

Members of our team are available to help you speed through the hiring process.

Available Now

Book a Call