Top Talent like Marcel are on Pangea

Pangea, a YC company, connects companies with fractional talent. Fractional hiring allows companies to move faster and work with more specialized talent, while giving talent more flexibility and independence. If you are talent open to fractional work, apply here. If you’re a company looking for high-quality fractional talent, learn more here.

Marcel Akiyama

Product Designer
Cruzeiro do Sul, AC, BR
Prototyping
Heuristic Evaluation
Usability Testing
Available for hire fromNegotiable
Contracts
Senior Product Designer | UX Strategist & Research-to-Action Leader | Design Systems & Product Strategy
Senior product designer with a strategic mindset, with over a decade of experience in UI design for mobile and web platforms. Solid foundation in design principles, design systems, and three years of experience in UX research informed by psychology. I’ve led cross-functional teams, shaped product strategy, and turned research into actionable design decisions that drive business outcomes. I also bring practical front-end coding collaboration experience to help translate design systems into real implementations and accelerate delivery.

Work History

F

Senior Product Designer

Freelancer
A

Director of Design (Interim)

AlpacaJan 2022 - Jun 2022 • 6 mosLed a newly formed design team during a critical growth phase, scaling design operations to support rapid expansion and aligning design efforts with strategic business objectives. Spearheaded a brand refresh and repositioning Alpaca as a developer-first API brokerage platform, creating a modern, cohesive identity that resonated with fintech startups and hedge funds. This contributed to Alpaca’s 1500% growth in funded accounts from 2022. Increased workflow efficiency by implementing a scalable design system, streamlining collaboration, and reducing redundancy across teams. Played a pivotal role in enhancing user experiences and driving developer adoption, supporting Alpaca’s mission to democratize access to financial markets.
A

Senior Product Designer

AlpacaJan 2022 - Jun 2022 • 6 mosLed a newly formed design team during a critical growth phase; developed a cohesive design strategy and improved team performance. Managed and mentored the design team, established OKRs and KPIs, and executed comprehensive design strategies. Increased workflow efficiency by implementing a design system and launched a refreshed brand identity, boosting user engagement and improving brand positioning.
A

UX Designer, UX Researcher

AlpacaJul 2021 - Jan 2022 • 7 mosRepositioned Alpaca as a developer-first API brokerage platform service by leading content strategy, information architecture, and website redesign, creating a clear, developer-focused narrative and intuitive user journeys. Conducted comprehensive UX research to identify pain points and align design decisions with business goals, ensuring the website effectively communicated Alpaca’s value proposition. Improved navigation and content discoverability by implementing information architecture strategies, including site mapping and tools like UXtweak, resulting in increased user engagement and satisfaction. Redesigned the website to reflect Alpaca’s technical sophistication and scalability, enhancing the experience for developers and institutional clients. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to align the redesign with broader business objectives.
D

Senior Product Designer

Digicro Pte LtdApr 2019 - May 2020 • 1 yr 2 mosImproved user experience and financial literacy among users to reduce default rates. Conducted extensive user research and implemented targeted design solutions. High default rates on smart loan applications were impacting business growth. Reduced default rates from 57% to 16%, significantly improving the financial health of the user base.
P

Product Designer

Please.comSep 2018 - Dec 2018 • 4 mosLed rapid iterations in crafting process flows, wireframes, and other low-fidelity artifacts. Collaborated closely with product managers to define and research requirements, ensuring they were accurately captured and translated into cohesive design concepts.
I

Product Designer

Ikkyo TechnologyOct 2014 - Feb 2016 • 1 yr 5 mosDefined the UX vision and strategy company-wide, collaborating with leadership to shape and execute the end-to-end customer experience. Infused the culture with a design-thinking mindset to address business, product, and user challenges. Designed the Capitalico/AlpacaAlgo MVP from the ground up; contributed to ML/DL/CV solutions for clients and helped define the company’s mission and vision.
M

Product Designer

Mobigraph IncFeb 2013 - Oct 2014 • 1 yr 9 mosDefined product experience, interface, and brand/marketing strategy. Created user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and detailed UI specifications. Played a key role in hiring to drive project progress and set foundations for future products. Collaborated in developing Qugo & Xpresso, acquired by Samsung and rebranded as Emotify, now available on all Samsung India devices.
K

Graphic Designer, Web Designer

KultvarMar 2006 - Jan 2009 • 2 yrs 11 mosProvided branding and design solutions for SMEs across Japan and Brazil. Developed visual identities, logos, typography, and color schemes; designed responsive websites focused on usability and user experience.
D

Art Director

DentsuJan 2007 - Feb 2008 • 1 yr 2 mosIntroduced expert art direction to creative projects, ensuring high-quality visual execution across all media and campaigns. Provided direction and feedback on design work and explored new media formats.

Education

I

IxDF - The Interaction Design Foundation

Professional Education, User Experience and Interaction Design2018 - 2019
O

OPET / Grupo Educacional Opet

Associate Degree, Information Technology2000 - 2023

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
Senior Product Designer | UX Strategist & Research-to-Action Leader | Design Systems & Product Strategy
Senior product designer with a strategic mindset, with over a decade of experience in UI design for mobile and web platforms. Solid foundation in design principles, design systems, and three years of experience in UX research informed by psychology. I’ve led cross-functional teams, shaped product strategy, and turned research into actionable design decisions that drive business outcomes. I also bring practical front-end coding collaboration experience to help translate design systems into real implementations and accelerate delivery.

Talk with a Talent Expert

Members of our team are available to help you speed through the hiring process.
Available Now
Book a Call

Top Talent like Marcel are on Pangea

Pangea, a YC company, connects companies with fractional talent. Fractional hiring allows companies to move faster and work with more specialized talent, while giving talent more flexibility and independence. If you are talent open to fractional work, apply here. If you’re a company looking for high-quality fractional talent, learn more here.

Marcel Akiyama

Product Designer
Cruzeiro do Sul, AC, BR
Prototyping
Heuristic Evaluation
Usability Testing
Available for hire fromNegotiable
Contracts

Work History

F

Senior Product Designer

Freelancer
A

Director of Design (Interim)

AlpacaJan 2022 - Jun 2022 • 6 mosLed a newly formed design team during a critical growth phase, scaling design operations to support rapid expansion and aligning design efforts with strategic business objectives. Spearheaded a brand refresh and repositioning Alpaca as a developer-first API brokerage platform, creating a modern, cohesive identity that resonated with fintech startups and hedge funds. This contributed to Alpaca’s 1500% growth in funded accounts from 2022. Increased workflow efficiency by implementing a scalable design system, streamlining collaboration, and reducing redundancy across teams. Played a pivotal role in enhancing user experiences and driving developer adoption, supporting Alpaca’s mission to democratize access to financial markets.
A

Senior Product Designer

AlpacaJan 2022 - Jun 2022 • 6 mosLed a newly formed design team during a critical growth phase; developed a cohesive design strategy and improved team performance. Managed and mentored the design team, established OKRs and KPIs, and executed comprehensive design strategies. Increased workflow efficiency by implementing a design system and launched a refreshed brand identity, boosting user engagement and improving brand positioning.
A

UX Designer, UX Researcher

AlpacaJul 2021 - Jan 2022 • 7 mosRepositioned Alpaca as a developer-first API brokerage platform service by leading content strategy, information architecture, and website redesign, creating a clear, developer-focused narrative and intuitive user journeys. Conducted comprehensive UX research to identify pain points and align design decisions with business goals, ensuring the website effectively communicated Alpaca’s value proposition. Improved navigation and content discoverability by implementing information architecture strategies, including site mapping and tools like UXtweak, resulting in increased user engagement and satisfaction. Redesigned the website to reflect Alpaca’s technical sophistication and scalability, enhancing the experience for developers and institutional clients. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to align the redesign with broader business objectives.
D

Senior Product Designer

Digicro Pte LtdApr 2019 - May 2020 • 1 yr 2 mosImproved user experience and financial literacy among users to reduce default rates. Conducted extensive user research and implemented targeted design solutions. High default rates on smart loan applications were impacting business growth. Reduced default rates from 57% to 16%, significantly improving the financial health of the user base.
P

Product Designer

Please.comSep 2018 - Dec 2018 • 4 mosLed rapid iterations in crafting process flows, wireframes, and other low-fidelity artifacts. Collaborated closely with product managers to define and research requirements, ensuring they were accurately captured and translated into cohesive design concepts.
I

Product Designer

Ikkyo TechnologyOct 2014 - Feb 2016 • 1 yr 5 mosDefined the UX vision and strategy company-wide, collaborating with leadership to shape and execute the end-to-end customer experience. Infused the culture with a design-thinking mindset to address business, product, and user challenges. Designed the Capitalico/AlpacaAlgo MVP from the ground up; contributed to ML/DL/CV solutions for clients and helped define the company’s mission and vision.
M

Product Designer

Mobigraph IncFeb 2013 - Oct 2014 • 1 yr 9 mosDefined product experience, interface, and brand/marketing strategy. Created user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and detailed UI specifications. Played a key role in hiring to drive project progress and set foundations for future products. Collaborated in developing Qugo & Xpresso, acquired by Samsung and rebranded as Emotify, now available on all Samsung India devices.
K

Graphic Designer, Web Designer

KultvarMar 2006 - Jan 2009 • 2 yrs 11 mosProvided branding and design solutions for SMEs across Japan and Brazil. Developed visual identities, logos, typography, and color schemes; designed responsive websites focused on usability and user experience.
D

Art Director

DentsuJan 2007 - Feb 2008 • 1 yr 2 mosIntroduced expert art direction to creative projects, ensuring high-quality visual execution across all media and campaigns. Provided direction and feedback on design work and explored new media formats.

Education

I

IxDF - The Interaction Design Foundation

Professional Education, User Experience and Interaction Design2018 - 2019
O

OPET / Grupo Educacional Opet

Associate Degree, Information Technology2000 - 2023

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
Pangea empowers fractional work across the world for marketing and design roles.