Mari Ettlinger

User-Centered Design

Mobile Design

Desktop Apps

Design Thinking

Product Strategy

Product Design

UI/UX Design

A/B Testing

Available for hire fromNegotiable

Contracts

Seasoned End-to-end, full-stack founding UI/UX product designer building user-centric web & mobile digital products for startups & mid-market scalers.

Product Design expert, leader with a passion for helping startups create products that are user-centric and lead to conversion and engagement. With a background in digital healthcare, fintech and a talent for creating a narrative, I've helped companies across various industries onboard new users and engage recurring users. When I'm not working, you can find me swimming, running, gardening and challenging my knitting acumen.

Projects

Fintech Onboarding

The primary issue encountered was a high user dropout rate during the app's onboarding process, leading to low re-engagement. The onboarding process involved a significant amount of information input from the user and allowed them to participate in risk-free stock selection. To address this, the approach was to gradually introduce information requests in smaller increments after users had become comfortable and understood the benefits, thus avoiding overwhelming first-time users. To tackle this challenge, I conducted an audit and analysis of the existing onboarding process, collaborated with the Product team to understand user engagement in extended workflows, and provided recommendations. Based on this, I created a Product Requirements Document (PRD) and redesigned the user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) of the onboarding experience. I identified potential pain points, improved existing features, and proposed new flows to enhance the overall onboarding experience. The strategic focus was on establishing a reciprocal relationship with users, where they receive value from the app, and in turn, contribute value to the business. This approach aims to increase user engagement and retention.See More

Ride share agent portal for transport of medical patients

Ride share agent portal for transport of medical patients CareCar As a benefit of insurance, CareCar is a growing market network platform and ancillary health services company, working primarily in non-emergency medical transportation. Founded in September 2017, the company operates in of California and North Carolina. When I was brought on, the platform was designed by engineers. The agents had numerous browsers open (Uber, Lyft, CareCar, Patient info/Driver info) and the goal was to aggregate all the browsers into one platform where all of the above was available on one dashboard.See More

AI for Frontline Industrial Workers

RealWear® is the world’s leading provider of assisted reality wearable solutions that engage, empower, and elevate the modern frontline industrial worker to perform work tasks more safely, and with increased efficiency and precision. I took a thorough approach to auditing and redesigning the Speech to Text Productivity app. I started by creating a sitemap, capturing screenshots of each stage in the user flow. This helped me visualize the entire app structure. Next, I conducted a detailed audit, breaking down the user flow into three main silos: UX, UI, and visual design/content. By comparing each element against the Product Requirements Document (PRD) provided by the PM, I could identify what was working well and what needed improvement. This allowed me to make specific recommendations on leveraging the strengths of the existing app. To gain further insights, I collaborated with the PM/Founder. I asked for their top use cases, focusing on improving comprehension and encouraging engagement with the app. Their input was valuable in aligning the redesign with the app's purpose and users' needs. When it came to the Speech to Text functionality, I prioritized design considerations. I ensured that the microphone button had enough space around it, preventing unintended commands when pressed. Additionally, I emphasized the importance of incorporating robust Natural Language Processing (NLP) capabilities to understand different dialects in loud environments. Recognizing the diverse user base, I provided options for users to choose their native language and facilitated translation if necessary. This approach aimed to enhance accessibility and inclusivity for all users. Overall, my redesigned app reflects a comprehensive understanding of the original requirements, user needs, and the significance of thoughtful design choices. By combining these elements, I aimed to create a more efficient and user-friendly, instinctual native app.See More

Work History

Principal Product Designer

MEDDMy own consultancy. Services include auditing current design systems, product design, UX/UI, strategy, creating design systems and best practices processes for client’s product teams. Identifying the gaps that prevent conversion, recommending tactical strategies, assessing PRDs, building wireframes and designing low and high fidelity visual comps. Industries include but aren’t limited to: Healthcare, eCommerce, payment platforms, dual user marketplaces, real estate, education, fintech, pharmaceutical, prenatal care, stock photography, project management, publishing, ride sharing, social media and video production. Partial Client List: Abbott Laboratories Glucose Monitoring Native app. Deliverables: Strategy, UX/UI, flows Altitude Networks Online Security MVP Web App. Deliverables: User journeys, annotated wIreframes, dashboards, UX and visual UI Atlassian Stealth Product Management Tool. Deliverables: Design strategy, dashboards, annotated user flows, UX/UI design Change Healthcare Healthcare Insurance Portal. Deliverables: sitemap, strategy, annotated user flows, UX, annotated wireframes. Hf Capital Wealth Management Chinese/USA Investment Website. Deliverables: Cross Platform Sitemap, Art Direction, UX/UI Microsoft Digital Marketing Campaign. Deliverables: Designed/wrote award-winning product demos Pixar Studios Renderman Animation Website. Deliverables: Redesigned Renderman product website, strategy, UX/UI design Tinyhood Online Parenting Classes. Acting as Interim Head of Design I mentored junior team members-includingPMs and designers, art directed social media postings, managed and hired new designers to the team.D eliverables: Redesigned website (UX, UI), and recommended strategies for best practice processes for all design systems

Education

Pratt Institute

Masters, Digital Design

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Art

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Seasoned End-to-end, full-stack founding UI/UX product designer building user-centric web & mobile digital products for startups & mid-market scalers.