Mel Bise is a Senior UX/UI Designer with 10 years of experience designing software, retail e-commerce sites, and marketing sites. From teddy bears to pharmaceutical portals, Mel has worked with a wide variety of internal, direct-to-consumer, and business-to-business brands. Works closely with developers, project stakeholders, users, and clients to ensure designs are usable, achievable, and meet business requirements. As a UX Lead, Mel has mentored junior designers, led swarm sessions to define requirements, and maintained design standards across teams.
Skills, Systems, and Tools
Skills: UX Design, UX Lead, Mentoring, Atomic Design, Design System Development/Management, Facilitation, Prototyping, Wireframing, Design Thinking, Accessibility
Systems & Tools: Figma, Adobe XD, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Adobe Commerce, Adobe Marketo Engage, Hotjar, Google Analytics, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Bloomreach
Work Experience
Daugherty Business Solutions, Senior Consultant
February 2024 - Present
Cigna – Creates high-fidelity Figma prototypes of complex user flows for an internal pharmaceutical rebate platform. Gathers requirements from business users and stakeholders. Presents final prototypes and writes documentation in Confluence for final developer handoff. Coaches junior designers on various topics.
Leads knowledge transfer (KT) sessions on advanced Figma capabilities, including: Variable and Conditions, Autolayout, etc.
Meets with junior designers twice a week to review requirements, go over works in progress, answer questions, and discuss prototyping and presentation techniques.
Applies Atomic Design principles to existing designs and prototypes. Builds flows that use these principles, which saves an extraordinary amount of time when rework happens.
Daugherty Business Solutions, Consultant
April 2021 - February 2024
Designed high-fidelity Figma prototypes of complex user flows for an internal pharmaceutical rebate platform. Presented final prototypes and wrote documentation for final developer handoff.
Promoted to Lead UX Designer on FORCE team. Mentored 3 junior designers on best UX practices, business requirements, and Figma. Lead swarm sessions to refine features and split up the design work needed. Shared stories created during these swarm sessions with TPOs, Scrum Masters, and project leadership.
Introduced a new Figma file organizational system that allows designers iteration space, distinguishes final prototypes from working prototypes, and gives the team a versioning system.
Tacony Corporation, UX/UI Designer
April 2017 - April 2021
Created user flows, wireframes, and prototypes in Adobe XD for ecommerce applications, new website features, and landing pages for 30+ websites.
Analyzed heat maps and scroll maps of product listing pages, product detail pages, and homepages using Hotjar. Provided detailed reports and design recommendations.
Oversaw the migration and replatforming of 6 websites to our custom Laravel platform and to Adobe Commerce.
Conducted one-on-one user interviews using prototypes and wireframes.
Completed 16% of front-end development tickets in a custom Laravel platform.
As needed, assisted with support tasks such as QA testing, content updating, image resizing, etc.
Build-A-Bear Workshop, UI Developer (Develobear)
September 2014 - March 2017
Improved user engagement and SEO by creating web page designs and layouts in Adobe Photoshop for both Build-A-Bear IP and licensed partner products.
Increased sales by designing web assets (such as website banners, overlays, etc.) for each new product launch across five international websites. Adapted designs according to product availability and focus by country.
Designed and tested a new responsive checkout flow that greatly improved conversion, resulting in higher sales.
Created a point-of-sale application for use at various events and trade shows such as Star Wars Celebration.
Managed and update the layouts of five shop home sites for each new product or promotion launch. Provided HTML files and staging links for each launch to web team.
Presented landing page and web asset designs to developers, designers, and digital marketing and e-commerce managers in weekly meetings to discuss concepts and focus.
Designed and developed email marketing campaigns in Adobe Photoshop and HTML.
Education
Maryville University, BFA in Graphic Design
May 2014
Illinois Wesleyan University, B.S. in International Studies
May 2010
Get in touch!
Feel free to drop me a line! I'm open to new opportunities, great books you've read recently, or tips on houseplant care. Thanks!
Thank you!