Vanessa Atkinson

Portfolio  |  LinkedIn  |  vewatkinson@gmail.com  |  (415) 793-1032  |  San Francisco, California   

I am an outgoing and results-driven Product Designer dedicated to user-centric design principles, proficient in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. With prior experience in Customer Success Design and project management,  I excel in crafting seamless experiences that prioritize user satisfaction and align with industry trends.  Knowledge of Figma, Adobe After Effects, Webflow, SEO and Balsamiq.  Salesforce Trailblazer.

Education & Certificates 

University of California, Berkeley - UX/UI Design - Graduated July 2023

San Francisco State University - Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies - Life Sciences - Graduated June 2010

Udemy - Advanced Figma UI/UX Design - 2023   Udemy - Complete Web Development - 2023   Google Cloud - Generative AI - 2023

Stanford University, California - Supervised Machine Learning: Regression and Classification: DeepLearning.AI - 2023

Salesforce - Trailblazer

Work Experience

Product Designer | January 2023 - Present 

Freelance (Self employed), Remote

  • Driving collaboration efforts by working closely with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment between design strategies and organizational goals, fostering a collaborative environment that prioritizes customer success.

  • Leading customer-centric research initiatives by orchestrating user interviews and integrating invaluable user feedback to iteratively refine and optimize user experiences, directly contributing to a significant enhancement in user satisfaction and engagement.

  • Conducting both moderated and unmoderated studies to deeply understand user needs and behaviors, ensuring every design decision aligns with the brand identity while prioritizing customer success at every stage of the process.

User Experience Designer | July 2023 - December 2023 | 6 months

Learning As Leadership, San Rafael, Ca                                    

  • Enhanced brand design to better serve customer needs, fostering collaboration across teams to streamline user interface design and improve effectiveness.

  • Leveraged Salesforce Trailblazer expertise to enhance customer experiences, leading to a substantial 40% decrease in user interface complexity and ensuring a more intuitive user journey.

  • Collaborated closely with cross-functional teams to drive revenue growth and promote attachment rates for emerging products, ultimately resulting in a notable 25% increase in customer retention and satisfaction.

Production Designer | January 2019 – April 2020 | 15 months

Stanlee R. Gatti Designs, San Francisco, CA                                 

  • Showcased versatility and creativity in designing diverse art installations that not only resonated deeply with clients but also engaged and delighted event attendees, fostering strong customer connections.

  • Maintained brand identity coherence across projects, ensuring consistency and reinforcing brand loyalty.

  • Elevated customer experience by implementing innovative design approaches that left a lasting impression on each project, resulting in a notable 35% enhancement in customer ratings.

Interior Designer | January 2019 – April 2020 | 15 months

Stripe, Inc., San Francisco, CA                         

  • Prioritized employee satisfaction and productivity. Resulted in a significant 23% increase in employee productivity, aligning office design with customer success goals.

  • Facilitated enhanced collaboration across departments by strategically optimizing office layout and design to foster a cohesive work environment. Aligned office spaces with company objectives, and improved the overall work atmosphere by promoting customer success.

Special Events Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator | August 2017 – January 2019 | 17 months

Star of the Sea Preschool and Elementary School, San Francisco, CA

  • Redesigned and orchestrated event experiences for 16 special events, achieving a notable 23% increase in fundraising efforts through customer-centric design.

  • Implemented innovative customer engagement methods, leading to a remarkable 33% surge in volunteer participation.

Skills

Figma, Adobe Illustrator, HTML/CSS/JavaScript, Webflow, Wordpress, GitHub, Balsamiq, User Research, Information Architecture, Usability Testing, Design Systems, Accessibility, Qualitative Data, Quantitative Data, Agile Methodology, Visual Design, Interaction Design, Strategic Design, Wireframing, Prototyping, Typography, chatGPT, Experience Flows, Analytical, Flexible, Empathetic, Open-minded, Accepting of Criticism and Feedback, Curiosity, Iterative Design Process, Communication, Collaborative Problem-solving, Solving complex problems, Adaptive Work Ethic, Life-long Learner, Presentations, Design thinking, Visual Storytelling, Brand Design, SEO, User-centric design, Interface design, User feedback, Design trends.