Upperstudy • 2021-2022
Designing MVPs for early-stage startups and turning ideas into products
Designing MVPs for early-stage startups and turning ideas into products
Context
Context
Summary
Upperstudy is a design apprenticeship led by Adam Michaela and Josh Puckett, former Design Director of Airbnb and Principal Designer of Wealthfront, that partners designers with early-stage startups to help define and build their products.
During my time here, I worked closely with founders and cross-functional teams as the primary design support. I contributing to the creation of websites, mobile apps, and brand assets while sharpening my core design skills through hands-on experience.
Upperstudy is a design apprenticeship led by Adam Michaela and Josh Puckett, former Design Director of Airbnb and Principal Designer of Wealthfront, that partners designers with early-stage startups to help define and build their products.
During my time here, I worked closely with founders and cross-functional teams as the primary design support. I contributing to the creation of websites, mobile apps, and brand assets while sharpening my core design skills through hands-on experience.
Upperstudy is design apprenticeship led by Adam Michaela and Josh Puckett, former Design Director of Airbnb and Principal Designer of Wealthfront, that partners designers with early-stage startups to help define and build their products.
I worked closely with founders and their interdisciplinary teams to establish scalable design practices and craft innovative software.
Role
Role
As a Product Design Apprentice, I spent my time in workshops and directly collaborated with early-stage startups on projects. During my time, I worked on UX/UI design that allowed clients to stand out in competitive markets. My main focus was on execution, where I developed a flexible and effective design process to guide the work. I took ownership through defining design requirements and delivered key assets:
Designed user flows, wireframes, high-fidelity mockups
Supported engineering to code Interactive prototypes
Meeting with users to build user journeys and personas
My apprenticeship operated under a 'design agency' model that allowed me to engage with a diverse range of projects, from developing new product features to reimagining brands. My contributions played a key role in reducing clients' time-to-market by 60%, giving startups a significant advantage in achieving product-market fit. I also actively engaged in peer critiques to provide constructive feedback and collaborating closely with fellow apprentices. I conducted competitive research and facilitated A/B testing to ensure my design work delivered optimal results.
I was quickly converted into a full-time role with a client, where I joined as Founding Product Designer in March 2022.
As a Product Design Apprentice, I spent my time in workshops and directly collaborated with early-stage startups on projects. During my time, I worked on UX/UI design that allowed clients to stand out in competitive markets. My main focus was on execution, where I developed a flexible and effective design process to guide the work. I took ownership through defining design requirements and delivered key assets:
Designed user flows, wireframes, high-fidelity mockups
Supported engineering to code Interactive prototypes
Meeting with users to build user journeys and personas
My apprenticeship operated under a 'design agency' model that allowed me to engage with a diverse range of projects, from developing new product features to reimagining brands. My contributions played a key role in reducing clients' time-to-market by 60%, giving startups a significant advantage in achieving product-market fit. I also actively engaged in peer critiques to provide constructive feedback and collaborating closely with fellow apprentices. I conducted competitive research and facilitated A/B testing to ensure my design work delivered optimal results.
I was quickly converted into a full-time role with a client, where I joined as Founding Product Designer in March 2022.
As a Product Design Apprentice, I spent my time in workshops and directly collaborated with early-stage startups on projects. During my time, I worked on UX/UI design that allowed clients to stand out in competitive markets. My main focus was on execution, where I developed a flexible and effective design process to guide the work. I took ownership through defining design requirements and delivered key assets:
Designed user flows, wireframes, high-fidelity mockups
Supported engineering to code Interactive prototypes
Meeting with users to build user journeys and personas
My apprenticeship operated under a 'design agency' model that allowed me to engage with a diverse range of projects, from developing new product features to reimagining brands. My contributions played a key role in reducing clients' time-to-market by 60%, giving startups a significant advantage in achieving product-market fit. I also actively engaged in peer critiques to provide constructive feedback and collaborating closely with fellow apprentices. I conducted competitive research and facilitated A/B testing to ensure my design work delivered optimal results.
I was quickly converted into a full-time role with a client, where I joined as Founding Product Designer in March 2022.
