Willie Liz
Willierliz@gmail.com
Professional Summary
Strategic UX/UI Product Designer with 7+ years of experience blending human-centered design with business goals. Specializing in design systems, accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA), and cross-platform (web/iOS/Android) product development. Proven success leading end-to-end UX research, crafting scalable UI components, and shipping inclusive, responsive, and data-informed experiences. Passionate about improving user retention, engagement, and accessibility at scale.
Core Competencies
UX Design & Research: User journeys, wireframing, prototyping, information architecture, interaction design, design tokens, persona development, storyboarding, usability testing, A/B testing, journey mapping
Accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA): Inclusive design, accessibility audits, assistive technologies, ARIA, Axe/WAVE/Lighthouse testing, screen reader optimization, semantic HTML5, CSS3
Design Systems & Visual Design: Figma component libraries, atomic design, typography, visual hierarchy, UI scalability, motion design, responsive layouts
Tools & Technologies: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Illustrator, Photoshop, Rhino 3D, Dreamweaver, HTML/CSS, JIRA, Confluence, Azure DevOps, Google Analytics, Notion, Maze
Collaboration & Strategy: Agile & Scrum, developer handoff, product roadmaps, business impact metrics, stakeholder alignment, UX writing, developer collaboration, sprint planning
Professional Experience
Open Mic Guru – UX Strategist (Contract)
Mar 2024 – Present
Conducted discovery and evaluative research, user interviews, and usability testing to inform the roadmap.
Created WCAG 2.1 AA-compliant UI in Figma, using reusable components and design tokens.
Delivered accessible handoffs and documentation for engineering; led critiques and design QA.
Collaborated with cross-functional teams using Agile, Jira, and Confluence to provide scalable features.
LePal.AI – UX/UI Strategist (Fellowship)
Jun 2024 – Dec 2024
Led Gen Z-focused research on mental health behavior using surveys, interviews, and analytics.
Designed inclusive micro-interactions with attention to accessibility and motion standards.
Co-developed product vision and tested prototypes iteratively for emotional resonance and engagement.
Used UX writing to guide onboarding and lower cognitive load for first-time users.
Vlocator – UX Strategist (Contract)
Feb 2024 – Mar 2024
Acted as UX architect, creating Figma-based design systems and screen flows from scratch.
Integrated accessibility testing tools (Axe, WAVE) and conducted end-to-end WCAG audits.
Organized sprint planning as Scrum Master, aligning research insights with product goals.
Spot On – Account Executive
May 2023 – Oct 2023
Delivered $50K+ per client through consultative tech-driven strategies.
Conducted UX needs assessments to tailor SaaS demos and improve customer journeys.
Yelp – Senior Account Executive
Dec 2018 – May 2022
Sold $1.38M+ in B2B SaaS; co-developed onboarding UX presentations to boost client retention.
Supported small businesses in brand positioning with custom logos and UX copy strategy.
Contractor – Product Designer (Digital & Physical)
Dec 2012 – May 2018
Created wearable health tech with iterative ergonomic and UI testing cycles.
Conducted heuristic evaluations and prototype testing across mobile and web platforms.
Key Projects
Menty – UX Strategist (Dec 2023)
Built a mobile platform for underrepresented creatives to access design education.
The Last Bookstore LA – UX/UI Designer (Dec 2023)
Redesign for accessibility and usability improvements, using WCAG audit results.
Homenow.io – UX Researcher & UI Designer (Jan 2024)
Led discovery phase using journey maps and stakeholder interviews to improve rental marketplace UX.
Education
UX Design Immersive – General Assembly
Dec 2023 – Mar 2024
480+ hours of training in UX/UI fundamentals, Agile, usability testing, and team collaboration.
BFA in Industrial Design – Academy of Art University, San Francisco
Graduated: Jun 2012
Focus on user-centered design, ergonomics, prototyping, and interface design.
Professional Development & Certifications
Microsoft Learn: Create Accessible AI Experiences
Atlassian University: Manage Confluence Spaces
UX Writing Hub: A Taste of UX Writing
Udemy: Adobe XD Prototyping for Teams