Elevating user experience through thoughtful design.
One of my major strong points is adaptability - I started my career as a database developer, adapted to front end development and then pivoted again into UX - this really helps in my ability to collaborate with developers.
I have been working on SaaS based platforms for most of my career, evolving legacy systems, in design teams and working solo. At Caseware I redesigned their data import established their product design process and design system. Since then I’ve designed a greenfield AI product built on GitHub Copilot that analyzes legacy codebases, a redesign for RBC’s wealth management platform and a redesign of OpenText’s OTS platform which creates accessible PDF templates based on imported sample files. Most of my work in the past 4 years has involved experimenting with AI in terms of either AI features and/or using AI as a tool.
My focus is always on Hard ROI, specifically designing for increased retention and business-critical metrics. My design philosophy is that our work must be grounded in real user insights. If we aren’t solving users' problems we aren’t providing any value.
Built a 10+ person design org at Caseware
Reduced prototyping cycles by 65% using AI-native workflows
Launched 0-1 platforms for Tier 1 financial institutions
Case Studies
"Good design is like a refrigerator: when it works, no one notices, but when it doesn’t, it sure is hard to think about anything else." — Anonymous
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Viktor Popov
Senior Product Leader
"Marlene is an exceptional UX professional who delivers designs deeply rooted in user research, clear stakeholder communication, and AI-native design workflows.
As a strong advocate for the user, Marlene conducts thoughtful interviews and research while balancing technical trade-offs and organization-wide design systems. Her approach was instrumental in transforming our application from a complex product into one that resonates deeply with our users.
Marlene also demonstrated a strong aptitude for continuous learning and technical agility by integrating AI tools such as Figma Make, OpenCode, and GitHub Copilot into her workflow to build prototypes that fostered a rapid, shared understanding across the team."
Charath Ranganathan
Chief Technology Officer
"As our UX researcher and designer, Marlene was a significant contributor to Crowdbotics' Product group.
She is proficient in all aspects of user experience design and testing and very comfortable interacting with customers and prospects. Not only is she good at synthesizing user research, she's also amazing at leveraging quick UI designs as a means of rapid ideation and iteration on product features.
She's someone who is ready to work on a new project or feature and an amazing team player, as many of our developers and customers will testify."
Amalia Litsa
Director of Product
"Marlene's professional maturity and knowledge made her a great partner to myself and the team. She is an extremely self-motivated designer with a high work capacity and unwavering focus and energy.
Overall, Marlene is a very strong contributor and UX generalist. She knows how to explore the problem space, collaborate with Product and Engineering, test, and iterate."
Alexa Tang
Lead UX Designer
"Marlene has an innate ability to make everyone feel valued and confident, creating a team environment where open communication and mutual respect are the norms.
Her approach to leadership is both inspiring and effective, leading by example and always ready to support her team in every challenge. Under her guidance, our team not only met our goals but exceeded them, fostering a collaborative and innovative atmosphere that enhanced our overall productivity.
Marlene is, without a doubt, a brilliant manager and an inspiring leader. Any organization would be lucky to have her at the helm, guiding their team to new heights."
Chris Johnson
Head of Design
"Marlene brings a rare combination of design thinking, interaction design expertise, and strong communication skills.
She has the ability to quickly understand product challenges, align teams around user needs, and turn ideas into thoughtful, practical solutions.
She would be a real asset to any product team and would make a meaningful impact wherever she works."
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Louise Bonnamy
User Research Manager
"I highly recommend Marlene as a designer and people leader.
She is incredibly skilled at developing teams to reach their full potential, fostering collaboration, and creating a healthy culture of feedback within the workplace.
Marlene naturally motivates and inspires others, consistently bringing out the best in her team members."