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Matt - Principal Product Designer & Leader

uxmatthew@gmail.com

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IntroRolesSkillsApproachToolsInterests

About

Always building and learning, and having fun doing it.

After 15+ years of shipping impactful experiences in agency, enterprise, and startup environments, I've had the privilege not just to practice, but to mentor, teach, and coach others in the field.

Matt Cunningham, product designer

My passion is devising new and improved approaches to improving people's lives. I show up with big ideas, strong perspectives, and a very open mind. I believe that a strong focus, paired with a fair amount of silliness, makes for better relationships and stronger outcomes.


Anchor in the problem first.The best solutions come from mapping real mental models across channels (web, mobile, API, CLI, etc.).
Lead by creating clarity.Keeping stakeholders aligned with continuous context on the 'why,' creates space for collaboratively coming up with the best 'how.'

Recent roles

2024–Now

Principal Product Designer

SafeBase

2023-2024

Product Design Director

Tegus

2021–2022

Head of Product Design

Opto

2017–2021

Product Design Manager

Elementum

Download resume

Skills

How I Deliver Value

Equally effective as a solo IC and a team leader, either way, these are the capabilities I enjoy bringing to the table.

Design & Craft

Turning complex systems into intuitive, elegant experiences across every surface.

UX DesignUI DesignInteraction DesignVisual DesignPrototypingWireframingInformation ArchitectureData VisualizationDesign SystemsComponent Libraries

Research & Strategy

Reducing ambiguity early and planning for structured feedback loops.

Product StrategyUser ResearchQualitative ResearchQuantitative ResearchUsability TestingA/B TestingHeuristic EvaluationUser JourneysData Analysis & Synthesis

Systems & AI

Using AI to accelerate work and raise the bar on quality, rather than cutting corners.

Systems DesignAI Product DesignAI PrototypingAgentic Tool FrameworksMCP/CLI/UI StrategyProcess OptimizationData Architecture

Leadership & Ops

Building teams, ladders, and design cultures that take smart risks and ship with conviction.

Design LeadershipMentorship & Team BuildingDesign OpsPM CollaborationAgile CollaborationCareer Ladders & Competency

Approach

How I think about the work.

On 0→1

Early product work rewards taste, speed, and restraint. I like finding the version of a new idea that's believable enough to ship and strong enough to evolve, without over-investing in a prediction of the future.

On Designing with AI

I use AI to deliver higher quality work, faster than ever. Some powerful methodologies that used to take days or weeks of manual effort and large budgets can now be executed in a fraction of the time.

On management

I recruit great people and focus on empowering them. I ensure each has access to the resources and support they need to succeed, while working with other leaders to foster an environment for healthy team collaboration.

On research

I use research to inform and inspire great ideas. From early ethnographic discovery to usability and A/B tests, I work to build credible feedback loops into the process.

On systems

I care deeply about the relationship between underlying data architecture and the UI that exposes it, because getting that right is what makes great experiences possible.

On accessibility

I design and review against WCAG so products work for more people. Making products accessible aligns with high-quality usability foundations, and the benefits compound over time.

The toolkit

I've been everywhere, man.

Design & PrototypingWhere the work gets made

Figmav0Claude DesignSketchAxure RP

Coordination & CollaborationKeeping teams aligned and in sync

NotionLinearFigJamSlackCodaAsanaClickUpTrelloJiraGoogle AppsMiroMuralLucidchartZeplinStorybook

AIPushing what's possible

ClaudeChatGPTCursorMidjourneyOllamaDeepSeekHermesLangChainRunwayMLGleanGeminiGemmaMaverickAdobe FireflyPyTorch

Research & AnalyticsClosing the feedback loop

MazeQualtricsBallparkUserTestingAmplitudeMixpanelFullStoryPostHogGoogle AnalyticsOptimizely

Build & CodeHands-on enough to prototype and ship

HTM/CSSJavaScriptNodeReactSwiftPythonXCodeGitHubWebflowPostman

Deploy & HostFrom prototype to production

RenderFirebaseDigitalOceanSupabaseBigQuery

Current interests

  • Getting closer to ideal experiences with the latest AI technologies
  • Driving, teaching and coaching durable product design methodologies
  • Experimenting with novel interaction patterns and product categories
  • Applying systems thinking to product strategy and org design

Let's work together.

I'm open to lead IC and design leadership roles, especially with strong mission-oriented organizations where creativity and craft are core to the culture.

Get in touch