How I work
My philosophy, my process, and the tools I use. I believe in designing for the person on the other side of the screen. That means understanding their context, respecting their time, and making the hard calls about what to build and what to leave out. Tools evolve. That part doesn't change.
DISCOVER
Good design starts with listening. I conduct stakeholder interviews, usability sessions, and competitive analysis to understand not just what users say they want, but what's actually driving their behavior. I use AI to synthesize transcripts and surface patterns across interviews faster, which means I can cover more ground without losing depth and show up to the team with sharper insights.
Research & Synthesis
DEFINE
Before I open Figma, I spend time in the problem space. I map edge cases, pressure-test assumptions, and dig into the technical constraints that will shape the design direction. On a recent B2B project, I mapped ERP system rules before designing a single screen, which meant the flows I proposed were buildable from day one. No redesigns after engineering review.
Strategy & Framing
DESIGN
This is where craft matters most. I design component-based systems that scale, not just screens that look good in a presentation. At this stage, it is important that I balance speed-to-market, without complicating the lives of my engineers. I use AI-assisted spec generation to create precise documentation, which is part of how we cut design-to-dev handoff time.
Systems & Interfaces
PROTOTYPE
I don't just hand off static mockups. Now I use Cursor and Claude Code to build working prototypes against real technical constraints, so when I bring a design to engineering, it's already been tested against the system's actual limitations. The conversation shifts from "can we build this?" to "how do we ship this?" It builds trust with engineering fast and catches problems before they're expensive.
Build & Validate
SHIP
Handoff is where design intent often gets lost. I close that gap with precise specs, exhaustive edge case documentation, and sometimes working code alongside the design files. Post-launch, I track how the design performs and identify what needs iteration. Shipping is the beginning of learning, not the end of the project.
Handoff & Iteration
The users are always human. That's the part I never automate.
My Toolkit
About Manuela
I'm a Senior Product Designer who came to design through the back door. I spent a decade in business development and partnerships at startups, where I learned how products actually get adopted, sold, and used in the real world. That background shapes everything about how I design: I think about the business case, the user's context, and the constraints nobody told me about yet.
Now I focus on the complex stuff. B2B platforms, enterprise workflows, design systems that need to hold up across teams and time zones. I've redesigned checkout flows governed by legacy ERP systems, built design systems from scratch at HeyGen and contributed to Netflix's Hawkins, and shipped a legal data platform from zero to Fortune 50 clients at Priori Legal.
I also mentor designers at Designlab and facilitate critique at Robin Hood Labs, because the best way to sharpen your own thinking is to help someone else sharpen theirs.
In my free time, I am passionate about fitness, health, cooking, reading, music, dancing, traveling, learning languages, social justice, climate change.