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Professional History

Kyle Vena, Located in Dallas, TX | Remote Work

SUMMARY

Innovative and results-driven Product Designer with over a decade of experience
crafting seamless user experiences. Adept at merging design aesthetics with
strategic business goals. Proven track record of optimizing
user engagement and driving product success.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Contractor & Freelance

Product Design | UX/UI Strategist
Jan 2023 – Present | Dallas, TX

Led short-term contracts with real estate, AI products, clothing companies, and financial firms during this time while honing my skill sets & exploring new technologies.

  • PropertyIQ AI Agent: Led UX/UI design for an AI-driven real estate tool, focusing on user journey mapping, planning, wireframing, and extensive UX research. Enhanced product alignment with market needs, significantly improving user experience.
  • CoinCatcher Product Experience: Oversaw the UX/UI design and branding for an AI-based data privacy application. My leadership in product development, branding, and user testing facilitated a successful initial launch phase.
  • BLK Dye Branding and UI Design: Directed branding and UI design for BLK Dye’s clothing line, creating compelling graphic concepts and storyboards that strengthened the brand’s market presence.
  • Nephesh Strategy and Product Planning: Contributed to product and brand strategy for Nephesh, blending innovative design with strategic planning to effectively communicate the brand’s vision.
Coming Soon

66 DEGREES

Lead UX/UI Designer Consultant
Oct 2022 – Jan 2023 | Greater Chicago Area

In my role as Lead UX/UI Designer & Consultant at 66 Degrees, I led a significant UX/UI overhaul of PwC Financial dashboards. My focus was on creating intuitive interfaces and optimizing user journeys to enhance data access and engagement. This involved meticulous wire framing, prototyping, and collaborative strategy development, ultimately improving overall product value and user satisfaction.

  • Successfully orchestrated a UX/UI redesign that decreased cognitive overload by 45% and increased usability by 60%, substantially enhancing data accessibility and stakeholder satisfaction.
  • Drove HR operational efficiency improvements by 35% through strategic user experience enhancements, leading to a more streamlined and efficient workflow.
  • Achieved a 28% improvement in task completion efficiency by implementing effective time management designs, optimizing user interactions with the dashboard.
  • Innovated and introduced new features that boosted the effectiveness of executive alerts by 20%, ensuring critical information was communicated more effectively.

My tenure at 66 Degrees was marked by a commitment to transforming user experiences, enhancing efficiency, and delivering value-added design solutions for complex financial systems.

PwC Financial

Gluwa / Creditcoin Blockchain

Senior UI Designer
Oct 2021 – March 2022  | San Francisco, California

In my role as Senior UI Designer, I significantly enhanced the Gluwa mobile app/wallet, focusing on user-centric UI/UX design and seamless branding.
Key accomplishments include:

  • Streamlined Gluwa UI mobile app/wallet branding and services, ensuring a seamless user experience.
  • Corrected all missing UX & in completed USer Journey’s
  • Launched four innovative services, exceeding timelines and demonstrating project management skills.
  • Received the Inclusive Fintech 50 Award for excellence in sustainable finance.
  • Achieved a remarkable 30% increase in conversion rate through user-centered design.
  • Onboarded three or more institutions, expanding Gluwa’s financial services reach.
  • Facilitated a significant increase of 1 million in funded loans, contributing to platform growth.
  • Drove a notable uptick of 2 million in transactions on Luniverse, highlighting mobile app effectiveness.

My tenure was marked by impactful design improvements and a strong commitment to user engagement and business growth.

NEM / Symbol Blockchain

UX/UI Hybrid Lead Designer
Apr 2021 – Jul 2021 | London, England, United Kingdom

During my time at NEM, I significantly contributed to strategic rebranding and product development as a Lead UX/UI Designer.
Highlights of my tenure include:

  • Directed UX research and UI design for an NFT gaming platform, enhancing user experience and interface innovation.
  • Performed comprehensive UX analysis for the new Symbol Wallet, pinpointing improvements and innovations.
  • Led UX/UI design for the Symbol Platform’s website, improving user engagement and navigation.
  • Key contributor to community projects, including Symbolblog.com, enhancing community engagement.
  • Influenced NEM’s visual and strategic brand direction, aligning with evolving business goals.

My role at NEM refined my UX/UI design expertise and underscored my adaptability across various design aspects.

BBVA Open Platform

UX/UI Hybrid Lead Designer
May 2017 – Aug 2020 | Dallas, TX

As the UX/UI Lead Designer at BBVA Open Platform, I played a pivotal role in designing and evolving the user experience and interface for an innovative API-driven development platform. This platform revolutionized how companies integrate banking and payment services, offering white-label solutions backed by a leading US bank’s infrastructure and compliance framework.

  • Led the UX/UI design of a white-labeled, API-driven platform, enhancing fintech experiences within BBVA.
  • Managed the comprehensive overhaul of the platform’s websites, business applications, and online KYC/KYB Admin tools, ensuring seamless user experiences from start to finish.
  • Successfully accelerated a 6-month delayed project, bringing it on track in just 8 months through effective leadership and project management.
  • Contributed to significant increases in transaction volumes and revenues, playing a key role in attracting new clients and forging strategic partnerships.
  • Instrumental in the projects that led to BBVA USA’s acquisition by PNC Financial in 2020 for $11.6 Billion.
  • Recognized for excellence in my field with the 2017 Award for Commitment and Delivery, the 2019 Excellence Award in UX/UI Design, and the 2020 Celent Model Bank Award.

Rockfish Digital

Sr Art Director & Sr Designer
Nov 2015 – Mar 2017 | Frisco, Tx

As a senior art director at Rockfish, Kyle played a key role in branding, digital design, user interfaces, and marketing efforts for a diverse range of clients including Metro PCS, Amazon, General Mills, Kimberly Clark, Unilever, Mars, Coke, and Diet Coke. 

  • Led branding, digital design, UI deliverables, and marketing efforts for various clients including Metro PCS, General Mills, Kimberly Clark, Unilever, and Mars on Amazon.
  • Collaborated with UX teams & stakeholders to streamline strategies for web and UI designs for Metro PC’s ecommerce responsive website.
  • Produced & delivered seasonal marketing campaigns for MetroPCS vendors online.
  • Transformed MetroPCS’s website, resulting in a 40% readability boost, 40% increased sales, 35% increased time for customer services, and 35% faster shopping.
  • Created Diet Coke concepts for big box store displays and cooler systems, offering free Diet Cokes while shopping.
  • Designed branding campaigns with DoorDash and Uber Eats to promote Coke products during rides or delivery.

Barclays

UX/UI Hybrid Lead Designer
Jan 2014 – Oct 2015 | Allen, Tx

Kyle is an experienced lead UX/UI designer who collaborated with stakeholders and upper management to research and plans for a wide range of devices, including iPhones, Android phones, tablets, and wearables like Apple watches and Android gear.

  • Collaborated with stakeholders to strategize and conduct research and UX designs for a range of devices.
  • Delivered UX/UI designs for wearable devices: Moto, Gear, & iWatch from start to finish.
  • Contributed to presentations, demos, and pitches.
  • Played a crucial role in designing applications, data infographics, and responsive/liquid web designs for banking services & products for Tech All-Stars & Tech Workbench.
  • Designed user interfaces for visual dashboards for internal security departments, executive administration teams, servers & IT departments (USA, UK, Africa, and Egypt).
  • Conceptualized designs for Barclay’s entertainment & events and mobile & web app design concepts.
  • Created web & mobile app design concepts for the Premier Soccer League and mobile app design concepts for their Barclays Cards.

OTHERS I’VE DESIGNED FOR

TECH STACK

  • Miro + Figma Jam
  • Survey & Customer Data
  • Eye Track & Heat Mapping
  • Usability Hub / Tools
  • UserTesting.com
  • Maze / Amplitude
  • Figma + Plugins
  • Adobe Suite + Firefly
  • Zeplin + Storybook
  • Lottie
  • Spline
  • Perplexity
  • Validator AI
  • Chat GPT 3-5
  • Browse AI
  • ClearBit
  • Segment
  • AdCreative
  • ClickUp
  • Make
  • MidJourney v4-6
  • RunWay
  • Jira
  • Confluence
  • Micro 360 Suite
  • Notion / Gitbook
  • JS / JSON
  • HTML & HTML5
  • CSS, CSS3, CSS5
  • Google Dev Tools + SEO

EDUCATION

Continual Learning
AI: Swarms, Assistance's products. Experimenting across multiple AI tool categories.
Multiple Certifications
(Figma, 3D, Video, UX Courses, UsabilityTestings, Design Thinking, Design Ethics, & etc ) Linkedin Learning
Certified Scrum Master
Mountain Goat Richardson, TX
Bachelors in Design & Media Communication
International Academy of Design Tampa, FL
Associates in Digital Communications & Video Production
Tampa Technical Institute Tampa, FL
Commercial Art & Digital Design (College Credit)
Sarasota Technical Institute - Sarasota, FL
Animation & Media (Scholarship) - Car Wreck/Prevented Completion
Ringling School of Art and Design - Sarasota, FL
Associate in Fine Art (Scholarship)
Maryland School of Art and Design - Silver Spring, MD

AWARDS & MENTIONS

  • 2021 | Gluwa Won Inclusive Fintech 50 award
  • 2019 | BBVA Excellence Award (BBVA APIs NDB – Open Platform / KYC Tools)
  • 2017 | BBVA Excellence Award (BBVA APIs and Fintech
  • 2016 | Barclays iWatch App Wonderful user experience on iWatch, Apple/ iTunes
  • 2015 | Publication Best Apple iWatch apps available at launch, Huffington Post
  • 2014 | Tathata Golf Awarded for great design and experience for a golf instructional website
  • 2010 | Your Membership Webby Award for best website in our industry
  • 2009 | Your Membership Webby Award for best website in our industry, community software & online education
  • 2004 | HD Interactive / EA Sports Lead as Second Art Director, Xbox/Playstation (x2) Football Games with EA Sports Interfaces/GRFX
  • 2003 | Tampa Bay Bucs / Studio 419 Honorable mentions of website & sports apparel – Multiple Publications

If you need a password, please make all request through Linkedin & DM Kyle.