# Kristen MacDonald > Product Design @ Gusto Location: New York City Metropolitan Area, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/kristenmacdonald With over a decade of experience across Visual and Product Design, I specialize in creating intuitive, scalable solutions that solve complex problems and drive business results. I lead user-centered design strategies, aligning product, technology, and design teams to deliver impactful experiences. Passionate about continuous learning and process optimization, I’ve developed systems that streamline workflows and foster collaboration, enabling teams to work smarter together. Whether mentoring designers or driving strategy, I focus on building meaningful solutions that empower both teams and users alike. ## Work Experience ### Senior Staff Product Designer, Tax @ Gusto Jan 2025 – Present | New York, United States ### Lead Product Designer @ Silicon Valley Bank Jan 2022 – Jan 2025 Responsible for the design strategy and delivery of elegant, data-driven, user-centric experiences across five agile scrum teams focused on Commercial Bank Administration. Led high-visibility projects of significant scale and complexity for both internal tools and client-facing workflows, from problem-framing, strategy, and creative vision through delivery. Represented Design in strategic roadmap planning and facilitated cross-functional prioritization workshops to balance user needs, business value, and technical feasibility. Led a team of six designers across UX, Research, and Content Strategy, translating key business objectives and accelerating the migration of clients to the new platform. Co-led cross-platform initiatives to strengthen the design system and associated standards and processes, increasing consistency and implementation efficiency. Mentored Senior Designers across three verticals, focused on influence and engagement with cross-functional partners, communication and storytelling, and systems thinking. ### Senior Product Designer @ Capco Jan 2020 – Jan 2022 | New York, New York, United States Led design for multiple scrum teams for a client, focused on Commercial Bank Administration for both bank employee and client-facing user experiences. Facilitated the growth of the design function by advocating for five new resources and using design thinking to scale processes, increasing the efficiency and output of the cross-functional team. Encouraged data-driven decisions based on research, user testing, and analytics while collaborating with cross-functional partners on roadmap planning and strategic prioritization. Launched a community focused on facilitating mentorship and elevating craft among the Capco design consultants, spanning multiple client projects. ### Senior Product Designer @ OnDeck Jan 2020 – Jan 2020 | New York, New York, United States Partnered with Product and Technology to translate complex lending processes into simple, intuitive flows. Applied design thinking methodology to align segmented teams on one experience and facilitate prioritization conversations. Drove quality enhancement by integrating advanced developer tools and spearheading the design system initiative, standardizing design processes for improved consistency and efficiency. Ran user interviews and testing sessions. ### UX Designer (ODX) @ OnDeck Jan 2017 – Jan 2020 | New York, New York, United States Owned Design for the inception of OnDeck’s SaaS Platform start-up, ODX. Designed the first white-labeled ODX loan origination SaaS platform utilized by American Express, PNC, and other financial institutions. Supported business development of new initiatives and managed existing multi-million dollar partnerships from strategy through implementation. Established scalable design tools, including the first pattern library, which enabled efficient re-branding of the white-labeled solutions for sales or development. Drove research initiatives and rapid iterative user testing, keeping clients and internal stakeholders focused on human-centric solutions by connecting them to direct feedback and data. ### Graphic Designer @ New York Health & Racquet Club Jan 2014 – Jan 2017 | Greater New York City Area Supported digital and print requests including two NYC subway campaigns, monthly recurring window displays for all retail locations, and ads featured in the NY Post, Time Out New York, and Washington Post Capitol Hill. Led design of all digital touchpoints from email nurture streams to website optimizations, including spearheading a UI improvement initiative. Managed design of all digital ad campaigns for Google, Facebook, Instagram, the MapMyFitness app & Time Out New York. Designed print collateral including booklets, brochures, direct mail, scratch-off cards & postcard guest passes. Responsible for the end-to-end production process, including sourcing vendor relationships to ensure quality output. Managed environmental design in all physical locations, including monthly window displays, posters, and signage. Art directed & executed photo shoots featured in the NY Daily News, About.com, Observer.com, Club Insider, company print collateral, website & social media. ### Graphic Designer @ The Vintage Group Jan 2013 – Jan 2013 ## Education ### Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Graphic Design University of Central Florida ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kristenmacdesign - Portfolio: http://www.kristenhicksdesign.com --- Source: https://flows.cv/kristenmacdonald JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/kristenmacdonald/resume.json Last updated: 2026-03-30