# Markus Ricardo > Designer of Products, Steward of the User. Location: Denver, Colorado, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/markus I am a designer, innovating toward one goal - making each user’s interaction intuitive and organic through exhaustive analysis and empathetic design. ## Work Experience ### UX Design, Application Engineering @ VARIANT3D Jan 2023 – Present | NYC, DEN ### UX Designer @ SmartAsset Jan 2022 – Jan 2023 | Remote • Elevate design solutions across a variety of web pages and financial technology tools lifting conversion and click rates, increasing brand equity, and improving the user experience. • Conduct competitive research, user testing, and broader-team design workshops to inform product solutions, product roadmap planning, and C-suite decision-making. • Champion the concepts of human-centered design using Figma and the Adobe suite to produce the relevant digital deliverables from personas and concept sketches to shareable prototypes and user survey results. • Collaborate with engineering teams to implement designs and collaborate on an infrastructure that will sustain the future of each product and the developing design system. • Implement CSS styling and Full Stack A/B or multivariate tests with Optimizely.
Ensure compliance to accessibility standards and legal guidelines for all the relevant financial products. • Funnel Implementations Improve the funnel experience across user groups - with a cumulative 15%/$1M estimated monthly revenue impact in total. Adapt the experience of the partnered segments helping them grow to over $200k monthly recurring revenue. • Investment Platform Widget Redesigned an online widget to integrate the evolving landscape of personal investment platforms. Collaborated with sales and marketing teams to optimize functionality with budget pacing practices. ### UX Design, Information Architect @ TheInccubator Jan 2020 – Jan 2021 | New York, New York, United States • Redefined the features and content strategy of a multicultural social and professional networking platform through iterative cycles of user research, design, and testing. • Researched and worked through user flows, site maps, wireframes, and prototype testing to refine the user experience of the social aspects of The Inccubator platform. ### Engineering Designer @ Island Exterior Fabricators Jan 2019 – Jan 2020 | Brooklyn, NY Coney Island Hospital •Designed and modeled curtain wall panels to meet engineering specs and the architect’s design intent, working around atypical building conditions. •Outlined fabrication drawings and provided iterative guidance to the manufacturing and client teams. ### Project Engineer @ Hasbro Jan 2018 – Jan 2018 | Pawtucket, RI •Designed graphic icons and improved Excel macros to quickly relay production concerns internally and to foreign counterparts. •Led meetings with overseas partners and the cross-functional team to maintain schedule, meet financial goals, and exceed quality standards for over 40 projects on Star Wars collectors and kids brands. Projects: •Engineering Product Innovation Challenge Worked with cross-functional team to design and develop a product based on a prompt and present this product to senior management. Worked through the entire design and development process including market research, cost reduction, and playtesting. •Deep Dive Initiative: Future of Gaming Worked with co-ops of several disciplines to research, cost estimate, and develop solutions for more sustainable packaging for board games. Presented four solutions to the Director of Sustainability and the Vice President of Design and Development. ### Facade Design Intern @ Island International Exterior Fabricators Jan 2016 – Jan 2017 | Greater New York City Area •NY Wheel Modeled and revised the design of a rooftop guard-rail to reduce material costs and installation costs, while meeting architects’ specifications and complying with the building codes of New York City. •Cornell Tech Developed cut drawings and models for the typical steel extrusions used for the building envelope panel system. Prepared CNC cut drawings for the finish parts used in the panel system. ### Undergraduate Researcher @ Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Jan 2015 – Jan 2017 | Troy, NY •Operate a collection of lab equipment •Conduct research on the sorting of micro particles via fluid inertia •Design microfluidic channels to separate platelets from blood samples ### Packing Technician @ Shyp Jan 2015 – Jan 2015 | Brooklyn, NY Operate and maintain a Packsize box machine Design safe packaging for a wide variety of products Help with warehouse layout for maximized efficiency ### Designer/Painter @ Groundswell Jan 2012 – Jan 2012 | Brooklyn, NY Collaborate with other artists to design a public mural Prepare and paint the work site ### Teaching Assistant @ Strong Place Daycare Jan 2011 – Jan 2011 | Brooklyn, NY Oversee and supervise a group of 10-20 preschool children Lead group activities and chaperon field trips ## Education ### Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mechanical Engineering Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ### User Experience Design Immersive General Assembly ### High School Diploma in Industrial Design Brooklyn Technical High School ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/markusricardo - Portfolio: https://markusricardo.com --- Source: https://flows.cv/markus JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/markus/resume.json Last updated: 2026-03-29