# Mel A.

> Author, Design Leader || ex-Google, PayPal, Capital One

Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States
Profile: https://flows.cv/mela

Hi! I’m an author and design leader with 17 years’ experience in consumer tech. I've built UX teams at Google, PayPal, Capital One and a few startups. 

I’ve helped the best teams in the world to make financial tech simpler and easier to use. I have deep experience in creative leadership for teams working to improve complex systems. 

I’m passionate about growing & motivating design teams, learning faster from users, design ethics, and teaching user-centered methodologies.

## Work Experience
### Principal @ Stellara Group
Jan 2025 – Present
Co-Founder & Principal Consultant

### Design Consultant & Advisor @ Allums Ventures
Jan 2011 – Jan 2025
Emerging fintech, consumer and B2B UX design.

### SVP, Head of Design & Research @ Valley Bank
Jan 2022 – Jan 2024
Digital banking services for a growing Commercial bank. Grew a team of designers and researchers, while elevating design and product development processes.

### Sr. Director, Head of Product Design & Research @ Credible
Jan 2021 – Jan 2022 | San Francisco Bay Area
A marketplace for loans that takes the mystery out of financing for homes and education. Led a team of designers and researchers, while expanding collaboration with product and development.

### UX Design Manager @ Google
Jan 2018 – Jan 2021 | San Francisco, California
Safe, smart & simple payments and money management for anyone using Android, Chrome or Assistant devices.

### Director, P2P & Cause Design @ PayPal
Jan 2015 – Jan 2018
Payments and commerce for people, micro businesses and charities. Led a global team of designers that totally revamped web and mobile payment experiences.

### Author, Speaker (Designing Mobile Payment Experiences) @ O'Reilly Media
Jan 2013 – Jan 2015
A treatise on foundational UX design patterns and principles for building easy and safe payment and wallet apps.

### UX Director @ Capital One
Jan 2014 – Jan 2015 | San Francisco Bay Area
Small business banking and mobile point of sale. Helped a small design team find their groove and make SMB customers happier.

### UX Design Lead @ Monitise
Jan 2011 – Jan 2014 | Foster City, CA
NFC payments, mobile wallets and banking apps (Visa, RBC, Banco do Brasil). Built a design and research practice from zero. Defined payment UX standards for emerging tech like Apple Pay, Google Wallet and mobile point of sale.

### Interaction Designer @ Eveo
Jan 2010 – Jan 2011
Mobile healthcare apps for patients with chronic illnesses.

### Interaction Designer @ Isobar
Jan 2008 – Jan 2010
E-commerce technology and design services for large brands (First Data, adidas, Boost Mobile).

### Web & Talent Manager @ The House Of Shields Salloon
Jan 2006 – Jan 2009 | San Francisco, CA
Live music management, digital marketing and cat herding.

### Library Technician II @ California State University East Bay
Jan 2005 – Jan 2008
Digital services for Bay Area students, educators and residents.

### Library Technician I @ University of the Pacific
Jan 2002 – Jan 2005
Digital services for legal and public policy research for Sacramento students, educators and residents.


## Education
### Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Interaction Design
Academy of Art University
Jan 2008 – Jan 2013

### Leadership Program
University of California, Davis - Graduate School of Management
Jan 2021 – Jan 2021

### BA in Mass Communications: Digital Media
Louisiana State University
Jan 1994 – Jan 2001


## Contact & Social
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skipallums

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Source: https://flows.cv/mela
JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/mela/resume.json
Last updated: 2026-04-07