Sam Gurango

About

With 2+ years of UX/UI and Product Design experience, I help startups and mission-driven teams turn complex ideas into intuitive, people-first digital products. My work spans health & wellness, sustainability, eCommerce, and beyond—leading zero-to-one builds, user research, and iterative testing that improve satisfaction and drive meaningful engagement. I'm especially drawn to products that promote well-being, behavior change, and a sense of belonging. My approach blends UX strategy with playful, research-driven design—because great design should feel good, do good, and be easy to use. Currently open to part-time and full-time product roles with values-aligned teams, while continuing to support small businesses through freelance and community-led work. When I'm not a pixel-pushing problem-solver, you can catch me dancing to EDM or spending time with my two Siamese cats. 📧 sgurangodesign@gmail.com

Experience

• UX Researcher and Designer · LePal.ai10-01-2024 – 12-01-2024

  ▪ Created 6-page research plan, defined and measured success metrics, and organized and grew user pool to find insights into attracting and retaining target users. ▪ Conducted 20+ user interviews, usability tests, and surveys and analyzed quantitative and qualitative data to validate designs and inform product improvements, including 2 feature iterations. ▪ Documented product and design decision-making through creating user journey maps and refined and expanded user personas based on user data and feedback. ▪ Brainstormed and collaborated on low and high-fidelity wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes for feature iteration and implementation. ▪ Researched mental health app market and competition to inform product strategy.

• UX/UI Designer · Impulse10-01-2024 – 12-01-2024

  ▪ Implemented standardized 7-page usability test script and note-taking template, streamlining processes, ensuring consistent feedback, saving 10–20 hours for every 10 usability tests monthly. ▪ Conducted user research and usability tests to gather user feedback and analyze user behavior and preferences, identifying 7 usability issues and informing prioritization of 1 new app feature. ▪ Collaborated with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to brainstorm, make, defend, and implement 25+ design decisions, advocating for the user in alignment with research insights and business goals. ▪ Created 15+ social media materials and website design assets with limited instructions using Canva and Figma that align with product strategy and goals.

• Market Research Analyst · Extern09-01-2024 – 10-01-2024

  ▪ Analyzed markets to identify trends and opportunities in climate industries, informing product strategy by identifying an underserved segment in the market. ▪ Sourced and evaluated 2 startups’ investment potential and alignment with firm's investment thesis, connecting business goals with innovative solutions. ▪ Produced and delivered a concise 5-minute insights and recommendations Google slides presentation to the asset management team.

• Founding UX/UI and Product Designer · SOLEOADO06-01-2023 – 04-01-2024

  SOLEOADO combines art and affirmations to inspire personal growth, empowerment, and resilience. ▪ Redesigned the company’s eCommerce website using Figma, leading a platform migration that improved user navigation, updated content, and enhanced functionality, resulting in a 15% increase in conversions and a 21% reduction in bounce rate. ▪ Developed a branding style guide in collaboration with the creative director using Adobe Illustrator and created marketing emails and social media posts which generated between 50-100k impressions and delivered a 30% conversion rate. ▪ Led UX research initiatives by conducting user interviews and surveys with over 30 participants, analyzing behavioral data with Google Analytics, and identifying key pain points, resulting in a 27% increase in user satisfaction scores. ▪ Generated UX research reports and presented insights using Miro to stakeholders which influenced the product strategy and roadmap and contributed to a 19% increase in customer retention rates. ▪ Translated user feedback into actionable design improvements using Sketch, optimizing user flows, which led to a 23% faster checkout process and a subsequent 10% increase in average order value.

• High School Biology Teacher · Teach for America05-01-2022 – 08-01-2022

  •Translated lesson plans into engaging and interactive learning materials to align with user-centric goals, applying instructional knowledge and methods to meet students' learning objectives. •Applied user-centered design for an intuitive learning environment that supports struggling students and focuses on specific areas of improvement, enhancing the personalized learning experience. •Ensured adherence to UX accessibility guidelines tailored for students with physical and cognitive disabilities, encompassing consistent system order, sensory considerations, and providing diverse task completion methods to enhance the classroom experience.

Education

• SpringboardCertification, UI/UX Design
• HubspotCertification, Social Media Marketing
• University of San FranciscoBachelor of Science, Minor, Environmental Science, Business

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