JJ Lee
Product Designer
About Me
Hi, I’m a Product Designer with extensive experience working in Start Up environments, designing and scaling products. I’m able to take products and features from ideation to market due to my multidisciplinary design skillset.
Currently
I am the Lead Senior Product Designer at Swiftly, transforming brick & mortar store’s ability to reach customers through retail media. I also consult businesses & startups with their digital products and brand identity!
Formerly
–Cofounder & Design Instructor @DESIGNATION Labs (Acquired by Flatiron/ WeWork)
–Creative Director for @MWUX’18
–Product Design Lead @Spothero
–Product Designer @higi
Also
My Approach
Discover & Define
A critical phase in the process where I try and understand the "what" and the right problem to solve. From here we can define what success is, constraints, scope and who our users are and what they need. It's also a good opportunity to see what we can learn along the way!
Research & Ideate
Never one to jump straight into designing, I like to take the time to explore and gather data and insights that can help me make more informed design decisions. From here I may sketch or model out a few different options to pursue.
Test
Test often! I try to test and remove any assumptions or to validate anything I can. The earlier the better before shipping. There are many methodology to use in this process from a quick and dirty paper prototype to a more polished A/B test.
Design
This is where the magic happens. By now I will have a good idea of what I want to go market with and will design the product!
Ship & Learn
The beauty of product design is that it's never finished. Once it's in the market it will need to evolve and change due to changing user behaviors, new data and insights, or shifts in the market. Once the product is released into the wild, it's time to observe, learn and begin to define what we need to do next.
Iterate & Scale
I love taking an initial idea, iterating on it and then scaling it to accommodate even more use cases, users and markets. This is the time to begin optimizing the product to hit KPI's and improve user experience!
Work & Experience
Swiftly
Senior Lead Product Designer • Seattle, WA
-Joined as first design hire to help define our first product
-Designed and launched our MVP consumer app for our first client Zion Market
-Designed the UX for Loyalty, Couponing/ Deals/ and in store shopping experience
-The pandemic and need for contactless shopping experience grew and I helped design, test and launch our contactless grocery and delivery features for retailers.
-Lead UX research and usability at a fully operating grocery store for a variety of features and products. This was a very unique opportunity as we got to test our product with real users in a real environment.
-Scaled our product and platform for Family Dollar. We went from 7 stores to nearly 2000 stores overnight.
– Worked with UX research firm to help fill gaps in our ux research needs.
– Worked directly with CEO and CTO to help define business needs and messages to help drive sales and fundraise. Our task force was able to close a $15.6M seed round in 2019.
– Worked directly with CEO and CTO to raise $100M Series B in 2022
2012-2018
DESIGNATION LABS
Cofounder & Design Instructor • Chicago, IL
I helped found DESIGNATION, a full-time, immersive career accelerator for digital designers. In 2018 DESIGNATION was acquired by Flatiron School/ WeWorks.
Many of our students have gone on to work at companies like Apple, Yelp, Task Rabbit, Walmart Labs, Microsoft, Facebook, IBM, Google and more!
I got to where I am today thanks to amazing instructors who have taught me and opened the doors to the amazing industry of design. I know the importance of having great mentors and instructors to build great foundations in design and I jumped at the opportunity to foster such an environment. I am also an instructor at DESIGNATION, I teach and lead workshops covering topics in visual design and interface design.
2016-2018
SpotHero
Lead Product Designer • Chicago, IL
Product Designer leading design efforts for all consumer facing products at SpotHero including iOS, Android and web products.
-First product design hire
-Reported directly to the CPO
-Helped develop and implement a new visual identity and system across our digital products
-Worked with Product team to help identify business opportunities
-Ran design sprints inviting members from other departments to help us identify problems/ opportunity and ideate solutions
-Defined and Implemented best practices for A/B testing to optimize existing user experience or introduce new features/ products.
-Ran usability tests and user interviews/ research sessions to gain insight and data for our products
-Optimized and improved user flows and sales funnels leading to massive improvements in conversion and redemption of parking passes
-Worked with the NYC sales team to identify and address local oversized parking issues leading to new features to help mitigate ux issues and user frustrations
2014-2016
higi
Product Designer • Chicago, IL
Higi is a health tech startup focused on engaging consumers with their overall health and wellness in a simple, fun and rewarding manner.
-worked closely with the product team (devs, stakeholders, PMs)
-helped rearchitect and redesign user flows for several products as they scaled and matured during the product’s lifecycle
-helped hire and build out our design team
-lead and took ownership over designs for mobile products, implementing best practices and interaction for each platform
-in addition to native app designs for iOS and Android, designed features, architecture and user flows for our kiosk and web based products
-did extensive data visualization designs for our health metrics across our products
-designed seamless experiences between our partner’s fitness tracker devices and our platform/kiosks. (IoT)
-identified and applied gamification best standards and thinking to our products
-became familiar with Psychology of Persuasion/ Persuasive Technology and Social Influences which was used to drive motivation/ engagement with our users and products.
-identified and explored other opportunities to implement and study behavioral design
-helped design and develop higi’s Brand & UI guidelines with the design team
-created UX and high fidelity UI deliverables
2013-2014
Sittercity
Senior Designer • Chicago, IL
Since 2001 Sittercity has been the best option for parents to find childcare. Sittercity has already connected millions of sitters and families all across the states.
– As part of the brand and creative team we supported the product/ engineering team as well as the marketing team.
– our team ensures that the integrity, look and feel of Sittercity’s brand remains consistent across multiple mediums and products for our platform.
– tasked with overseeing mobile design and branding for Sittercity’s first ever iOS & Android apps. We designed the UX and UI of both the sitter side and parent side of the product.
– design and optimize emails, banners and other marketing collateral
– our efforts with the marketing team improved subscription conversion by nearly 150% year over year
– design and optimize the experience and visuals across many of our products
– work closely with the marketing team, other designers, copywriters, developers and business development team
2013-2013
Reppio
Creative Director • Chicago, IL
Reppio provided an alternative shopping experience outside of big name retail stores. By bringing together hard to find local boutique stores, one of a kind mom and pop shops in your neighborhood, and local artists/ designers who sell amazing handcrafted products onto one platform, users were able to rediscover their local shopping experience in a fun and unique way.
I lead the creative efforts of the company.
-Lead the design and UX for our MVP mobile app (shoppers and sellers)
-Lead the design for our Desktop app (shoppers and sellers)
-Lead UX and design for our reward program and Kiosk App
-Maintained and developed the integrity and feel of the brand across multiple platforms.
-Lead UX research/ usability tests for our products
-Hired and managed a team of creatives including photographers, designers and interns
-Conceptualized and executed marketing campaigns and collaterals.
– Web design was featured by Adobe’s Behance Website Served. As well as other notable design publications.
2010-2012
Wiiv Interiors
Product Designer • Vancouver, BC
Wiiv Interiors was a high end contemporary modern Canadian furniture and product company. Integrating smart home technologies and millworking, Wiiv designed and created beautiful seamless cabinetry and furnitures with sensors and automation for the modern home. We began exploring the early stages of home automation.
-worked with Rhino 3D, Autocad, Google Sketch
– helped design many of the products and furnitures
– part of the team that designed a showroom showcasing Wiiv’s design. Converted a “Choklit” unit designed by renown Vancouver architect, Arthur Erickson into a functioning “showroom home”.
– responsible for the brand development as well as the identity
– responsible for website and any other digital designs
– interface design for iPad/ touchscreen control hub powering smart home technologies.
-helped research and source hardware/materials for our products.
Noteable products I designed
– cabinetry for the kitchen, bathrooms and bedroom with built in sensors for opening and lighting
– An office desk that transformed into a DJ station with an effortless lift of a finger (commissioned project)
– Bathroom Pods
Achievements
I have had some of my work published or recognized by the design industry and peers!
July 1, 2017
LogoLounge 10 • Old Chicago Brewery Co Logo Design
Logo design for Old Chicago Brewery Co was selected to be published in the 10th edition of LogoLounge. Each book features the most recent top logos selected by industry judges and panel.
Dribbble
Design for Frostea Ice Cream was featured on Dribbble’s weekly curation of the top shots.
Awwwards
Both my Monarc project as well as my Passion Bicycle web designs were featured on an Awwward collection of UI designs.
Fresh UI Inspiration in the Era of Google Material and Design Patterns • Passion Bicycle Website
Awwwards
Both my Monarc project as well as my Passion Bicycle web designs were featured on an Awwward collection of UI designs.
May 13, 2014
Abduzeedo
My Passion Bicycle website design was featured on the popular design site, Abduzeedo.
Adobe Behance
Served is a collection of sites that showcase category specific content from Behance, the world’s leading platform for creative professionals across all industries. Nearbuy website was selected to be featured on Web Design Served curated by Behance.
Spring 2014
Rockport Publishers
Logo Design for Lighthouse Ministries selected for LogoLounge 8 which was published and released as a book in Spring 2014. LogoLounge showcases the work of the world’s top designers as well as up-and-coming new talent, and this book presents the site’s best designs of the past year as judged by an elite group of name-brand designers.
May 4, 2014
From Up North
Packaging Design Served • Vitaminwater Capsule Package Design
Adobe Behance
Logo Design for Lighthouse Ministries selected for VitaminWater capsule concept design was selected on Packaging Design Served to be featured, a site of the top package designs designs selected by Behance’s curators.
Volunteer
2018
MWUX ’18
Creative Director • Chicago, IL
Lead a team of designers to help develop our Brand Identity for the 2018 Midwest UX conference in Chicago. In addition to the visual identity we designed all collaterals, signage and marketing materials help launch and run a successful iteration of Midwest UX conference in Chicago.
MWUX is a conference rich in community and creativity with an authentic, cross-discipline and grassroots feel. Midwest UX is affordable and approachable for designers who many not have resources to make it to the pricier national and international conferences. Since the inaugural event in 2011, Midwest UX has been a hit. Compelling talks, a casual environment, discussions of innovative ideas and engaging conversations have attracted great attendees and sponsors.
Ongoing
Mentorship & Guest Speaking/ Lectures
I have a strong passion for mentoring aspiring designers or younger designers. Whether it’s helping navigate their career, sharing my experiences or giving design critiques, I always make time for someone who reaches out. I have taught 100s of students through the Design bootcamp I helped start in Chicago and I still keep in touch with many of my former students! I have even helped non-designers understand how to better work with designers or build out design teams in their organizations. I got to where I am due to great mentors and instructors myself and I am very aware of the difference the accessibility of it makes.
If you’d like to chat or grab coffee (in-person or virtually)- say hello@jjleedesign.com
2010-2011
Vancouver Korean Presbyterian Church Lighthouse Ministries
Founder Creative Ministries • Vancouver, BC
While attending this small ministry I identified how design can bring excitement and unity through its members. I helped create a creative ministry to make that happen. I helped create a brand identity, website, posters for events, and weekly service handouts. We definitely achieved creating an identity for this small and young group that got the community excited and uniting together. Design was a small part of the overall ministry but I’m proud of what we did.
The Brand Identity for Lighthouse Ministries was selected for LogoLounge 8, a publication of the world’s best logo design curated by a panelist of logo designers and experts.
2006-2012
Chicagood
Co-Founder • Chicago, IL
I founded Chicagood with a few friends as a creative studio and streetwear brand that inspired or promoted civic goodness in Chicago. We had various lines of apparel, products, and projects that utilized creativity to bring awareness to social issues in Chicago.
