I’m a principal-level UX designer and strategist who delivers high-impact work with a streamlined approach. I build scalable systems, elevate product design, and help teams move ideas from concept to launch efficiently.
Design Systems
I create component-based design frameworks where accessibility, usability, and consistency are built into the product from the start.
Digital products grow quickly. Treating each feature as a one-off solution creates inconsistency and slows teams down over time.
At BondLink, I built the company’s design system from the ground up and scaled it across a multi-platform product suite supporting over $100 billion in municipal bond issuance.
AI & Modern Workflows
I balance AI-assisted synthesis with human expertise to help teams shape ideas faster and turn them into production-ready work.
At Circle & Square, I work as an embedded design strategist with Rocket Software, building workflows that turn raw meeting notes into structured concepts and production-ready design frameworks in days instead of months.
These workflows reduce back-and-forth, make better use of team expertise, and are now being adopted across multiple internal project streams.
UX at Scale
I lead research-driven design efforts that translate complex user needs into products used by millions of people.
Knowing research methods is one thing. Applying them to real products at scale is what makes the difference.
As an Experience Design Director at Digitas, I led a multidisciplinary team designing Bank of America’s budgeting and goal-setting tools, shaping experiences used by more than 13 million customers.
Through usability testing, prototyping, card sorting, and ethnographic research, we identified the biggest barriers customers faced managing their financial health and translated those insights into production-ready tools.
Leadership
I help design teams operate more clearly, collaborate more effectively, and deliver stronger work together.
Over a 10-year career at Digitas, I grew from junior designer to VP/Director of Experience Design, leading teams across dozens of major client engagements.
My work spanned organizations including Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Goodyear, Dunkin’, General Motors, and Cessna, and contributed to award-winning projects recognized by the UX Awards, MITX Awards, Webby Awards, and OMMA Awards.
In addition to directing project work, I helped lead and mentor our department of experience designers across disciplines including UX, visual design, and research.
Testimonials
Colleagues and partners consistently describe me as someone who raises the level of the work around them.
Michael has been an incredible mentor and collaborator, equipped with a powerful combination of talent, leadership, patience, and insight. His ability to provide clear, constructive feedback has helped me grow not only as a designer but also as a creative thinker. I’m lucky to have gotten to work so closely with him for 6 years, and I guarantee anyone who works with him will feel the same way.
Cass Hebert
Senior Product Designer on my team at BondLink
Michael is one of my favorite people both personally and professionally. Whenever he was allocated to a project I was on, I knew that the work would be beautiful, the team would feel they had a dedicated creative leader, and our clients would be happy to have a partner who is both innovative and thoughtful. Any creative team would be lucky to have Michael at the helm.
Meghan Ward
Account Management partner at Digitas
Beyond being a great manager and mentor to me while working together, Michael just knew how to get things done. He had a way of persevering even when clients pushed back on what he believed to be a great idea that I’ve always admired. I loved working on projects with him because I knew he would always have our back and he made it a priority to care for the people around him.
Amanda Santello
Senior Experience Designer on my team at Digitas
Michael is hands down the best all-around designer I’ve worked with in 17 years in software engineering. His understanding of both design and the HTML/CSS required to build what he creates is unmatched. He would be an immediate asset to any product engineering team, and I would hire him again without hesitation.
Justin Leider
Director of Frontend Engineering I partnered with at BondLink
About Me
I’ve been designing websites since I was a teenager in Maine in the mid-90s, and today I live in the vibrant Cape Cod artist community of Provincetown, Massachusetts.
Outside my work in UX and product design, I stay active in creative circles through music, fashion, and drag, which continue to shape how I think about storytelling, identity, and artistic expression.
I’m currently open to new opportunities and would love to hear from you.