Lead Product Designer at Runwise in NYC, designing interactions for smart building technology
"She makes the complex simple."
"Maria has redefined my expectations on what a Designer can do. To any Designer in the future who finds my expectations difficult, you have Maria to blame. To call her a Designer is a massive under-representation — she is a humble master of visual communication in the most comprehensive way. Be it ads, websites, product UX/UI, sales decks, internal presentations, brand explorations, stylescapes (I only know what this is because of her), you name it — she can effectively communicate and amplify the most nuanced ideas and user experiences. She makes the complex simple."
Scott"An absolute joy and an absolute force to work with."
"Maria has somehow managed to strike the balance between being an absolute joy and an absolute force to work with. Her smarts, savvy, and design style make her a powerful addition to any team, and her design skills are best in class. In addition to collaborating on brand strategy, website creation, and visual identity work for the broader business, Maria was also a design partner for our B2B SaaS / subscription product — contributing to everything from UI/UX work on the product and platform itself (prototypes, wireframing, interaction design, solving userflow issues) to the visual system and user experience for the assets users derived the most value from."
Victoria"Her drive and commitment motivated me to improve my own design and leadership skills."
"She is a creative powerhouse, always impressing us with her outstanding design skills and ability to deliver top-notch work on every project. Working with Maria was a true inspiration, as her drive and commitment motivated me to improve my own design and leadership skills."
Marcel"She knows exactly when to follow or break the rules."
"As a copywriter, having a positive relationship with designers is critical to bringing complex concepts to life. Maria is that magical designer who can not only take a concept and run with it, but give it a fresh and creative spin that makes it even STRONGER. She has a fundamental understanding of design principles and best practices — and knows exactly when to either follow or BREAK those rules in order to create genuinely interesting work that compels people to lean in a bit closer."
LexI focus on human-centric product experiences for data platforms: turning dense, technical systems into something people can actually read, trust, and act on. Right now that means smart building technology at Runwise. Previously I designed branded user experiences at Radar, Refine Labs, and Datadog.
When I'm not designing, I'm probably doing a leaf inspection for one of my 22 plants, experimenting with a new (and probably spicy) recipe, or slowly teaching myself piano. Reach out on LinkedIn or by email to chat.
Aesthetics and usability aren't opposing forces, they're partners. I design experiences that feel intuitive first, and elegant because of that intuition. When something looks and feels considered, people trust it more. That's not decoration. That's function.
Whether it's a savings chart or an onboarding flow, understanding comes first. If someone gets what they're seeing in a glance, I've done my job. I came from psychology for a reason; I design to reduce cognitive load, not add to it.
Sharp corners, smooth curves. Technical meets human. The most interesting design lives in contrast: precise yet approachable, confident yet warm. I lean into that tension because it's where personality lives.