What I do
I work with cross-functional teams to deliver products from zero-to-one. I partner with stakeholders to gather product requirements, collaborate with engineering teams to plan sprints and refine user stories, and support design teams by removing blockers to optimize the design process.
Process
Requirements gathering, research, user journeys, wireframing, prototyping
Tools
Figma, HTML/CSS, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Jira, Miro
Engagement
Stakeholder feedback, engineering refinement, sprint planning, design reviews
Leadership
Servant-leadership, user advocacy, mentorship, coaching, career development
See my work
Rover
Travel app
Rover is a community-based travel app focused on building authentic experiences through AI-powered, peer-to-peer travel recommendations and establishing meaningful user connections.
Digital pharmacy
B2B2C Saas platform facilitating physician-to-patient protocol recommendations for improved health outcomes.
Affiliates portal
Innovation Refunds was looking to partner with affiliate customers to drive referrals for our credits and incentives program.
Surf fitness app
Surf Ready Fitness, a premier science-based, surf-specific training program, required a redesign to their mobile application.
Work experience
Senior Manager, UX Design / Innovation Refunds
Led end-to-end product design process, leveraging human-centered methodologies to optimize customer experiences, reduce user pain points, and increase conversion times.
Delivered zero-to-one product MVP for user dashboard, integrating third-party tax monitoring software, 2FA, and lending services for over 8,000 customers.
Managed a team of UX designers, interaction designers, and technical writers, providing mentorship and fostering team culture.
Partnered with cross-functional team leads to plan and prioritize business targets and ensure on-time shipment of products.
Successfully implemented Agile framework within product department, conducting sprint planning sessions, daily stand-ups, design reviews, and retrospectives to foster greater team collaboration.
Senior UX Designer / Innovation Refunds
Automated tax credit application process by enabling customers to easily connect third- party payroll software, servicing over 20 industry-leading providers.
Developed and deployed design system for suite of branded products.
Designed POC for new and disruptive fintech products, conducting user interviews, developing user personas, and designing hi-fi prototypes for stakeholder feedback.
Senior Manager, Design & Brand / Metagenics
Designed mobile-first B2B2C ecommerce platform enabling practitioners to make nutritional recommendations with a focus on greater patient adherence and outcomes.
Led a multidisciplinary team of UX designers, package designers, and digital marketers.
Successfully led an effort to digitize our company brand book, allowing global commercial departments to more efficiently share resources and maintain brand consistency.
Functioned as Product Owner to a cross-functional commercial team to drive initiatives aimed at testing new e-commerce product enhancements.
Manager, Digital Products / Metagenics
Led a team of designers focused on enhancing e-commerce experiences to drive patient adherence and improve protocol outcomes.
Increased e-commerce subscription sales by 200% by redesigning product pages, based on heuristics and industry-standards.
Was instrumental to a company-wide, Agile transformation to refocus commercial teams into Spotify-model framework.
UI/UX Designer / Metagenics
Responsible for all deliverables in the product design process (wire-frames, mock-ups, documentation) aimed at improving our practitioner-to-patient e-commerce experience.
Provided direction to off-site software engineering teams to develop e-commerce feature enhancements.
Web Designer / Distribution13
Interactive Designer / SoftVu, LL
Graphic Designer / Sounden Studios
ELVTR
Certificate: Intro to AI Product Design
University of San Diego
Degree: Bachelor of Fine Arts
Concentrations: Visual Communications, Painting
Hear what others say
During his tenure at Innovation Refunds, Steve consistently demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to excellence in leading the UX team. Steve possesses a rare combination of creativity and technical expertise, allowing him to conceptualize groundbreaking solutions while ensuring their feasibility within the constraints of our projects.
He fostered a collaborative environment within our team, encouraging open communication and the exchange of ideas. His ability to mentor and motivate team members not only enhanced productivity but also contributed to the professional growth of everyone involved.
One of Steve's standout qualities is his unwavering dedication to understanding user needs. He conducted thorough research and analysis to gain valuable insights, which informed our design decisions and ultimately led to the delivery of user-centric products. Steve Ettlin is an invaluable asset to any organization and a seasoned UX design professional who can drive innovation and deliver results.
Director of UX
I've had the pleasure of working with many talented designers in my career-but Steve's something special. He's the rare combination of talent, technical expertise, and emotional intelligence.
From understanding the subtle nuances of email marketing to resolving complex technical problems that arise as you build out a new website, I've seen Steve tackle it all. He's an asset to any company looking build a strong creative team, improve their messaging, and create user-friendly digital interfaces.
With his help, you'll be able to tackle any challenge that may arise.
If you need a strong creative leader, with incredible people skills, AND the technical expertise to shore it all up-he's your fella.
Director of Strategic Marketing