Hi there, I'm Marisa.

I'm a strategic and collaborative designer driven by curiosity and a passion for user-centered solutions.

My work spans UX/UI, visual design, and branding, always focusing on connection—understanding people, their needs, and the systems they navigate. Approaching each project with empathy and a research-driven mindset.

Let's make something! 

Past work

AT&T Performing Arts Center
Heifer International
The Paramount Theater of Austin
United Way of Los Angeles
Ambit Energy App
U.S. Renal Care
Perot Museum of Natural History & Science
George W. Bush Center
Dashboard Earth
The People’s Project and more

Experience

Senior UX Designer

The Travel Corporation, Calabasas, CA

Led full website redesign, driving 25% drop in bounce rate and 30% increase in engagement.
Migrated brand direction into a scalable Figma design system and component library.
Conducted UX discovery research (stakeholder interviews, analytics audits, journey mapping).
Designed a mobile-first, responsive luxury experience

Product Designer

Lifeblue, B-Corp Digital Creative Agency, Remote

Led brand direction and UX strategy for client projects.
Developed design systems from scratch and implemented content strategy.
Conducted user testing & A/B testing to improve experiences.
Executed final high-fidelity screens with close attention to detail.

UX Designer

Swell Inc., Los Angeles, CA

Led brand direction and UX strategy for client projects.
Developed design systems from scratch and implemented content strategy.
Conducted user testing & A/B testing to improve experiences.
Executed final high-fidelity screens with close attention to detail.

UX Designer + Visual Designer

Freelance

Led brand strategy and designed cohesive, intuitive digital experiences.
Increased user adoption by 40% for Thread Wellness.
Conducted research and identified key product improvements.
Collaborated closely with developers to streamline implementation.

A lifetime of experience as a creative, I find joy in designing beautiful,

thoughtful experiences that inspire and connect with people.

Creativity is intelligence having fun.

- Albert Einstein

Education & Certificates

Data-Driven Design, Online

Designlab 6-week course

2024

IDEO

Business Innovation & Designing Strategy

2022

Climate Change for Designers Fellow

Climate fellowship by Terro.do

2022

Designlab UX Academy, Online

UX | UI Academy Certificate

2020

Savannah College of Art & Design, Savannah, Georgia

Bachelors of Fine Arts, Design

2012

Experience

Product Designer

Lifeblue

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UX/UI Designer

Swell Inc.

UX Design Lead

Freelance

Graphic Designer

In-house & Freelance

See full cv

Hi there, I'm Marisa.

The short version..

I ask a lot of questions to understand the problems clients want to solve and the goals they want to achieve. I then create high-fidelity wireframes that aim to address those goals. Those wireframes get turned into visual interfaces, sometimes with subtle motion effects, to be prototyped and tested with real people.

The longer version..

I’m a strategic and collaborative designer with 7+ years of experience crafting thoughtful, user-centered solutions. My work spans visual design, UX/UI, and branding, but at its core, it’s all about connection—understanding people, their needs, and the systems they interact with. Curiosity drives me.

Whether it’s diving deep into user research, exploring a new industry, or picking up a fresh skill, I love learning. In 2024, I completed Designlab’s Data-Driven Design course, and in 2022, I studied climate-focused design with Terra.do. My toolkit includes Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, Webflow, and more, but tools are just that, tools. The real magic happens in collaboration, bringing together insights, strategy, and creativity to make something meaningful.

I’ve had the privilege of working with mission-driven organizations like Heifer International, AT&T Performing Arts Center, The Paramount Theater, United Way of Los Angeles, and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. Each project starts the same way: by immersing myself in the user’s world, uncovering opportunities, and designing with empathy beyond just the digital experience.

When I’m not designing, I’m probably getting lost in a  book, exploring, painting, and rock-climbing.

Thanks for stopping by!

Joshua trees

Folks are saying,

Marisa strikes the perfect balance of creativity, empathy, and technical know-how. She listened to the needs and anxieties of our team members, understood the overall vision of what we were building towards, and built a beautiful, user-friendly interface that will help us run our programs while reaching our diversity and inclusion goals.
Jaylene Chung • Development & Engagement Directer • Young Storytellers
Marisa was exceptionally communicative, professional and engaging throughout our work with her. She took the time to truly understand the mission of our business, and what we wanted to convey as our message. In fact, her insight as a designer helped us hone and clarify our vision through open-hearted conversations, advice and guidance in the design process. We highly recommend her services and look forward to working with her again.
Lauren and Cameron Prendergast • Thread Wellness