Billy So

Billy So

Product Designer in Vancouver, Canada, he / him

Work Experience

2023 — 2024
Remote

I joined Bench Accounting to contribute to the company’s shift from a service-based model to a product-led approach aimed at increasing profitability. Leading the end-to-end design process with a lean team, I focus on service mapping to visualize and streamline complex workflows, integrating technology with the unique human service element central to Bench’s offerings.

Key projects:

  • IA Updates / Navigation Redesign

  • Notifications system

2017 — 2022
Remote

I played a pivotal role in achieving the company’s $135M USD acquisition in 2022 by working closely with the CEO and the Product team. I was the first UX designer on the Product team. Being an early joiner, I worked on multiple key features of the product:

2015 — 2017
Vancouver, Canada
2015 — 2015
2013 — 2015
Vancouver, Canada

Projects

2023

The Bench app is looking to expand its self-service options. This means Bench customers will develop new behaviours for usage patterns. To support this change, it will require a reconsideration of the current information architecture to ensure a positive user experience.

Team: 1 Principal Designer; 1 PM; 3 Engineers

Timeline: 2 months

Outcomes: Average 14.4% lift for all core pages that deliver values to our customers; 12% lift in Categorization related tasks

2022

Later has been chosen as one of TikTok's official partners, tasked with integrating three APIs within a two-month timeframe to enhance the pre-existing TikTok experience within the Later platform.

As the UX lead, my responsibilities include collaborating closely with internal and external stakeholders to ensure a seamless integration of TikTok's features within Later.

Team: 1 UI Designer; 2 PM; 4 Engineers

Timeline: 2 months

Outcomes: TikTok monthly scheduled posts increase from 4000 to 10900

2021
Post Modal Redesign at Later

I led a post-modal redesign project at Later, aimed at optimizing the platform for upcoming scheduling features and improving the overall user experience.

As the lead designer, I focused on making the publishing method easier to identify, addressing common usability issues, and creating a scalable layout. This involved removing and replacing any inconsistent UI elements to ensure a more cohesive and user-friendly design.

Team: 1 UI Designer; 1 UXR; 1 PM; 3 Engineers

Timeline: 2 months

Outcomes: Average post-creating time is reduced by 9 sec; 20% of users do not notice a difference of the redesign

2014

The Database of Religious History (DRH) is a web-based database designed to gather standardized information on historical religious groups worldwide. It serves as a valuable digital humanities resource for the religious studies community. I was selected as the UX Lead working along with a dedicated UI designer to improve the data entry experience before the general release.

Team: 1 UI designer; 1 Technical Director; 2 Engineers

Timeline: 12 months

Outcomes: 15% decrease in abandon rate of data entry; Receive an additional 2.35M CAD from John Templeton Foundation

Side Projects

2024

I created this guide to save time for those starting their home espresso journey.

2020

Decide simplifies your online research by letting you explore products, watch YouTube reviews, and read professional opinions—all in one tab. It’s designed to help you make better, more informed purchase decisions without the hassle of juggling multiple tabs or sifting through overwhelming information.

Volunteering

2020 — Now

I’ve always believed that the best way to grow as a designer is by learning from mistakes, which is why I love sharing what I’ve learned with others. Through my mentorship on ADP List, I’ve had the chance to work with over 70 mentees, spending more than 3,000 minutes in one-on-one sessions. We’ve focused on everything from building portfolios to making career switches into UX and getting ready for interviews. For me, it’s not about being perfect; it’s about learning and growing together.

Education

2000 — 2004

Certifications

2022

Using psychological principles to deliver a delightful user experience that ethically aligns with business goals.

Contact

LinkedIn
Instagram