Justin Paluch

Product Designer in Pittsburgh, PA, USA, He/Him

About

In 10+ years of product design and research experience, I’ve helped shoppers find what they’re looking for at Walmart, players enjoy their favorite games at Electronic Arts, and RNs manage their schedules in the highest-rated mobile app for nurses. All while helping those businesses meet their goals.

When I'm not at work trying to make complex things seem simple, you might find me in the kitchen making things needlessly difficult, or on my bike avoiding the resultant mess.

Work Experience

2019 — 2024
Remote, US
  • Led the design and user research efforts on EssentialDX, an AI-powered, SaaS solution for diagnosing company culture issues, and improving executive search time-to-hire and retention.

  • Established the processes and performed the duties of the marketing design, product design, and user research practices.

  • Hired and managed a marketing design contractor.

  • Created personas and user journeys informed by qualitative data gathered via interviews with Human Resource leaders and internal analysts.

  • Drafted a design system to enable rapid iteration as the product grew.

2018 — 2019
Portland, OR
  • Led the design efforts of the #1 rated and top-downloaded app for nurses. It reached 4.9 stars on the  iOS App Store, and 4.5 stars on Google Play.

  • Designed the self-scheduling feature that allows nurses to request their desired shifts in order to reduce the complexity and time required for their manager to create a schedule.

  • Unified the design teams across the organization, to create a more consistent brand experience across all touch points. Organized the first usability tests. Simplified the product design stack to Figma and reduced source file confusion, and overall cost per seat by 75%.

  • Mentored junior designers and product managers.

  • Designed our users’ most-requested feature, which provides them with an interface to compare their schedule with a colleague. Increased app downloads from 300 to 500 per day with no paid marketing.

2016 — 2017
Portland, OR
  • Overhauled the mobile apps doubling the number of shares and increasing session length.

  • Established the internal design and research practices as the first in-house designer for a B2B content discovery, curation, and social selling platform.

  • Worked closely with our product and engineering teams to gain consensus and clarity around product features and goals; as well as identify any technical hurdles.

  • Redesigned the marketing, site including art direction and management of outside contractors.

  • Made data-driven enhancements to existing features, and designed new functionality.

2014 — 2016
Redwood Shores, CA
  • Redesigned the EA Access application for Xbox One, doubling the subscriber base in two quarters.

  • Designed a new interface for volume-based discounts on Origin that expanding our design system.

  • Conducted usability testing with our research team, gathering qualitative data for design improvements.

  • Redesigned the Origin product and launched Origin Access, leading to a 31% increase in digital revenue. Conducted card sorts, and leveraged analytics data to inform design decision making.

2013 — 2014
Denver, CO
  • Designed the alternate route selection, POI information sheets, and transit routes for the mobile apps, maintaining $3.5 million in revenue.

  • Designed the commute application, which garnered half of a million downloads.

  • Lead the most-significant redesign in MapQuest’s 18 year history which moved the site to a responsive design providing our users with more information about their destinations.

  • Redesigned the “Print” page, the second most used functionality on the site. Worked with our data and advertising teams to minimize impact on revenue with an improved user experience.

  • Rebuilt the user research practice establishing new vendor relations, recruiting users, and facilitating usability tests.

2014 — 2014
San Bruno, CA
  • Created in-store maps and stock on-hand mobile experiences.

  • Conducted guerrilla usability tests with in-store shoppers to gain customer insights.

  • Redesigned the search result pages for Android tablets.

2012 — 2013
Golden, CO
  • Established the user experience practice at the company as part of the initial team of six designers.

  • Redesigned the core applications for iOS and Android.

  • Designed the Home911 mobile app to address time-sensitive home repairs.

  • Wrote scenarios, created prototypes, and facilitated usability tests for mobile and desktop products.

Volunteering

2024 — Now
Pittsburgh, PA
2020 — Now
2022 — Now
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
2020 — 2022

Education