I’m a UX design leader,
design thinker, researcher, & resourceful problem
solver.
Designer & Researcher
I see design and research as inseparable. I started my career as a Visual Designer and transitioned into UX Research and Design. I completed a year-long research talent share to expand my skillset while maintaining my regular leadership responsibilities.
design Systems Expert
I know what it takes to build, scale, and govern a design system across an enterprise. I built the first design system at Allstate and was integral to its evolution over the next eight years. I helped to transform it into a free-standing product with a dedicated team.
Design Thinker
I am a certified professional facilitator trained in LUMA Institute human-centered design methods. I evangelize design thinking to tackle problems and design powerful solutions. I trust the design thinking process to unlock empathy and imagination.
UX Leader
I led multidisciplinary teams on multi-million complex software products for Fortune 50 companies. The people, their passion, and the collaboration made those projects meaningful and successful. I lead with empathy to empower and inspire.
FEATURED WORK
100 DAYS: TRANSFORMATION OF SMALL BUSINESS INSURANCE AT ALLSTATE
This narrative details how I collaborated with Accenture and Duck Creek to develop a cutting-edge quoting platform tailored for Small Business Owners within a remarkable timeframe of 100 days. We reduced processing time from several days to just 10 minutes. Within a year of its implementation, the platform facilitated nearly $300 million in commercial auto premiums, surpassing the business generated by the previous legacy system.
DESIGN SYSTEM: EVOLUTION OVER THE YEARS
BUILDING, SCALING AND INCREASING ADOPTION
This narrative recounts my journey in establishing the inaugural Design System at Allstate, rapidly expanding its utilization to encompass over 40 product teams within a year's time. Over the subsequent years, I spearheaded its evolution into a self-sustaining product with a dedicated team. Additionally, in 2023, I devised a comprehensive governance and adoption strategy to ensure its seamless integration and effectiveness across the organization.
FLEX: INNOVATIVE MEMBERSHIP INSURANCE PLATFORM FOR ALLSTATE
It is a story of how I worked closely with our business partners to define and refine the strategic vision for the first-ever membership insurance platform in the U.S., aiming to disrupt traditional insurance models. Additionally, I detail my efforts in cultivating trust among stakeholders, thriving amidst uncertainty, securing funding, and assembling a dynamic team consisting of UX/UI designers, researchers, and content designers, all accomplished despite facing a hiring freeze.
VISUAL DESIGN WORK SAMPLES
This PDF portfolio presents a collection of work samples from my tenure as an individual contributor at Grainger, Humana, and during the initial stages of my career at Allstate. It primarily features concept work, visual design, UI examples, and interaction design. I am still passionate about beautiful, strong, clean design.
EXPERIENCE
During my career I’ve created designs and human-centred experiences for a diverse group of brands:
TESTIMONIALS FROM MY COLLEAGUES:
I've had the privilege of collaborating with remarkable individuals. Here are a few testimonials reflecting their insights and experiences.
Kendrick Lim
Creative Director, Accenture Interactive
(vendor partner at Allstate)
Without Monika's help during our time on the project together, I don't see how the project would've succeeded at all. Monika understood all facets of the UX and UI practice, that she led her team to be as efficient as possible. I'd say it was a match made in heaven! Monika's knowledge and drive really shined during the toughest stretches of the project. She took lead in assigning work, made sure everyone had what they needed, and made every person accountable for their responsibility. Her deep knowledge of UX and UI became a continuous reminder to the team to uphold the brand values of Allstate. By the end of this project, our team was celebrated because of what we accomplished in such a short period of time. This project was not a revamp of something existing. This project was creating something entirely new from the ground up.
Monika is a true force in the industry. I will not hesitate to work with her again when given the opportunity.
Jon Gunnison
Technical Product Manager at Allstate
(my technology counterpart for the Design System)
“Monika has a knack for leading large projects and initiatives optimally across disciplines. Monika is a talented and outstanding leader; any company would be lucky to have her.”
Seth Goodchild
Product Director, Allstate Business Insurance
(one of my business partners at Allstate)
“Monika is an advocate for high-quality UX process, dedicated to evidence-based design and fun to collaborate with. Bottom line, Monika is valuable to the team. Smart, kind and skilled. We’re happy to have her as a design lead."
Jocelyn Yumang
AVP, Product Design Wells Fargo
(my mentee and designer on my team at Allstate)
“Monika is a Leader, a Teacher, and an Innovator.
She taught me the principles and standards of user experience. Monika is knowledgeable, dedicated, ambitious, thoughtful, and passionate in her work.”
Nicholas Paredes
Executive Director User Experience, JP Morgan Chase
(my dotted line manager at Grainger)
“Monika has contributed to the Mobile UX team at Grainger as an embedded designer. She has been effective at building strong relationships with the business, development, and UX team members, and the quality of her work has been great.”
More recommendations are available to read on my LinkedIn profile.