Product / UX Design

Designing clarity into complex systems.

How I operate
Sole designer, multiple times
I’ve been the only designer in the room with founders and stakeholders, owning every decision from problem definition through dev handoff. No design lead. No PM filtering requests.
See KnowQuest case study →
What I ship
Concept to product in 2 weeks
Jose AI started as an idea with zero artifacts. I scoped what to build, designed every flow, and delivered a complete AI SaaS MVP. Not executing a spec. Deciding what the product should be.
See Jose AI case study →
How I think
Self-initiated, self-validated
I saw broken parking UX in Edmonton, prototyped a fix using AI-assisted design tooling, and tested it with 5 real users. 47% faster task completion. Nobody asked me to do any of it.
See HotSpot Parking case study →
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Jose AI

Problem

SCALEDai had research on restaurant operator pain points but no product. Two weeks to turn it into something investors could put in their hands.

Context

Lead Product Designer with founders
Zero prior artifacts
Publicly demoed at KDays 2025

Outcome

Shipped a complete AI SaaS MVP in a 2-week sprint. Live at joseai.ca.
View Case Study

KnowQuest

Problem

KnowQuest's (a review platform) existing app had trust gaps across its verification and rewards system. I led the full redesign as the only designer on the team.

Context

Reporting directly to the CEO
Research through dev handoff
Shipped in-dev native iOS and Android

Outcome

7-month native mobile redesign as sole designer. 9 of 10 users completed the core task.
View Case Study

HotSpot Parking

Problem

Edmonton's browser-based parking flow took new users 1:33 to complete. I tested it, rebuilt it with AI-assisted tooling, and tested it again.

Context

5-user baseline and validation
Research through dev handoff
Human-reviewed AI output

Outcome

47% faster registration. Self-initiated redesign. Caught 4 issues the AI missed.
View Case Study

SPIN2

Problem

SPIN2 is a regulated search system where the legal language couldn't change but the navigation had to become learnable. I restructured the IA without touching the terminology.

Context

Reviewed Alberta land title search system
Redesigned information architecture
No legal terminology changes

Outcome

Gov enterprise IA redesign. 8 of 11 users succeeded on first-click.
View Case Study

Johnny's Store

Work in Progress

Problem

A 124-year-old general store with a loyal local following and near-zero digital presence. The place had character, history, and a real reason to visit, but nothing online that communicated any of it or gave someone in Edmonton a reason to make the drive.

Context

Designed mobile-first for the business
Research-driven IA, content strategy, and SEO across all pages
Translated 122 years of physical-world character into a digital identity

Outcome

Full 10-page Webflow site temporarily staged. Visual identity, content strategy, and IA designed from scratch. (Metrics pending post-launch.)
View Case Study

selected work

Jose AI: Full MVP in 2 Weeks

AI trust · Guided workflows · Operator clarity
Shipped full MVP in 2-week sprint — comprehension testing identified V2 onboarding priorities.

Jose AI

Conversation-first budgeting that turns questions into next actions.

KnowQuest: 7-Month Mobile Redesign, Sole Designer

Trust signals · System states · Redemption safeguards
9/10 users completed core task

KnowQuest

Verification-first reviews and rewards for consumers and businesses.

HotSpot Parking: 47% Faster in One Iteration

Usability testing · AI-assisted prototyping · Flow redesign
Reduced registration time by 47% across 5 users

HotSpot Parking

Faster parking registration for Edmonton's metered zones.

Government IA Without Dumbing It Down

IA redesign · In-flow guidance · Jargon navigation
8/11 users succeeded on first-click task

SPIN2

Regulated search made learnable without changing legal terminology.

Interactive Experiment

My Playground
Not every idea needs a brief.
The playground is a macOS desktop built inside a portfolio site. Side projects live as files and apps.
Open the playground →

Claritree

A decision clarity app for people who feel emotionally overwhelmed. Not an advice engine: a thinking tool. You speak or type what's on your mind. A living tree grows. Branches represent directions you could take. The app gives structure. You make the decision.

Claritree

This will show a case study. For a more immersive experience, open this app on Andre's Playground.

GLasspour

A parody of Glassdoor, Glasspour is an interactive bar cocktail mixing game for hiring managers who could use a drink after reviewing resumes all day. Designed in 3 hours using Figma Make AI.

Glasspour

Find this game on Andre's Playground.
Andre Arabejo