I design
|effective
digital products and experiences around them.
Hi, I am Matt! I have been doing UI/UX and Product design & consultancy for 7 years.
I specialize in improving experiences in B2B SaaS products.
Learn moreWhat I can do for you
Improving existing digital products
I get to the bottom of the situation, and using tried & tested process I design new ways of delighing your customers and improving revenue or other important metrics for your business.
Designing early-stage digital products
I help discover functionalities that are essential from your customers' stand point and facilitate customer-centric process of building digital product that enables avoiding costly mistakes later on.
Digital product consulting (UX/UI)
I step into your product development cycle, your product, features and conversion & acquisition tactics to make sure that they are focused on your customers' world, challenges, pain points, wants and needs.
Area of expertise
UI/UX
- User centered design (UCD)
- Mockuping, Wireframing & prototyping
- Interaction and interface design (HCI & UI)
- Planning and conducting user/market research
- Information Architecture (IA)
- Planning and conducting test & evaluation activities
- Designing information architecture (IA), flows & use cases
- Creating design systems
- Usage of gamification in digital product
Product design
- Designing processes, methods & funnels
- Optimiizng growth & conversion based on analytic data
- Facilitating communication within product team (users (user <-> devs <-> client <-> business)
- Supporting customer development activities
Tools
- Axure, Sketch, Figma, Invision, Principle, Flinto, Framer
- Photoshop, Illustrator, Affinity Designer
- Google Analytics, Hotjar, Crazy Egg
- Slack, JIRA, and other frequently used software in dev
Other
- Knowledge about the software development cycle
- Understanding areas of digital products (AARRR)
- Copywriting & positioning
- HTML5/CSS3/JS (ES6)
- First-hand experience in agile development (as a dev & designer)
My work
1/Redesigning desktop B2B data management platform to SaaS application.
The summary
2 year project of redesigning & rebuilding the IQ-Platform - the modular system facilitating fast and efficent data analysis and multidivisional communication for B2B companies of any size and industry.
The mission
Main goal behind the project was to improve UX and scalability of the IQ-Platform offering - desktop based application facilitating data analysis and multidivisional communication for B2B companies of any size and industry.
Other goals were focusing on regaining lost market share (due to other more flexible solutions) and reducing cost of sales and operation.
The Outcome
- Designing new UI/UX of the application
- Creating app documentation (use cases, descriptions of components and functionalities) that is going to be used as a FAQ and tutorial for customers.
- Establishing ready to use design system enabling fast development process.
The impact
- Improved user satisfaction, look & feel and usability of the platform
- Faster further product development process due to established design system
- Potential improvement in onboarding and training process for new customers (due to designing onboarding and moving the solution to the cloud)
- Increased client's awareness regarding UX and SaaS transformation
Services
- UX design (Mapping & optimizing functionalities and tasks flow, identifying & solving design issues and challenges)
- UI design (designing modern visual design and creating design systems to facilitate further development process)
- Front-end development (building ready-to-implement design system)
- User research & testing (user & client interviews, usability testing, semi-contextual inquires)
- Product design & development management (prioritizing business goals in timeline of the SaaS product launch)
Main challenges
- Understanding the platform
- Identifying challenges and planning next steps in product development cycle
- Solving design challenges (filtering, custom modals and dashboard edition)
- Designing UI and creating design system
- Working as an only designer in the team
- Collaboration with software development team
Info
- Timeline - From early 2016 to early 2018.
Side note
Just before releasing beta version of the design system (early 2018), the client informed us that the project is going on-hold for a 2 month due to company restructurization. Unfortunately, after few months our team received an information that the project is not going to be developed further.
2/Creating and conducting the digital UX bootcamp
Summary
One year project of co-creating and conducting the digital UX bootcamp dedicated to people who want to become UX designers followed by on-going part-time conduction of the bootcamps modules.
The mission
The goal behind creating digital UX bootcamp was to increase Coders Lab market penetration and strengthen their market position as leader in education by expanding their offering beyond software development courses.
This project was also meant to reinforce activities regarding rebranding from "programming school" to "IT school" .
The outcome
- Content of the "Digital UX bootcamp" (presentations, project briefs, exercises and notes)
- Conducting lecturers & workshops within the "Digital UX bootcamp"
- Insights from market & user research
- Helping in marketing activities - design, articles, videos and webinars
- UI design of internal applications
- Improved Information Architecture (IA) of internal knowledge base dedicated for Coders Lab lecturers
The impact
- Created one of the best UX courses in the Polish market
- "UX student's satisfaction rated as "good" (NPS around 45/100 with 55% of students as promoters of the bootcamp)
- Showcasing Coders Lab as a comprehensive private educator in IT industry
- Increased market share and improved market position
- Investment costs were returned within few months after launching bootcamp
- Facilitate decision making process later in the product life cycle due to insights from user & market research
Services/roles
- UX consulting
- Creating content presentation (UX bootcamp learning materials)
- Creating projects & exercises for students to learn various topics (from UI design to strategic planning deliverables)
- Constant improvement of the UX bootcamp based on students' feedback
- Support in marketing activities
- Conducting workshops (design sprint, custom workshops) and lectures
- Mentoring students throughout the UX bootcamp
- Filling the knowledge gap of the students in the UX design
- Planning & setting projects schedules for the students individual projects
- Solving ad-hoc issues and helping in design activities
- Motivating students throughout the UX bootcamp
- User/market research
- Conducting customer research, competitive analysis and benchmarking while creating bootcamp learning materials
- Conducting end-to-end research & ideation regarding practise projects for students
- Cognitive walkthrough, observation and shadowing students throughout the UX bootcamp
- Product & Service design
- Improving processes flows and journeys within the product-service hybrid UX bootcamp
- Connecting touchpoints and experiences across user's journey (from start of the bootcamp, throughout projects, workshops, homeworks and lecturers, to the final stage of the bootcamp)
- UI design
Main challenges
- Creating UX course bootcamp content from scratch
- Creating UX projects for students (researching problems, defining functionalities, preparing deliverables, creating workflows & frameworks)
- Translating UX concepts into easy to understand concepts, exercises and lectures.
- Solving unique students issues regarding understanding of the topic, picking up the topics for personal project and overal mentoring and nurturing Created one of the best UX courses in the Polish market
Info
- Activities regarding creation of the digital UX bootcamp - from early 2018 to early 2019
- Conducting workshops & lectures - from mid 2018 to early 2020
Side notes
Between mid 2018 and early 2020 I've conducted around 300 hours of lecturers & workshops, spent 150h+ on mentoring students and consulted 50 different UX projects.
3/Designing web-based service management application in Renevable Energy industry
The summary
3 month project of designing a field service management application that facilitates integrating, processing and presenting data related to generation, storage and use of energy from Renevable Energy Sources farms.
The mission
Main goal behind the project was to expand Electrum Service offering and improve their market position in Poland while improving daily job of their customers - Renevable Energy Sources farms owners and managers.
The outcome
- Successfully delivering the first version of the web-based application within tight deadline.
The impact
- Expanding Electrum's offering & market share by providing the first-on-the market application to manage data from Renevable Energy Source (RES) farms
- Strengthen Electrum's market position
- Reducing operational costs, failure rates for Electrum's customers (RES farms)
- Improving technological processes, safety and the quality of energy for the RES farms
Services
- UI/UX design & consultations
- Selecting, designing and modifying the UI throughout the development process
- Product development process design & optimization
- Customizing & managing the customer-centric process to fit external circumstances, technical possibilites and overall business goals behind the project
- Software development support
- Helping in front-end development
Main challenges
- Build the complex app from scratch with 3 months deadline
- Technical aspects of getting data from Renevable Energy Source (RES) Farms to web-app
- Fit product & customer-centric development process within tight deadline
- Fitting UI/UX process into technical-oriented challenge
Side notes
Client had been building the final product on their own since we finished the project on our MVP in mid 2017. Technical side of the project was basically finished so further product development would require one or two people who understand how to get the data needed from the API and its methods.
Based on Electrum's social media activities, the final version of the product came out in mid 2019.
4/Designing mobile app to manage bills & home expenses
Summary
4 month project of designing mobile application facilitating automated home budget management in terms of bills and other day-to-day costs.
The mission
The goal behind the project was to solve the problem of home budget management in automated, convenient and efficient way that no other applications in Polish market been able to do that back then (mid 2018).
The outcome
- Ready to launch MVP of the application with hi-fidelity design for the Android platform.
The impact
- Completing on the biggest milestone (designing UI/UX) that enables moving forward within the project development process
- Increased client's awareness regarding UX design within development cycle
Services/roles
- UI/UX design
- Designing flows, processes, prototypes screens
- UX consulting
- Fitting client's vision into user & task flows
- User/market research
- Exploratory interviews with potential users
- Competitve analysis & benchmarking
- Product design
- Ffitting flows & processes within technological constraints
- User testing (Guerilla usability testing, SUS)
Main challenges
- Executing design process within highly technical-oriented product development process
- Optimizing the user flows based on technical documentation
- Designing visually appealing UI
Info
- Client - 2 private investors working in IT industry
- Timeline - From 02.2018 to 07.2018
Side notes
After 4 months of development, the project went into a different direction, so I decided to not continue working on the new vision of the app. To my knowledge, UI/UX design eventually did not get implemented and the product hasn't been built into working mobile application.
5/ADOPTACOVER - MARKETPLACE FOR MUSIC ALBUM DESIGNS
The summary
Almost 2 year project of building web-based marketplace system that connects designers with music bands who wants to release their album without designing album cover from scratch.
The mission
The goal behind the project was to facilitate album releasing process for music bands and help them find the best design for their album cover without hassle and uneccessary costs.
The outcome
- Working web-based application meeting client's requirements
- Upskilled client in business, design and IT technology
The impact
- Scalable, secure and fast web-based application that enables moving forward in startup launching process
- Client gained first-hand experience in startup development process
Services
- Software development (front & back-end development)
- Product design (identifying requirements, prioritizing scope)
- Technical consulting (selecting best technology solutions for the project)
- Business consulting (planning next steps in startup development cycle)
- Project management (configuring workflows, tools to facilitate collaboration)
Main challenges
- Defining clear vision of the product in early stages of development
- Prioritising functionalities considering MVP of the product and overall client's vision
- Scope changes within development cycle (agile & sprints)
Info
- Client - Private investor working as a marketing specialist
- Timeline - from early 2015 to late 2016.
Side notes
Official launch of the marketplace was in late 2016. As far as we know, the project stopped being supported and developed in late 2017. That project was a tipping point for me to solely focus on UI/UX & product design in my career.
6/Other projects
About the projects
During 7 years I designed more than 20 websites/UIs, coded front-end for about 40 projects and was involved into many startup activities (including my own). I also designed logotypes, POS materials and did other marketing activities.
About me
Mateusz (Matt) Wolniak
Short description
I am a self-driven, growth-oriented, 29 years old UX/UI designer with a great understanding of people, technology and business. I focus on designing great, holistic experience for customers that drives growth & revenue. That makes me tick.
Download my CV My purpose and values (company webpage)Capabilities
That's the first step in product design process. Its main purpose is to understand the business, users, customers and market dynamics and define crystal clear plan of developing the idea of how the product might fit in the market and customers' lives. It's a process to discover "are we building right things".
Plan (a.k.a strategy) is a roadmap to get from point A to point B.
In other words, it's a plan of achieving desired state (business goals) based on current situation.
In product design, Plan is the most important stage because it encapsulates everything that designers need to know to successfully design a solution.
Activity
What is it?
Defining brand, customers and market characteristics & attributes.
Benefits:
Improvement in speed and efficency of the product development cycle.
Activity
What is it?
Clarifying mission, goals & business needs.
Benefits
Improving focus, efficency and motivation of the project team.
Activity
What is it?
Formulating and planning the development process.
Benefits
Reducing uncertainty among the project team & stakeholders.
In order to design great product, it's essential to know its recipients. Discovering user & customers needs, challenges, pain points, motivations, aspirations, values, objections is the foundation of any design process The other half of the equation for successful product is auditing, analysing & benchmarking market dynamics & competitors to identify what can make or break your product.
Activity
What is it?
Seeing things in a new way, disrupting biased perspectives, clarifying problem & opportunity space clearly by asking the right questions.
Benefits
New perspectives and ideas to understand & solve project challenges.
Activity
What is it?
Deep understanding of the customers, market dynamics and competitors' digital products.
Benefits
Understanding the end-user and identifying what makes the product desirable on the market.
Activity
What is it?
Applying critical thinking and analysing, assesing, synthesing, evaluating and reflecting on information gathered in research.
Benefits
Identifying ways to gain competitive advantage and deliver great value for the end-users.
Once research is done, you have a lot of data and observations.
Analysing & synthesizing crucial information related to the business goals and customers needs is something that can really move the neddle for your product. Visualizing research data as well as identifying functional and behavioral patterns and presenting them in easy to understand deliverables can improve design process tremendously.
Activity
What is it?
Discovering new ways of thinking about the challenges, generating new insights and visualing research data.
Benefits
Deep understanding of the project challenges that facilitate effective problem solving.
Activity
What is it?
Reflecting on the research data, sumarizing & prioritizing challenges and decisions, establishing project principles.
Benefits
Gaining clarity and confidence regarding the best possible direction of the project.
Activity
What is it?
Making decision about next actions in the project, establishing project direction, KPI, iterations, management.
Benefits
Clear project agenda that reduces cost of development by focusing on essentials.
Once there is mutual understanding of "What" , "Who" , "Where" , "Why" of the project, the right solution can be designed.
It's a process to discover "are we building things the right way".
Once the "Know" phase is over, it's time to actually create something. Create phase is a creative process focusing on designing potential solutions to the identified goals.
Activity
What is it?
Generating concepts and functionalities based on insights, goals & research.
Benefits:
User-oriented functionalities and solutions.
Activity
What is it?
Verifying & improving concepts and decisions based on real world feedback as quickly as possible.
Benefits
Possibility of creating real differentiation in the developing product.
Activity
What is it?
Selecting & prioritizing concepts and conducting experiments to confirm which concepts show promise.
Benefits
Not wasting time on on untested and unproven concepts.
Making ideas & conceptcs tangible
Activity
What is it?
Figuring out layout and interactions for defined functionalities.
Benefits
Speeding up the design process by making concepts tangible.
Activity
What is it?
Creating interactions across product eco-system showcasing real-life usage.
Benefits
Building ready to test emulation of working product without developers.
Activity
What is it?
Designing final look, flows, and behaviors of the digital product.
Benefits
Ready to implement prototype.
Testing & evaluating the prototypes to find out the customer-product fit.
Activity
What is it?
Planning, prioritizing and conducting tests on the design to discover ways of improving the product.
Benefits
Gaining insights about how the product is perceived by the end-user.
Activity
What is it?
Evaluating, generating insights and capture learnings from conducted tests.
Benefits
Incorporating real user feedback early in the development process and make better decisions throughout the project.
Activity
What is it?
Iterating design & prototype to fix issues and improve product and experiences of the end-user.
Benefits
Identifying sub-optimal experiences and improving them before the product is live.
Once the solution is created, it's time to implement it into real world. Design itself never makes a difference in the end-users' lives.
It's a process to "make design alive the right way".
Once the prototype is validated with users, it's time to build the real-life working product.
Activity
What is it?
Delivering well documented & ready-to-code design in dev favourite tools.
Benefits:
Streamlining development process.
Activity
What is it?
Support & troubleshooting developers work in agile environment
Benefits
Streamlining development process.
Activity
What is it?
Evaluation and testing developed product to ensure quality from design.
Benefits
Bug free design that experience and usability matches the ones from the prototype.
Product itself is not enough to achieve success in the crowded market. Getting traction is sometimes harder than building the product.
Activity
What is it?
Designing efficent processes & funnels that delight customers.
Benefits
Improved control on the customer experience.
Activity
What is it?
Discovering ways of getting to the target audience based on user research.
Benefits
Increased leads number.
Activity
What is it?
Facilitate grow across channels and touchpoints using tried & tested methods.
Benefits
Generating new leads & drive more conversion.
Once everything is working, it's time to optimize the holistic experience around the product to really scale the business and improve revenue.
Activity
What is it?
Improving relevance & clarity of value proposition throughout the most important touchpoints.
Benefits
Increasing customer retention and decreasing churn.
Activity
What is it?
Fixing, optimizing and connecting suboptimal experiences across the customer journey.
Benefits
Dazzling your customers and getting ahead of your competitors.
Activity
What is it?
Designing new ways of delivering value for customers.
Benefits
Potential disruption in your niche and becoming a market leader.
My clients say
Tomasz Augustyniak - Intensis Software
During many years of cooperation together, we successfully completed over a dozen projects! They are always available, have excellent communication skills and are willing to share their knowledge.
Cooperating with them is a pleasure and a very nice experience!
Dr. Wolfgang Reiterer - Biotrem, wore.at
A passionate and professional approach to marketing based on knowledge and experience.
Good communication and projects were completed on time. Very helpful, I can truly recommend them.
Marcin Kuzniak - Bueller & Frye
Reliable, fast and (most importantly) on time!
Sincere engagement in projects, good communication and work organization. Worth recommending.
Elzbieta Gradziel - Coders Lab
Mateusz was a key member of the team responsible for creating the Digital UX course at Coders Lab.
Throughout the remote collaboration, he showcased his cross-disciplinary knowledge in business, design & strategy.
His deep understanding of the UX field and ability to receive and incorporate feedback facilitated the creation of tangible solutions.