Drake Web Pilot
Drake's first product pilot program, validated with 100+ professionals during live tax season.
Michael Stewart
I design for the hard problems, the ones where clarity, not style, is what users actually need.
Drake Legacy Tax
Modernizing a workhorse desktop app without disrupting the people who depend on it.
Drake New Sales & Renewals
Making annual software renewal fast enough that users barely notice it.
IBM Microclimate
Helping developers move from monolithic apps to microservices without getting lost.
IBM Operations Analytics
Getting ahead of data center failures before they become outages.
Impartner Referrals
Designing a referral program that motivated partners without creating overhead for administrators.
Impartner Business Planning
Turning a time-consuming planning process into something partners would actually complete.
Impartner MDF
Giving partners clarity on funding rules so they could spend with confidence.
What I can do for you
Focusing on user challenges and business goals, I bring a research-grounded, systems-level approach to product design — from discovery through delivery.
UX Design
Focusing on our user's challenges, I seek to simplify and clarify complex software experiences.
User Research
User interviews, contextual inquiries, A/B testing, usability testing, surveys. Let's find the best, most cost-effective means to communicate with, understand, and design for the needs of our users.
Systems Mapping
Complex products rarely fail at the screen level. I map workflows end-to-end, across roles and touchpoints, to find where the real friction lives before any design work begins.
Cross-functional Alignment
Good design decisions don't survive in isolation. I work across product, engineering, and stakeholders to build shared understanding and keep teams moving in the same direction.
Facilitation
Guiding teams through Design Thinking exercises to drive alignment.
Advocacy
UX Design and User Research are often misunderstood in software organizations — I can help to present, clarify, and promote the team's contributions.
About Michael
Designer, researcher, and facilitator who knows that the best outcomes start with the right conversation.
I hold a B.A. in Peace & Conflict Studies from U.C. Berkeley, including a semester studying abroad in Mexico, with a focus on community-based education.
Studying how communities navigate conflict and competing interests turned out to be useful training for design work. It taught me to look for the system behind the problem, and to take seriously the different perspectives people bring to finding a solution.
I later earned an M.A. in Multimedia from California State University, East Bay, where my thesis team explored the cultural impact of digital media.
In 2023, I enhanced my skills by earning Nielsen Norman Group certifications in both UX Design and User Research.
Outside of design work, I enjoy spending time outdoors — cycling is my favorite pastime, though I also appreciate a good hike.
Originally from California, I now call Vancouver, WA home.
“Good design, when it's done well, becomes invisible. It's only when it's done poorly that we notice it.”
— Jared Spool