Hi, I'm Mike.
I'm a senior UX and product designer based in Walpole, Massachusetts, with 20+ years in tech, the last 15 focused on UX and product design, most recently as Head of Product Design at Bindable. My first job was building a CMS for college newspapers, back before "product design" was a job title. I started Desine Studio to work directly with teams who need thoughtful, experienced design without the overhead of a big agency.
I care about work that's restrained rather than trendy, interfaces that respect the person using them, and design decisions that hold up under scrutiny. No jargon, no templated thinking, just work that's built to solve the actual problem in front of it. The common thread is stakes. I've done that work in SaaS, for mission-driven organizations, and in insurance-tech, but what I look for in a project is the kind of problem, not the industry.
How I work
Direct
You work with me, not an account manager relaying notes.
Fast
Small scope, clear deliverables, no six-week discovery phases for a two-week problem.
Honest
If something won't work, I'll tell you before you spend money building it.
Efficient
I use AI tools to move faster through research and prototyping, without letting them do the thinking for me.
Outside of work
Outside of client work, I'm a runner, a husband, and a father of two, living in Walpole, Massachusetts. Running's where a lot of my thinking happens, it's probably no accident that some of my best product ideas show up mid-mile rather than at a desk.