Madeline Sekela

About Madeline Sekela

Hi, I’m Madeline. I’m a User Experience Designer driven by a fascination with human behavior, a deep sense of user empathy, and an obsession with aesthetic details. I love blending UX and Visual design principles to create thoughtful digital experiences that help users achieve their goals. You can check out some of my design work here: designbymadeline.com *Design Skills*Product DesignUser Interface Design (UI)User Experience Design (UX)Interaction Design Visual DesignDesign ThinkingInteractive PrototypingDesign SystemsPersona DevelopmentJourney MappingInformation ArchitectureWireframingSketchingUser ResearchUsability TestingGraphic DesignResponsive Design Affinity Mapping*Design Tools*FigmaMiroBalsamiqAdobe After EffectsAdobe PhotoshopAdobe IllustratorAdobe Premiere Pro

Experience

1. Senior User Experience Designer

   Hilton

   Nov 2024 — Present

   Leading UX design for a net-new feature for an OTT (TV) app — driving discovery through research, wireframing, and iterative prototyping to translate in-stay guest needs into a scalable, intuitive content discovery experience-Optimize the web and mobile booking experience for one of the world’s leading hotel brands, supporting properties globally-Design user-centered solutions informed by customer feedback, personas, user research, business goals, and technical constraints-Collaborate cross-functionally in an agile environment with Product, UI Design, UX Research & Experimentation, Content Design, Engineering, and Accessibility teams-Work directly with developers throughout the design process to ensure alignment, feasibility, and successful implementation of designs-Interpret quantitative data and qualitative user feedback into actionable insights that inform design decisions-Present and communicate design concepts clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences, ensuring stakeholder alignment across teams-Collaborate with UX Research and Experimentation to run A/B tests and gather user feedback to validate hypotheses, uncover unmet user needs, and drive iterative improvements-Facilitate workshops to unify the team around overarching goals, design approach, and roadmap-Establish, shape, and leverage the design system in partnership with UI Design, ensuring consistency and scalability in the design language-Refine user stories and acceptance criteria to reflect design intent and support seamless implementation-Help shape product strategy and roadmap through close collaboration with Product and Design leadership-Partner with the Accessibility team to ensure an inclusive design approach and compliance with WCAG standards, increasing usability for those with and without disabilities-Enhance information architecture and content strategy in collaboration with Content Design, ensuring clear and consistent communication across the experience

Education

• Bitesize UX

  Certificate, UX Design for Business Goals

• University of Michigan

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.) , Political Science

  2007 — 2010

• Memorisely

  User Interface Design

• University of Michigan

  Certificate, UX Research & Design Specialization