I’m Kalei,
a Senior Product Designer from Wisconsin 🧀
My story as a designer
When I entered my first year of college, I had no clue what type of career I wanted to pursue. I initially entered the marketing field but quickly realized that a business degree was not the right path for me. After changing my major three times, I took my chances on a degree in game development. I instantly found passion in the work I was doing and put that passion into everything I did.
I was lucky that I had an amazing mentor (love you, Juliayn) that pushed me into a career in product design. I landed my first UX design internship as a junior in college and was swiftly hired on as a full-time designer 4 months before graduation. The rest is history.
Designing since before I can remember
My creative journey began in my mother's craft room, where early explorations in visual arts and design sparked a lifelong passion for bringing ideas to life. Those formative experiences with various mediums—from drawing to mixed media—laid the foundation for my human-centered approach to design today.
Here are some of my design accomplishments outside of my professional career that I'm proud of:
Placed 1st and 2nd in the Wisconsin Visual Arts Classic (VAC)
Won my high school homecoming t-shirt design contest 3 years in a row
Founded a small business called Threaded Narrative where I sell my handmade creations
Take a look at my resume
Senior Product Designer
Spekit
As a team lead on the Learning Squad, I spearheaded multiple strategic initiatives, including the successful implementation of AI-powered content recommendations and an ML-driven chatbot. These innovations drove measurable improvements in user engagement and content discovery, helping exceed key business metrics.
Product Designer
Spekit
Led the creation and implementation of a comprehensive design system that reduced technical debt by standardizing components and deprecating legacy patterns. Implemented systematic quality controls and documentation that streamlined designer-developer handoff, resulting in improved UI consistency and accelerated development cycles across the platform.
UX Designer
Modern Hire
Led strategic initiatives to modernize hiring processes through AI-powered interviewing solutions, automated candidate workflows, and predictive analytics, while implementing data-driven pre-hire assessments to enhance candidate evaluation.
UX Design Intern
Modern Hire
Elevated product quality by implementing UX standards through detailed user journey mapping, maintainable design system documentation, and data-driven research frameworks.
Freelance Web Developer and Designer
Laning Investigations
Led end-to-end brand identity development and executed a custom website design, translating client vision into cohesive digital presence.
Digital Marketing Intern
Modern Hire
Spearheaded end-to-end website optimization initiative, conducting comprehensive UX/UI and technical audits to identify critical improvements. Implemented data-driven solutions that resulted in a 57% increase in traffic and enhanced user engagement metrics.
Web Designer
Kari's Sew Unique
Directed comprehensive website redesign project, transforming user experience through data-informed architecture while developing streamlined systems for dynamic product listings and course promotions.
Graphic Designer
UW-Whitewater Police Department
Conceptualized and implemented immersive e-learning experience for Traffic School program, incorporating interactive elements that measurably enhanced student comprehension and completion rates.
The core values that drive my work
Kindness
Above all else, I lead with kindness. The best way to connect with peers and users is by using the Golden Rule 🌟 (treat others the way you want to be treated).
Curiosity
Ever heard of the idiom "curiosity killed the cat"? In my opinion, the more questions you ask, the better results you'll achieve. Curiosity influences the cat to make well informed decisions 🐱.
Attention to detail
Being pixel perfect is part of my job and I have an eye for noticing when a design detail is out of place. It's crucial to have the ability to walk through an experience and identify what can be done better.
Growth
I'm always looking to take on new challenges that push me out of my comfort zone. It's important to push past your fear of failure and instead ask yourself "what if I succeed?"
My hobbies
My creative engine runs 24/7—whether I'm piecing together intricate quilts, experimenting with new sewing patterns, or diving into fantasy romance books. These hands-on pursuits keep my problem-solving skills sharp and constantly feed my design imagination.
Quilting
Some people give cards, I give quilts - because nothing says 'I love you' quite like a handcrafted quilt!
Sewing
I enjoy sewing many things but starting a me made wardrobe has been particularly rewarding and fun!
Reading
I have been obsessed with fantasy romance lately but I also love mysteries and psychological thrillers.