Mike Gudenau
Product Designer
Product Designer with B2B SaaS and web app experience, specializing in 0→1 EdTech solutions
Co-founded Mela Mela, launching district pilot and reducing teacher admin tasks by 95%
Partnered with engineers on 200+ tickets, delivering design system, Figma components, and responsive, scalable web apps
Former educator and design studio lead; CRO web design for Clevr Blends
EXPERIENCE
Founding Product Designer
A data collection and classroom collaboration platform built for special education teams, used by school districts to streamline daily workflows and reporting processes.
Launched first district pilot, onboarding 18 users and validating adoption at the district level, achieving a 95% reduction in teacher administrative data tasks
Led end-to-end product lifecycle from discovery and design to development and launch, aligning stakeholders and managing a 4-person cross-functional team
Drove special education insights into product requirements, collaborating with engineers to deliver 200+ tickets through grooming, sprint planning, and design handoff
Designed and implemented first scalable design system in Figma, establishing consistent UI patterns, branding guidelines, and component libraries to accelerate collaboration
Conducted in-depth user research via 20 interviews, 6 surveys, competitive analysis, and ongoing usability testing to inform workflow design and key product decisions
October 2023 - present
Design Lead
A boutique design studio specializing in branding, web design, CRO strategy, and Framer builds for early-stage startups, mission-driven teams, and growing businesses.
Delivered a comprehensive brand identity for Whitney Young Children’s Foundation, a non-profit donating $140K annually to 109 donors, delivering a full logo suite, color system, and event collateral used across fundraising campaigns
Delivered brand identity for Lorenzo CPA in collaboration with managing partner, defining visual direction, tone, market positioning, and developer-ready files for smooth implementation and brand fidelity
Led direct collaboration with founder and team at Diana Fitz Creative Co, running branding strategy workshops and reviews to align brand, UX, and business goals
EDUCATION
Product Design Immersive
Mento Design Academy
Completion of 600+ hours of hands-on course material & mentorship
Front-end Engineering
Mar 2023 - May 2023
Turing School Of Software And Design
280 hours of program (partial completion)
Bachelor of Sociology
Sept 2007 - Jan 2012
University of California, Santa Barbara
Teaching Credential
Sept 2017 - June 2018
Cal State, Fullerton
Education Specialist Credential, Special Education