PODS
Turning stress into confidence
I led the redesign of the PODS digital experience that drove a double-digit percentage increase in bookings
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Hi, I'm Shahed.
I'm a Design Director with 16 years of experience designing products for enterprises and startups. I've previously led teams at E*TRADE, PODS, and Morgan Stanley. I studied architecture, but I fell in love with building software. And I've been fortunate enough to design software for millions of people.
Recent Work
Lettuce Entertain You
LettuceEats Redesign
I redesigned the LettuceEats app into a unified experience for loyalty, reservations, gift cards, and online ordering.
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E*TRADE
Stopping billions of dollars from walking out the door
I led the redesign of E*TRADE's Stock Plan experience, driving record asset retention.
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Specialty Insurance Company
Reducing insurance quoting time by 60%
I redesigned the submission intake flows for a specialty insurance company that led to significanlty more underwriting business.
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Lettuce Entertain You
Cutting helpdesk tickets by 40% with AI Agents
I designed an AI agent that freed up human support agents to focus on hospitality, not help tickets.
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Resume
Download a print-friendly PDF version.
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Focused
Design Director
I led end-to-end product design for enterprise and mid-market clients across fintech, logistics, and insurtech—partnering closely with C-suite, product, and engineering from discovery through launch. My work spanned conversational AI, mobile app redesigns, funnel optimization, and design systems, driving measurable outcomes like increased conversion, reduced support load, and streamlined operations.
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E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley
Lead Designer
I led product design for the Stock Plan participant platform, serving millions of users across web and mobile, working closely with PMs, engineers, and researchers. My work spanned personalized financial education to increase asset retention, building out the design system for consistency across platforms, and elevating accessibility to WCAG 2.1 AA compliance.
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Publicis Sapient Global Markets
Senior Design Consultant
I designed complex transactional and data-intensive interfaces for wealth management, capital markets, and asset management clients, embedded within their cross-functional teams. My work ranged from alternative investment portals that expanded client access to advisory services, to trading applications that improved daily workflow efficiency for investment managers, to mobile experiences for global conferences.
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Puzzle Out Room
Founder + Creative Director
I founded and led Hudson County's first escape room business, designing every touchpoint from brand and booking flows to physical puzzles and in-game experiences. Over several years, I built a team of 10, established operational standards, and grew the business to $2 million in revenue with a 4.8/5 customer rating across all locations.
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Freelance
Designer + Developer
I designed and built a wide range of digital products—websites, mobile apps, presentations, and infographics—for marketing agency clients around the world, driving measurable increases in traffic and conversion.
Methods
- AI Agent Design
- API Design
- Accessibility
- Analytics
- Brand Identity
- Copywriting
- Data Visualization
- Design Systems
- Discovery
- Enterprise UX
- Information Architecture
- Motion Design
- AI Prototyping
- Roadmapping
- Service Blueprinting
- Storytelling
- Systems Thinking
- Typography
- UX Strategy
- Usability Testing
- User Research
- Wireframing
Leadership
- Consulting
- Creative Direction
- DesignOps
- Executive Communication
- Facilitation
- Feedback & Coaching
- Management
- Ownership Mentality
- Player-Coach
- Product Strategy
- Project Management
Tools
Principles
Guiding my design and leadership decisions
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Do it. Do it right. Do it better.
It's easier to edit than to create.
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Get out of the comfort zone.
Do things that help you grow. Functional perfectionism is a silent killer.
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Outcomes over outputs.
Good design changes human behavior in ways that benefit people, the planet, and profit.
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Systems over goals.
Intensity impresses, consistency transforms.
References
Nice things people have said about me and my work
"Shahed not only demonstrates a mastery of his craft, but also embodies what it means to be a trusted advisor, sharing knowledge generously and leaving others better than he found them."
Director of Engineering
"Whether running workshops or shipping design strategy, Shahed approaches every challenge with clarity and calm."
Director of Product
"I only have good things to say! Fantastic manager!"
Senior Designer
"Shahed builds environments where clients and teammates feel empowered to collaborate."
VP of Product
"Our last update delivered tremendous improvement (tbd what "tremendous" means, but anecdotally good to see). Reminds us how important the work is that Shahed does and how design truly does tie back to revenue."
Lead Product Manager
"Shoutout to Shahed for his tireless work on the new design. Feedback like "The screens flow with my train of thought" is a direct result of his expertise and dedication to understanding how users think and what's most important to them."
Senior Product Manager
Other work
A sampling of my web + app design, data viz, illustration, and branding work.
