Matt Yates // Designer // Photographer

Design and code—two sides of the same coin. I’m all about bridging the gap, learning, and pushing what we can build together. Let’s make something awesome.

Always chasing that sweet spot
between form and function.
What keeps your curiosity sharp?
Let’s swap ideas, push pixels, and make something that sticks.

I take pride in design that drives
impact and fosters collaboration.
I build strong partnerships across teams and excel in navigating complexity to create meaningful solutions.

I’m a visual designer with 8 years of experience across brand and product. Open for opportunities—Let’s work together.

Hey there, I’m a designer
who loves creating beautiful things that make life a little easier.

Elegant.
Purposeful. Meaningful. Thoughtful.

These are the core values I strive to bring forth in my design work. I’ve always been one to tinker, finding ways to understand how things around me work, finding tangible ways to improve them. In my time as an athlete, collaboration and teamwork have been foundations for success—translating into my need for community for collaboration, learning, and inspiration.

I like to dream big, work hard, carefully craft, find perspective, bring the energy, work cross functionally, roadmap goals, dive into company strategy, extend a hand to encourage another. I’m always seeking to be inspired, grow, and execute to my highest ability. Effective design is intentional and scalable, my mission is to make it accessible to both users and creators—leaving this life a little easier to navigate.

Studying visual communication at Seattle Pacific University gave me a foundation in design principles and sharpened my curiosity about how design connects products to people. I got my start supporting keynote speakers at large tech events, where I developed a deep appreciation for storytelling and audience engagement—an insight that later shaped my approach to product and UX design. Leveraging high craft and user-first thinking, I create seamless, impactful experiences.

Based in New York for most of my career, I’ve built a well-rounded skill set across freelance, agency, and corporate environments, tackling challenges from vision and strategy to brand engagement, product development, and interaction design. My ability to distill complexity into intuitive solutions continues to drive my work, helping teams craft thoughtful, engaging experiences in an ever-evolving industry.

2021-2024

Sr. Visual Designer, UX

New York, NY

Collaborated across product, research, and engineering to design and optimize enterprise and SaaS experiences. Through user research, journey mapping, and iterative prototyping, I refined workflows and enhanced usability. My work modernized digital experiences, driving engagement, scalability, and product innovation for IBM partners.

2018-2021

Sr. Designer

New York, NY

Transformed technical data into clear, impactful storytelling to enhance client understanding and decision-making. I managed vendor partnerships and budgets to ensure brand consistency and production efficiency. My work simplified complex SaaS solutions into compelling narratives, driving revenue growth and increasing deal success for $10M+ engagements.

2015-2018

Information Designer

New York, NY

Transformed technical data into compelling visual narratives to enhance engagement in pre-sales pitches. Partnering with cross-functional teams, I developed high-impact SaaS storytelling strategies. My work elevated proposal effectiveness, driving business growth and revenue opportunities.

2012-2013

Designer, Strategist

New York, NY

Crafted creative strategies and visual narratives to build trust and engagement in competitive markets. Through compelling storytelling, I strengthened client relationships and improved win rates. My work drove a 17% revenue increase, contributing to $3.4B in growth for MasterCard.

2012 (Contract)

Presentation Designer

Seattle, WA

Designed high-impact presentations and event experiences for clients like Microsoft, Cisco, T-Mobile, and Electronic Arts. Specializing in UX-driven exhibition design, I crafted immersive visual narratives for large-scale corporate events. I also traveled to Microsoft events to oversee design execution and experience the full project lifecycle.

RBC Clear

AT&T My App

Visual Design for IBM

IBM iX Client Work