About me

Designing with intent, not decoration.

Introduction

I’m a UX/UI designer who likes working on problems that aren’t fully defined yet. The kind where the brief sounds clear, but once you dig in, nothing really lines up; user behavior, business goals, and the interface are all slightly off. That’s the work I’m best at. My background spans digital design across web, product, and motion. I’ve worked on everything from landing pages to full platform redesigns, often in environments where there are constraints, regulatory, technical, or organizational.

4
Years Experience
20
Completed Projects
11+
Clients Worldwide
4
Years Experience
20
Completed Projects
11+
Clients Worldwide

Process

How I work

Every project starts with the people using it. I move from understanding to shipping in seven steps, and I use AI tools to move faster without skipping the thinking.

  1. Understand

    Align on the business goal, success metrics, and constraints, and review existing research.

  2. Observe

    Watch real users do the task today and map their workflow, including the workarounds.

  3. Define

    Turn what I learned into a clear problem statement and success criteria, written into the spec.

  4. Explore

    Sketch flows and several options, then prototype quickly to compare them.

  5. Validate

    Test with users and check feasibility with engineering early, then change what needs changing.

  6. Refine

    Bring the design to high fidelity in the design system and walk engineering through it.

  7. Measure

    Track adoption and task success after launch, and feed it into the next round.

Strategy first, then craft.

I don't start with screens, I start by pressure-testing the problem. Who is it for, what's actually broken, and what would "better" measurably look like?

That framing work is unglamorous, but it's where most projects are won or lost. Pixels are the easy part. Deciding which pixels to draw is where my experience and practice come into play.

  • 01

    Frame before form

    Write the problem in one sentence and the decision criteria in three. If the team disagrees here, pixels won't fix it.

  • 02

    Systems over screens

    One well-designed pattern beats fifty bespoke screens. Systems make teams faster and products calmer.

  • 03

    Ship, observe, revise

    The first version is a hypothesis. The fourth is usually the one worth keeping.

Currently building

UX Audit Scanner.

See the case study

Strategy first, then craft.

I don't start with screens, I start by pressure-testing the problem. Who is it for, what's actually broken, and what would "better" measurably look like?

That framing work is unglamorous, but it's where most projects are won or lost. Pixels are the easy part. Deciding which pixels to draw is where my experience and practice come into play.

  • 01

    Frame before form

    Write the problem in one sentence and the decision criteria in three. If the team disagrees here, pixels won't fix it.

  • 02

    Systems over screens

    One well-designed pattern beats fifty bespoke screens. Systems make teams faster and products calmer.

  • 03

    Ship, observe, revise

    The first version is a hypothesis. The fourth is usually the one worth keeping.

Currently building

UX Audit Scanner.

See the case study
· What I care aboutPrinciples

Five things I actually care about.

  • Clarity over cleverness

    If a user has to decode your interface, you've outsourced your job to them.

  • Systems that scale quietly

    Design systems should make teams faster without flattening craft.

  • Accessibility as a default

    Not a checklist at the end — a constraint at the start.

  • Motion with purpose

    Every transition should answer a question. Flourish without intent is noise.

  • Working with humans

    The best design work happens when PMs, engineers, and researchers argue in the same room.

· What I care aboutPrinciples

Five things I actually care about.

  • Clarity over cleverness

    If a user has to decode your interface, you've outsourced your job to them.

  • Systems that scale quietly

    Design systems should make teams faster without flattening craft.

  • Accessibility as a default

    Not a checklist at the end — a constraint at the start.

  • Motion with purpose

    Every transition should answer a question. Flourish without intent is noise.

  • Working with humans

    The best design work happens when PMs, engineers, and researchers argue in the same room.

Patrick Cayer

Senior Product Designer

Hand-built with care. Thoughtfulness in every touch point.

Right now

Raleigh · --:--

© 2026 Patrick Cayer