PrizePicks

Overview

Led the growth of the design team from 2 to 12 and transformed design from a reactive service function into a strategic driver of product innovation. Joined as Lead Product Designer and advanced to Sr. Manager, reporting to VP of Product.

The Challenge

Design operated reactively with no formal processes or design system. Research insights didn't influence the roadmap, and engineers iterated directly without designer collaboration. The product was growing fast but the design function wasn't keeping pace.

Double Diamond approach — the framework we established for Discovery, Define, Develop, and Deliver

Research & User Validation

Established user research as a core practice. Conducted journey mapping interviews across 11 participants to understand how members discovered, used, and engaged with PrizePicks. These insights directly shaped the product roadmap for the first time.

Synthesizing insights across 11 participant interviews

Design Sprints

Introduced collaborative design sprints to align product, design, and engineering. These sessions brought cross-functional stakeholders together to rapidly explore solutions using 'How Might We' exercises and real-time ideation.

Live Scoring design sprint — cross-functional ideation

Onboarding Redesign

Redesigned the full onboarding flow to reduce friction and improve conversion — streamlining sign-up, location verification, and registration into a clear, progressive sequence.

Live Lineups & Live Scoring

Designed the Live Lineups and Live Scoring features end-to-end — giving members real-time visibility into their entries during games. This became one of the highest-impact launches, driving a 235% increase in in-app time and a 6% lift in net revenue.

End-to-end user flow

Impact

10x+ user growth. 235% increase in in-app time during live games. #1 in App Store Sports category. 6% net revenue increase. Scaled design team from 2 to 12 and established design as a strategic function.