Hello, I’m Michael.
Designer, user experience strategist, and product leader driving user-centric digital transformations for 15+ years.
15+ yrs
designing digital experiences
10+
digital product transformations
500+ hrs
of user interviews
& testing
20+
design thinking
workshops
user experience + design + product
Bridging the worlds of design, user experience, and product strategy, I craft solutions that seamlessly blend aesthetic excellence with functional clarity. As a designer and user experience strategist, I believe that great products emerge from a deep understanding of human needs, rigorous design thinking, and a commitment to usability. My leadership in digital transformation has reinforced the power of design as a strategic force—one that not only enhances experiences but also drives business growth and competitive advantage. By championing user-centered design and aligning it with strategic vision, I help teams build products that are delightful, intuitive, and impactful.
User experience (UX)
ux leadership
User empathy drives my approach to product development. Passionate about putting users first, I ensure their needs shape every aspect of the product journey. Through hundreds of user shadowing sessions and numerous design thinking workshops, I have gained deep insights into user behaviors and pain points. By integrating customer feedback, journey mapping, and usability testing, I craft intuitive interfaces that significantly enhance user satisfaction and engagement.
Michael’s ux work (click to enlarge)
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user interviews
50 user interviews conducted across diverse geographies, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia, and several other countries. This foundational research was essential in aligning the transformation efforts with real user needs and experiences across global markets.
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user personas
Meet “Emily’s” user persona, developed to represent the future-focused, empowered audit leader. This persona guides design decisions to equip auditors like Emily with cutting-edge tools and insights, enhancing team empowerment and efficiency across all devices.
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journey mapping
This journey map visualizes the end-to-end process of an auditor’s journey, from planning through to final reporting. By mapping this comprehensive journey, we gain a deeper understanding of where friction occurs, allowing us to identify the greatest opportunities for improving efficiency, support, and overall experience within the auditing process.
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areas of opportunity
Exploring an enhanced mobile experience for a global audit workforce, providing real-time audit status, notifications, and feedback directly on mobile devices. Opportunities include responsive interfaces for tablets and phones, enabling a flexible and fully connected audit experience across all devices.
Discover user personas, journey maps, and innovative design solutions from Michael’s UX research
Explore the Insights
Project Victor UX Strategy Findings
Product design
design leadership
Bridging complex technology and seamless user experiences defines my design leadership. With a strong background in design and user experience, I champion design thinking to foster innovation and solve complex problems. Leading a team of UX/UI designers and collaborating across departments, I unify disparate systems into cohesive platforms that ensure consistency and efficiency. My focus extends beyond aesthetics to create functional solutions that drive adoption and transformative results.
Michael’s design practice (click to enlarge)
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design thinking
Empowering stakeholders to dive deep into the creative process and co-create impactful solutions. By fostering an open, iterative environment, I ensure that every voice is heard, enabling teams to align strategically while embracing creativity at every step.
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idea consolidation
Concepts generated during design thinking workshops are explored further, refining ideas to achieve an ideal solution and align stakeholders on a common vision. By transforming abstract ideas into actionable frameworks, solutions are identified that are both innovative and aligned with organizational goals.
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design spotlight
From initial concepts to refined design spotlights, solutions begin to take on more defined visual form. Spotlights serve as checkpoints, allowing us to test and iterate on elements that streamline workflow, and enhance user experience. As ideas evolve, these design spotlights bring us closer to a final, polished solution that aligns with both user needs and strategic objectives.
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high-fidelity design
High-fidelity design represents the culmination of the iterative process and serve multiple purposes: alignment across stakeholders, a foundation for user testing, and a visual blueprint for development teams. By offering a clear, interactive reference, these designs ensure that the final product meets both functional requirements and user expectations.
Michael’s design examples
Claude on Claude
A collaborative journey with Claude.ai (Anthropic) to translate its self-perception and core traits of honesty and thoughtfulness into tangible design principles, creating an interface that authentically reflects their character.
Product
product leadership
As Head of Product at UnitedHealth Group’s Corporate Services, I delivered a best-in-class procurement platform managing over $18 billion in annual spend. By unifying multiple disparate systems into one cohesive workflow, I streamlined operations for 480,000 employees and 12,000 suppliers. My product leadership combines strategic vision with cross-functional collaboration to drive growth and deliver measurable value.
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product architecture
A visually engaging, edible analogy assists with communicating complex product architecture to executive leadership by illustrating interdependencies and layering within the system.
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guiding principles
Serving as foundational pillars, each principle emphasizes a core value and together, these principles resulted product that is efficient, accountable, user-centric, data-informed, and adaptable for long-term growth.
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sprint transparency
This sprint roadmap provides executive leadership with a clear view of progress, anticipated functionalities, and ongoing alignment with strategic goals. This visual aids in transparent communication and reinforces commitment to a dynamic, responsive development process.
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strategic initiatives
Initiatives are mapped to provide a clear view of strategic focus areas and support transparent planning and expectation-setting enabling executive leadership to track critical developments, align resources, anticipate impact, and drive product evolution.
design thinking to foster innovation
past/present client work
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Michael Higgins
product designer and strategist driving user-centric digital transformation
Professional Summary
Innovative and user-centric Product Designer with extensive experience in leading digital transformations and managing high-performing teams. Expertise in blending design thinking with strategic product management to deliver best-in-class platforms. Proven track record in streamlining operations, enhancing user experience, and driving significant financial impact. Passionate about putting users first and shaping the future of technology.
Professional Experience
Head of Product, Product Design, Strategy, & Customer Experience
UnitedHealth Group
February 2020 – Present
Leadership & Team Management
- Manage and mentor a cross-functional team including Product Managers, Technical Product Manager(s), and UX/UI Product Designer(s).
- Oversee product strategy and execution for multiple departments: Real Estate, Enterprise Procurement, Environmental Occupational Health & Safety, Mergers & Acquisitions, Reporting Analytics and Data, Environmental Social and Governance, and Value Enablement.
- Supported diverse teams within Corporate Services, fostering collaboration and aligning product goals with organizational objectives.
Digital Transformation
- Spearheaded Procurement’s digital transformation by designing, building, and delivering a best-in-class procurement platform.
- Integrated multiple systems into a unified workflow, streamlining sourcing events, contracting, supplier onboarding, supplier performance and risk management, contract lifecycle management, procure-to-pay processes, and purchase orders.
User-Centric Design
- Prioritized user empathy by incorporating voice of customer insights, journey mapping, and usability testing into the product development lifecycle.
- Unified disparate systems to ensure a consistent and seamless user experience for 480,000 employees.
Quantifiable Achievements
- Managed approximately $18 billion in spend annually through the platform.
- Increased efficiency and reduced errors by automating workflows, resulting in improved compliance and operational excellence.
Director, Product Design, Experience Design & Strategy
KPMG
March 2014 – February 2020
- User Experience Crafting: Designed compelling user experiences for organizations across diverse industries.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Partnered with executive leaders and key stakeholders to define and implement exceptional user experiences.
- Team Leadership: Led product and design teams in realizing clients’ product visions through research, ideation, prototyping, and delivery.
- Collaborative Problem-Solving: Worked with business analysts and IT teams to translate business problems into actionable designs.
Manager, Experience Design Lead
Cynergy Systems
August 2007 – March 2014
- Client Collaboration: Worked closely with clients to understand requirements and design user experiences aligned with their vision.
- User-Centric Design: Employed methodologies like design thinking, prototyping, and usability testing to explore UX options.
- Product Development: Transformed ideas and mockups into optimal solutions for services and products.
- Cross-Department Coordination: Collaborated with business analysts, project managers, and IT teams to translate business problems into designs.
Senior UX/UI Designer
ChannelNet
May 2007 – August 2007
Lead Web Designer
Enlighten
February 2007 – May 2007
Web Designer/Front-End Developer/Flash Animator
Catalyst Design, Inc.
February 2005 – February 2007
Education
Central Michigan University
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Graphic Design/Art History/Photography
August 1994 – December 1999
University of Groningen, Netherlands
Art History
August 1998 – December 1998
Carnegie Mellon University – Tepper School of Business
Optum AI for Business Leaders, Artificial Intelligence
2021
EMERITUS Institute of Management
Innovation of Products and Services: MIT’s Approach to Design Thinking
2016