Melissa Waller

Resume

I bring hands-on product design to ambiguous problems, then turn recurring friction into clearer decisions, reusable structures, and stronger team capability. That range lets me contribute where the work needs it most: in the experience, in the room, or in the system around both.

What I bring

Four things I am usually hired to do

Product design & information architecture

I translate content, needs, and constraints into clear interaction models, information architecture, and accessible behavior.

Experience quality & design systems

I turn recurring issues into practical standards, review paths, and patterns that help teams improve quality before every question reaches a specialist.

Experience strategy & decision support

I make tradeoffs, risk, and investment needs visible so teams and leaders can focus attention where it will matter most.

Team capability & cross-functional delivery

I create training, coaching, shared tools, and escalation paths that help people solve more problems with confidence.

Experience

The titles changed; the pattern did not

Stay close to the product, solve the immediate problem, and create a clearer way to handle the next one.

  • Walmart · Principal UX Designer · 2025 to present

    Lead experience-quality strategy across a growing Associate Experience organization. I work with product, engineering, research, and QA to make quality risk more visible, improve the decisions behind delivery, and direct deeper support where it can create the most value.

  • Walmart · Staff UX Designer, Foundation Team Lead · 2024 to 2025

    Built practical quality systems for three product teams and 16 designers, including risk-based review paths, shared severity language, training, and peer champion support. The goal was to help teams catch more issues earlier without routing every decision through one specialist.

  • University of Illinois, College of ACES · Director of Web Development · 2019 to 2024

    Led the College of ACES web team while personally designing every wireframe for the Program Explorer, an interest-based discovery experience spanning 126 program options. I also co-chaired the roughly 175-person Website Implementation Guidelines Group and served on its five-person steering committee.

  • University of Illinois, Campus Recreation · Communications and Marketing Manager · 2014 to 2019

    Managed a creative team responsible for a broad digital ecosystem, including the website, program-registration communications, campaigns, social media, and materials supporting student and community programs.

  • Melissa Waller Photography & Design · Owner · 2011 to 2014

    Ran a design and photography business end to end: client work, an e-commerce platform with membership features, and the educational content and tutorials that went with it.

Credentials

Education and credentials

  • Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC)

    International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP), 2023

  • Bachelor of Fine Arts, Graphic Design

    University of Illinois

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