Eleanor Shepard

How do you design a usable and scalable experience when the user, value proposition, and product scope are still emerging?

Problem

Outcome

I created a high-fidelity prototype and component-based UI system that clarified the product’s potential, aligned internal stakeholders, and laid the foundation for a successful public launch.

Undisclosed Startup

Designing an AI platform before product-market fit by focusing on clarity, flexibility, and strategic value

The startup set out to build a web app that visualizes digital twins of public figures, helping users explore how people think, vote, and influence policy. I joined as the sole product designer to bring structure and strategy to a moving target. With no user base, evolving ideas, and shifting priorities, I helped define the product’s direction through lean UX, rapid iteration, and close collaboration with the leadership team.

Contract Product Designer

Role

Timeline

Ongoing

CEO + CTO + 1 PD (me!)

Team

The product vision shifted often, so I designed a UI system that could flex with evolving needs without starting over.

Prototyped fast and iterated often—balancing polish with the speed of a two-week MVP sprint.
Designed a scalable layout that organized graphs, FAQs, and chat into a cohesive user flow.
Created a modular component library and grid system that supported future features like posts, dashboards, and notifications.

Built the Foundation for a Flexible MVP

The core value was visualizing public figures' opinions. I designed clean, interactive graphs that made it easy to spot trends and explore nuance.

Prioritized visual clarity by simplifying node complexity and designing hierarchy into every graph interaction.
Integrated FAQs directly into each digital twin’s profile, making the platform more self-guided and educational.
Built out scenarios for social or political topics, giving the team a visual demo to use with stakeholders.

The core value was visualizing public figures' opinions. I designed clean, interactive graphs that made it easy to spot trends and explore nuance.

Prioritized visual clarity by simplifying node complexity and designing hierarchy into every graph interaction.
Integrated FAQs directly into each digital twin’s profile, making the platform more self-guided and educational.
Built out scenarios for social or political topics, giving the team a visual demo to use with stakeholders.

Visualized Complex AI Data with Clarity

There were lots of feature requests but no clear roadmap. I helped the team shape their concept into a usable, testable product.

Took loose concepts—like a Reddit-style opinion feed or VC profile explorer—and turned them into structured screens.
Proposed a streamlined navigation system and content architecture to support user flow and product expansion.
Designed core interfaces for graphs, chat, and trending pages that balanced both B2C inspiration and B2B utility.

There were lots of feature requests but no clear roadmap. I helped the team shape their concept into a usable, testable product.

Took loose concepts—like a Reddit-style opinion feed or VC profile explorer—and turned them into structured screens.
Proposed a streamlined navigation system and content architecture to support user flow and product expansion.
Designed core interfaces for graphs, chat, and trending pages that balanced both B2C inspiration and B2B utility.

Translated Vague Ideas into Tangible Interfaces

I translated a vague product concept into a clear, testable MVP that aligned the team across design, strategy, and engineering. My UI system now anchors development and supports ongoing iteration. This work helped sharpen this startup's product direction and go-to-market approach, playing a key role in shaping a scalable, user-focused vision in a fast-moving startup environment.

Impact

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Eleanor Shepard

WORK

Helivan

Uncorked

Eclipse

CONTACT

Resume