Resume & Experience
Dan Ralabate
Owner, Lead UX & Graphic Designer
I am a highly creative and strategic Senior UX Designer with over 12 years of human-centric design experience. I’ve led design teams for companies such as Walmart, Altria, Puracy, and LifeCare. I've focused on providing UX solutions in both the B2B and B2C space.
I’m seeking a challenging lead role where I can utilize my expertise in user research, interaction design, and team management to deliver exceptional user experiences and contribute to overall business goals.
Meet the Team
That's right....I have the best team in the world. No better group to rely on for endless support and compassion than my own family!
When I'm not glued to the computer screen or mobile device, my interests are typically centered around 3 things: family, food, and sports.
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As a New York Yankees and New York Giants fan, I've had my fair share of joy and sorrow. I enjoy a good round of golf, a competitive game of men's softball, or even a solid draft (yes...fantasy sports and a beer off-tap).
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I enjoy everything about food: cooking, dining, grocery shopping, new recipes, and cultural palette testers!
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Whenever I can, I love coaching and playing baseball with my son Vince, while dancing and singing with my daughter Vivi. And when the dust has settled and the kids aren't driving us crazy, nothing is more peaceful than that first cup of coffee with the wife, Amanda. I have very little to complain about!
Big Brand Experience
I've had the pleasure of working with some extremely reputable brands over the years, giving me plenty of personas to create and market to.
Hard Skills
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UX Design Leadership
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B2B & B2C Solutions
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Project Management
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Research & Strategy
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Wireframing, Mockups, & Prototyping
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Persona Development
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Journey Mapping
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Workshop Facilitation
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Creative Direction
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Website Design & Management
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Human Centric Design
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Interaction Design
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Graphic Design
Soft Skills
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Adaptability
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Communication
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Teamwork
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Cross-Functional
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Problem-Solving
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Creativity
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Presenting
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Public Speaking
Programs
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UX/UI Web Programs: Figma, Sketch, Mural, Zeplin and Balsamiq
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Website Design & Management Software: WordPress, Spotify, Wix, Squarespace, Elementor, and Sharepoint
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Adobe Creative Suite: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, and Dreamweaver
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Project Management Software: Confluence, AirTable, Asana, and Trello
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Amazon Vendor & Seller Central Platforms
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Google Applications: Drive, Docs, Sheets, Forms, and Analytics
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MAC and PC Compatible
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Remote Accessible and willing to travel
Professional Experience & Education
Senior UX Designer @ Walmart Inc.
Hoboken, NJ (remote) July 2021 - January 2025
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Lead design strategy and execution for Walmart merchants and operations teams to increase efficiency in their daily merchandising responsibilities: price and cost management, competitor analysis, and assortment planning
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Demonstrated UX standards and best practices across all design projects
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Inspired many cross-functional teams to partake in all steps of the full-stack UX process:
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Analyzed qualitative and quantitative data to develop user personas
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Facilitated 2 multi-day, interactive, UX workshops to collect user feedback, identify problem statements, create user journeys, and ideate on potential strategies
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Collaborated with product and business partners to set project requirements and establish strategic direction
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Sketched innovative, low-fidelity concepts via whiteboards and wireframes
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Designed dynamic, hi-fidelity Figma screens and prototypes that followed the Living Design system standards and accessibility best practices
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Presented and communicated design updates to various business, product, engineering, and leadership partners
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Conducted prototype usability testing with partners and end-users
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Guided the handoff to engineers, developers, and project managers
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Lead VQA sessions and testing sessions in a Staging environment before launching the latest version of the product
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Collected feedback for data analysis and transformation projects
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Owner, Lead UX & Graphic Designer @ Ralaworks
Southington, CT April 2017 - November 2024
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Partnered with companies such as Puracy, Investing Answers, Thinklogical, and 20+ other small businesses to achieve an exceptional UX for their brands
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Designed & built 17 websites and 50+ marketing campaigns for 15 B2C clients
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Provided creative direction in UX, branding, email marketing, event marketing, print and package design, SEO guidance, and video production
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Managed 4 designers and various freelancers to meet client project needs
Lead UX Designer @ Puracy
Austin, TX (remote) January 2019 - June 2021
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Provided creative direction and UX design solutions to enhance Puracy’s DTC shopping experience for both mobile and desktop
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Designed and managed the company’s Amazon UX and brand marketing
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Managed 2 designers, 3 marketing specialists, and 5 external vendors and partners
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Provided UX/UI guidance on the brand’s B2C initiatives in both our Puracy online store and Target shopping experience
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Utilized the full-stack UX process to complete the Custom Bundle Subscription UX, My Account experience, and Natural Ingredients experience
Senior UX Designer @ Alden Image
Shelton, CT February 2013 - March 2017
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Designed, wireframed, and constructed 30+ prototypes of user experiences for web and mobile devices for our primary client, Altria (Richmond, VA)
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Designed, developed, and managed intranet websites for 7 teams with the Altria organization
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Conducted 1 multi-day design studio workshop to kick off the insights C3M Wholesale project
Creative Services Manager @ LifeCare
Shelton, CT January 2012 - February 2013
Graphics & Production Specialist @ LifeCare
Shelton, CT March 2010 - December 2011
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Managed the Creative Services Department by leading internal and vendor production from January 2012 to February 2013
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Created, organized, and distributed company electronic and printed promotional materials for 60+ clients, including Disney, Walmart, ADP, FedEx, Pixar, Aetna, United Healthcare, Goldman Sachs, and the Federal Government
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Collaborated directly with the CEO and Executive Leadership by providing creative direction for many Sales department initiatives and special event marketing
Freelance Web & Graphic Designer
Southington, CT July 2009 - March 2017
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Provided creative services for 15 small businesses and entrepreneurs
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Designed and managed small B2C websites, digital campaigns, and print promotional materials
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Established brand identities through comprehensive logo studies, package design, and product labels
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Worked with Puracy (Austin, TX), InvestingAnswers (Austin, TX), Rosenberg Law Firm (Stratford, CT), Nebraskaland (Bronx, NY), and many other small businesses and start-up companies
Bachelor of Arts, Interactive Digital Design
Double Minor in Marketing & Fine Arts
September 2005 - May 2009
API Study Abroad Program
Focus on Fine Arts
February - June 2008
Volunteer Experience
President @ Southington South Little League
Southington, CT October 2023 - Present
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Establishing the league's goals and strategic plan for this season and beyond, including player and coach development, fundraising, sponsorships, and community engagement
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Presiding over board meetings, ensuring effective communication and collaboration among board members and volunteers
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Volunteer roles include Vice President (2022-2023), Division Coordinator (2020-Present), Website Manager (2020-Present), and Communications Coordinator (2020-Present)
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Hard Work - According to multiple sources, the honey bee one of the top hardest working animals in the world*. As "worker bees", we strive to combine the efforts of working hard AND working smart to achieve our objectives for every client.
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Identity - Dan isn't very keen on bees, wasps, hornets, or yellowjackets in general. Their stings hurt and cause everyone within 5 feet to typically scatter in fear. At Ralaworks, we do the opposite. We embrace our fears as part of our identity, and look to them as challenges we will need to overcome.
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Purpose - With the honeybee, it's important to focus more on it's purpose versus our instinctual fear of the flying insect. The honeybee's main purpose is to pollinate, carrying pollen from male to female plants. "It is estimated that three-quarters of flowering plants require pollinators in order to produce fruit."** This animal teaches us to look beyond its initial defense mechanism that frightens us, and to admire the significance it plays in our day-to-day lives. At Ralaworks, this reiterates 2 simple things: never judge a book by its cover, and always stay focused on the client's objectives. Believing in these 2 simple philosophies had never let us down.
