Vernard Mercader
This is the extended resume. If you’d rather read the shorter résumé, go here.
for my full bio, go here.
Vernard Mercader is a UX designer-frontend engineer hybrid who bridges design and engineering to drive end-to-end discovery to deployment.
Working in the tech industry since 2006 with a focus on UX since 2017, he has thorough exposure to user experience challenges across enterprise SaaS, e-commerce, and marketing platforms. He has worked in industries such as healthcare and federal/public sector platforms, including the United States Air Force and California Department of Public Health. He can demonstrate measurable improvements in accessibility scores, usability, and user adoption.
His design process changes based on the contract, project, and operating environment.
When data exists, he grounds decisions in evidence: analytics, research stats, support trends, and whatever factual signal the project can provide. When the environment limits access, such as a secure or isolated setting, he shifts to direct observation where possible, SME interviews, heuristic evaluation, and workflow mapping.
He immerses himself when there is a need to understand the user’s job well enough to see where the interface supports the work, where it slows them down, and where it creates unnecessary friction. For him, it means learning their process, shadowing them, reading their procedures, or trying to perform the task himself.
He does remote work well, but he does not “design from a distance” if it can be avoided.
Held a U.S. government clearance1.
Skills
USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN & BUSINESS STRATEGY
- Journey mapping
- Service blueprinting
- TAM/SAM/SOM
- Requirements analysis
- Use case analysis
- Task analysis
- Workflow design
- Usability testing
- Heuristic evaluation
- Behavioral analysis
- Conversion analysis
- Retention analysis
- Competitive and market analysis
- Checkout flow analysis
- Conversion flow analysis
INTERFACE & PRODUCT DESIGN
- Information architecture
- User flows
- Wireframing
- Prototyping
- Interaction design
- Visual hierarchy
- Content strategy
- Microcopy
- Mobile-first responsive design
- Customer portal design
DESIGN SYSTEMS & UI FRAMEWORKS
- Scalable Design Systems (& maintenance)
- Reusable UI components
- Pattern libraries
- Component libraries
- Interface specifications
- Material UI
- Bootstrap
- USWDS
ACCESSIBILITY
- WCAG 2.1 AA
- Section 508 compliance
- Accessibility audits
FRONTEND DEVELOPMENT
- React
- TypeScript
- JavaScript
- Next.js
- Vue.Js
- Angular
- HTML5
- CSS3
- SCSS
- CoffeeScript
- jQuery
- KnockoutJS
- Vite
- Gulp
WEB PLATFORMS & CMS
- Advanced WordPress development
- WordPress Multisite
- Custom plugins
- Advanced Custom Fields
- Adobe Experience Manager
- Adobe Business Catalyst
- Adobe Dreamweaver
BACKEND SUPPORT
- PHP
- Laravel
- Node.js
- C#
- SQL
- REST APIs
- API integration
- Microservices
- Supabase
DATABASES & STORAGE
- MySQL
- MariaDB
- Redis
- Caddy
TESTING & QUALITY
- Vitest
- Jest
- React Testing Library
- Cypress
- Postman
- Unit testing
- QA validation
- Cross-browser testing
E-COMMERCE
- Liquid
- WooCommerce
- Payment utility implementation
- A/B testing
- CRO
ANALYTICS, CRM & SEO
- Google Analytics
- Matomo
- Bing Webmaster Tools
- Salesforce
- User behavior analysis
- Funnel analysis
- Engagement metrics
- Lead generation tracking
- Campaign analytics
- Localized SEO strategy
- On-page SEO
- Keyword strategy
- Metadata optimization
- Structured data
- SERP
SECURITY EXPOSURE
- DevSecOps
- CI/CD
- Docker
- Fortify
- SD Elements
- NGINX hardening
- GitLab
MIS & NETWORK MANAGEMENT
- Management Information Systems
- Network architecture
- Network setup
- Network security management
- System access control
- Technical support systems
DOCUMENTATION & KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
- Architectural Decision Records
- Architectural diagrams
- MKDocs
- Instructional design
- Instruction manuals & Training materials
CREATIVE PRODUCTION
- Graphic design
- Visual design
- Brand identity and management
- Logo design
- Collateral and print design
- Digital collateral/Social Media
- Motion graphics and animation
- Video production
- Storyboarding
- Photography
- Post-production
- Image editing
- Packaging graphics
- Event planning
PRODUCT VISUALIZATION & 3D
- 3D graphics and modeling
- 3D rendering optimization
- 3D product visualization
- 3D animation
- Hardware concept visuals
DESIGN, CREATIVE & TECHNICAL TOOLS
- Figma
- Penpot
- Miro
- Draw.io
- Power BI
- Visio
- Sketch
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Lightroom
- Adobe Express
- Adobe XD
- Canva
- Final Cut Pro
- 3ds Max
- AutoCAD
- Blender
- Maya
Experience
Consultancy Principal (User Experience Lead)
Logias UX Systems
Massachusetts, United States
Nov 2025 – Present
- Logias is a freelancing alias that provides full-spectrum work to regional SMBs spanning UX design, web development, marketing strategy, and end-to-end production of digital and print assets, including motion, graphics, and campaign materials.
- Architects end-to-end product experiences from discovery through delivery, spanning research synthesis, journey modeling, service blueprinting, interaction design, and behavioral analytics-driven optimization.
- Provides executive decision-making support by balancing customer desirability, technical feasibility, and commercial viability across client product portfolios.
- Currently conducting a self-directed case study on Burger King’s mobile ordering flow, diagnosing a critical drop-off point through targeted user research and delivering redesign recommendations to recover conversion.
- Currently producing a self-directed concept teardown on player retention and engagement decline in Niantic’s Pokémon GO through pain point analysis, experience modeling, and behavioral re-engagement strategy.
UX Design Lead & UI Engineer
Oteemo/United States Air Force – Platform One
Reston, Virginia (Remote)
May 2023 – Nov 25
- Led the 2024 rebrand and UI rework of the Vulnerability Assessment Tool (VAT), improving usability by 30%. Validated through task success rates, average time on task, and error rates, supported by internal usability metrics and Matomo analytics. VAT is part of Iron Bank under Platform One (United States Air Force).
- Established a Figma-driven design system, increasing development velocity by 10%.
- Drove regular improvements to the frontend architecture, refactoring components, enforcing React TypeScript development best practices, and implemented a self-hosted Ollama agentic AI model to monitor Figma files for design token changes and autonomously write the corresponding frontend code.
- Reduced accessibility issues by 40% through WCAG 2.1 and Section 508 compliance remediation utilizing agentic AI to actively scan working repos, finding markups that need semantic HTML fixes or ARIA violations.
- Conducted discovery sessions with container hardeners and vendor contributors to map workflows, capture behavioral pain points, and prioritize features using evidence-based UX research and impact-versus-effort analysis through FigJam or Miro.
- Translated user feedback into prototypes and interaction flows in Figma (Figma Make), validating through iterative usability testing to align with information architecture, HCI heuristics, and inclusive design principles.
- Mentored other designers and frontend developers, guiding UX heuristics, design systems contribution workflows, accessibility audits, and stakeholder alignment within Agile and DevSecOps environments.
- Contracted via Oteemo, a federal DevSecOps contractor, on Platform One, the Department of the Air Force’s enterprise software factory used across the DoD.
Senior UX Designer
California Dept. of Public Health/M-Corp
Sacramento, California (Remote)
Dec 2021 – Apr 2023
- Increased user sessions for CAIRHub by 346% after driving adoption through UX research, and Section 508–compliant design as validated by internal database metrics and Google Analytics.
- Served as both a UX designer and consultant for the frontend developers, creating wireframes and prototypes in Figma and building accessible components with Angular and React TypeScript.
- Applied accessible table structures, keyboard-friendly interactions, and responsive layouts, achieving full WCAG 2.1 AA conformance across audited components of the CAIRHub web application.
- For minor Frontend assist, established and enforced frontend standards for semantic HTML, accessible CSS architecture, responsive layouts, and maintainable component styling, ensuring WCAG-compliant implementations and consistent engineering quality.
- Served as an internal design strategy advisor on cross-functional teams, leading workshops (Feature Priority Matrix, Design Thinking facilitation, team wireframing sessions) to define roadmaps and accelerate delivery.
- Contracted via M-Corp (now 11:59) to deliver services for CDPH.
Lead UI/UX Designer
USAF ShOC, Nellis AFB
Las Vegas, Nevada
Apr 2020 – Dec 2021
- Reduced the intelligence operators’ average task completion time by 60–70 seconds (from a baseline of 130–250 seconds) through the interaction design of a GIS coordinate-translating middleware for ShROUD, with results documented in the 2021 SIDO Officer’s verbal report.
- Identified an unspecced workflow problem in ShROUD where operators were manually translating coordinates into military standard format mid-task. Designed and was instrumental in shipping a coordinate-parsing feature directly inside the chat interface, eliminating the conversion step entirely. Found it by understanding the mission, not from a requirements doc.
- Redesigned OneChat, the ops floor’s primary communication tool inside NIPR environments, running discovery entirely on pen and paper inside a SCIF with no WiFi, no recording tools, and no tablets. In-person observation, floor immersion, and handwritten notes.
- Defined strategic workflow scenarios through requirements gathering and scenario planning in a TS-SCI environment, validated by formal use-case documentation.
- Spearheaded the creation of the ShOC design system, a fork of the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) tailored for secure Department of Defense applications.
- Reduced development friction by serving as both UI designer and developer, translating custom Figma designs into functional React TypeScript code while maintaining Go proficiency for backend alignment.
- Accelerated team performance by coaching cross-functional designers on Design Thinking methodologies, strict accessibility standards, and Agile delivery.
- Contracted via SAIC, splitting time between remote work and on-site duties, commuting between “Location 2” and the SCIF at the USAF Shadow Operations Center (ShOC), Nellis AFB.
UX Lead & Frontend Developer
GetDocsNow
Las Vegas, Nevada
Jan 2019 – Mar 2020
- Modernized the member portal by redesigning its responsive layout, semantic HTML structure, CSS architecture, typography, color system, and interaction patterns, improving client engagement as measured through Salesforce analytics and internal evaluation tools.
- Developed new features with ASP.NET, C#, for the GDN website to drive engagement, including live chat.
- Worked on a planned redesign for the frontend framework using ReactJS, Next.js, Node.js, and Gulp.
- Built the company’s first responsive design framework, overcoming limitations with third-party integrations. Introduced mobile compatibility, which allowed HOA companies to manage tasks on phones and tablets, and boosted overall user satisfaction.
- Investigated high-complexity production issues beyond the capabilities of the internal support system by debugging C# application logic, tracing execution paths, and analyzing SQL databases. Applied deep knowledge of HOA-specific business rules to identify root causes, execute precise production data corrections, and restore customer accounts while preserving data integrity in a live production environment.
- Partnered with stakeholders to identify UX pain points and improved the frontend build pipeline for faster delivery.
UX Designer & Lead Frontend Developer
ActionCOACH Global Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Jun 2017 – Jan 2019
- Increased organic traffic by 27% (5K+ sessions/quarter) through the 2018 redesign of ActionCOACH.com, validated through Google Analytics.
- Ran the first structured UX process of his career on the ActionCOACH registration flow, where users were dropping off at the point of sign-up.
- Applied design thinking, synthesized the findings, and rebuilt the workflow around what users actually needed to complete.
- Built a scalable WordPress Multisite template for the coach network, incorporating the enhanced framework from the 2018 redesign. The system enabled dynamic, extensible content managed by independent coaches through a WYSIWYG interface.
- Developed custom WordPress plugins to support internal tools and workflows.
- Contributed to hands-on marketing initiatives and supported UX service blueprints for coach-facing tools developed in React TypeScript, Next.js, or CoffeeScript.
- Engaged in Laravel backend development with a lead programmer/developer.
- Served as stand-in Visual Effects Designer and Videographer before a dedicated hire was brought on, using 3ds Max, Maya, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Final Cut Pro.
Earlier Career
Senior UX Web Developer & MIS Ops
Superdraft Pty Ltd (Australia)
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (Remote)
Aug 2015 – May 2017
- Increased sessions by 13% through the redesign and deployment of superdraft.com.au, validated via Bing Webmaster Tools.
- Launched side projects including viz360.com.au, architecturecentre.net, and archix.com (active at the time), delivering improvements in client management through interactive and dynamic real estate and architectural tools.
- Served as Manager of Information Systems, providing network architecture, setup, strategies, and security management. The role was on-site from a rented office initially and moved to remote after May 2016, with MIS management continuing for host (website) servers.
WordPress Web Developer
WhiteTower Digital
Sydney, NSW, Australia (Remote)
Sep 2014 – Jul 2015
- Launched more than five point-of-sale and business websites[1], [2], [3], increasing client lead generation by ~9% on average, as measured by Google Analytics, by pairing brand identity redesigns with SEO strategy.
- Delivered brand identity and SEO packages for small business clients, resulting in higher local search visibility (top-6 ranking for 10+ competitive keywords).
- Built scalable templates on WordPress, AEM, and Laravel, cutting client onboarding time for new sites by 32% through reusable frameworks.
- Improved Google Analytics implementations for all clients, enabling accurate funnel tracking and helping businesses increase conversion rates by up to 11%.
- Led UX research with social media teams, boosting campaign click-through rates by 10–12% by aligning website layouts with audience engagement data.
- Managed Agile/Scrum delivery across multiple projects, reducing release cycle time from 6 weeks to 3 weeks.
Freelance work
Self-Employed; Art Of Vernard LLC
Remote
Jul 2013 – Aug 2014
- Designed and launched websites for clients, including Nightingale Construction, DWCLawFirm.com (Seattle), and author John Quel.
- Led end-to-end delivery: Discovery (UX), branding, content planning, front-end development, and CMS setup. Scoped requirements directly with clients, balancing technical feasibility, budget, and timelines.
- Delivered websites as either custom WordPress builds (per client requirements) or via Adobe Dreamweaver with Adobe Business Catalyst publishing, optimized for usability, performance, and client hand-off, and implemented on-page SEO to improve local keyword rankings.
- Applied a lightweight design-to-build workflow that reduced project delivery time by roughly two workdays compared to typical small-agency timelines.
- Increased service inquiries for Nightingale Construction by 40% in Q1 post-launch through improved UX and local SEO.
- Redesigned enrollment workflows for Shoreline Community College using Slate CRM, improving application intake structure, multi-stage review clarity, and decision communication through optimized portal UX, modular content blocks, and streamlined data flow.
- Provided additional creative services for select clients, including illustrations and 3D modeling, such as a 3D prototype of a composite decking system for Nightingale Construction (Koloske) that led to a full-time job offer from David Chen, owner of DWCLawFirm.com, Gary Koloske’s patent attorney. (declined to continue freelance practice).
Multimedia Specialist & Web Developer
Talyst
Kirkland, WA, USA
Sep 2008 – Jul 2013
- Designed multimedia, web, and sales enablement assets for Talyst’s pharmacy automation products, supporting marketing campaigns, product education, customer engagement, and executive sales presentations.
- Created product visualizations, concept graphics, 3D animations, explainer videos, and pitch materials that translated complex medication dispensing systems into clear customer-facing narratives.
- Produced the creative assets for a long-term care sales pitch, including a branded executive deck and 3D product video, supporting the sales team in securing an approximately $4M hospital contract.
- Expanded beyond multimedia production into web development, building campaign microsites and product landing pages using ASP.NET, PHP, and WordPress to support lead generation and digital marketing initiatives.
- Designed and developed microsites for AutoPharm, INSITE, and Auto340B campaigns, applying SEO strategy, A/B testing, analytics tracking, and conversion-focused content structure.
- Increased qualified leads by 78% through targeted product microsites and campaign optimization, with performance measured through Salesforce.
- Oversaw ongoing content management and maintenance for Talyst.com, ensuring product messaging, campaign updates, customer communications, and brand presentation remained current and consistent.
- Contributed to the full Talyst.com rebuild and WordPress migration, implementing custom themes, custom fields, landing pages, contact flows, and reusable page structures.
- Collaborated with Product and Hardware Engineering to translate SolidWorks assets into 3DS Max and Maya workflows for product renderings, animations, and marketing-grade visualizations.
- Supported hardware product communication for the INSITE Medication Dispenser and medication canister concepts through visual design, product graphics, 3D visualization, and marketing-ready presentation assets.
Multimedia Producer
Intava
Bellevue, WA
Aug 2006 – Aug 2008
- Created 3D graphics and product animations[1], [2], [3], [4] for mobile devices, used in product marketing, training, and customer-facing demos.
- Managed end-to-end photography and post-production workflows, including image editing and vector illustration for product instruction manuals and packaging.
- Developed interactive features and prototypes using Flash ActionScript, enhancing usability and engagement in early digital interfaces.
- Contributed to key design decisions for Sprint/Nextel customer kiosk point-of-sale interfaces, helping shape user flows and visual standards for retail environments.
- Supported cross-functional teams across design, engineering, and marketing, bridging creative content and technical execution.
- Entered the tech industry early, hired three months before completing an Associate Degree.
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Interaction Design
École Supérieure des Arts
de l’Image Le 75 (Belgium)
2009-2012
Bachelor of Arts, Digital
& Graphic Design
ITT Tech-Everett
2007-2009
Bachelor of Science
in Computer Science
Lyceum University (Philippines)
Associate of Applied Science in Multimedia/Design
ITT Tech-Everett
2004-2006
Certifications
Adobe Certified Expert
New Horizons (Seattle, WA)
2012 Oct
Google UX Design Professional Certificate
Google Career Certificates
2021 Oct
- Reinvestigation process in 2026. Eligible up to TS/SCI. ↩︎