Leslie Montes, Senior Product Designer | UX/UI • Design Strategy • Design Systems in Mountain View, CA

About

I am a product designer with experience creating user-centered digital experiences, with particular strengths in design strategy, design systems, and prototyping. Most recently, I helped rebuild a design system at Apple. Previously, I designed member experiences at Yohana, a wellbeing startup (funded by Panasonic) supporting working mothers, from early product definition to prototyping for usability tests and shipping navigation improvements.

I enjoy collaborating with researchers, engineers, and cross-functional teams to solve problems together. My background studying industrial design and traditional furniture craftsmanship in Japan has given me a strong foundation in craft, systems thinking, and attention to detail that I bring to digital work.

Right now, I'm looking for product design opportunities in healthcare, mental health, or wellbeing - spaces where thoughtful design can genuinely improve people's lives.

Education

Master's Degree, Design Strategy

Kyushu University　九州大学

2015 - 2018

As a recipient of the Japanese government's MEXT research scholarship, I researched traditional Japanese woodworking and its influence on sustainable contemporary furniture design. I concluded my project by proposing an original sustainable furniture design inspired by traditional techniques. From my degree in Design Strategy I gained a broader understanding of design as a vehicle for social change on a larger scale.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Industrial Design

The University of Kansas

2010 - 2014

As a student of industrial design at the University of Kansas's School of Architecture, Design and Planning, I learned to develop and communicate innovative product concepts through sketches as well as physical and digital models and prototypes.
Study Abroad, Product Design

Istituto Europeo di Design (Madrid)

2012 - 2013

Study abroad for one year in Spain. Classes were conducted entirely in Spanish. A group project, Arc Tap, was named National Finalist for the James Dyson Award in 2013.

Experience

Senior Product Designer, Design Systems

Apple (contracted through Aquent)

Cupertino, CA

Sep 2023 - Sep 2025 (2 years)

・Updated a web-based design system to improve consistency, scalability, and WCAG accessibility compliance, working with a cross-functional team of designers and engineers.
・Built design system component library and sticker sheet for use by designers across B2B SaaS partner tools and internal web applications with complex workflows.
・Created documentation of technical design specifications, usage guidelines, and design patterns for internal product design and engineering stakeholders.
UX Designer

Yohana

Palo Alto, CA

Mar 2020 - Sep 2022 (2 years 6 months)

・Contributed to initial product definition for a wellbeing startup supporting working moms through competitive analysis, service blueprinting, and creation of visual assets for user research.
・Designed user flows and concept mocks for new features including structured task intake, family engagement, and wellbeing-focused experiences, informing product strategy and roadmap planning.
・Built the company’s first member app prototype and led prototyping for an iterative, comprehensive usability study that laid the foundation for several new features and improvements on the roadmap.
・Designed and shipped navigation improvements for the member-facing mobile app in an Agile environment, collaborating with product management, UX research, engineering, content strategy, and design systems lead.
・Designed, maintained, and created technical documentation for scalable, responsive native mobile (iOS and Android) and web design system components.
Product Designer

Panasonic ß

Mountain View, CA

Feb 2019 - Mar 2020 (1 year 1 month)

・Defined concept, brand, and strategy, conducted ideation sketching, and built both physical and digital rapid prototypes for connected appliances at Panasonic's Silicon Valley innovation studio.
・Worked directly with hardware and software engineers to prototype and test new proposals for home appliances and services.
・Founding member of the core team that developed the Connected Homeware project presented by Panasonic at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020.
Industrial Design Intern

Panasonic

Kyoto-shi, Japan

Apr 2018 - Jun 2018 (2 months)

・Proposed an innovative home appliance design by rethinking the user experience from zero.
・Gained firsthand knowledge of the manufacturing process by working in an appliance factory.
Product Design Intern

Okamura

Minato-ku, Japan

Aug 2016 - Sep 2016 (1 month)

・Designed a high desk and stool set for use in the home office as an intern at a leading Japanese office furniture company.
Design Consultant

Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms

Kyoto, Japan

Jul 2014 - Jan 2015 (6 months)

・Improved the company’s brand for overseas markets by creating catalogs, brochures, product labels, and promotional photography.

Awards

National Finalist, James Dyson Award design competition, 2013

Industries

Skills

Elsewhere on the Web

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On Coroflot

@lesliemontes, member since 2013

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