Top Talent like Paul are on Pangea

Pangea, a YC company, connects companies with fractional talent. Fractional hiring allows companies to move faster and work with more specialized talent, while giving talent more flexibility and independence. If you are talent open to fractional work, apply here. If you’re a company looking for high-quality fractional talent, learn more here.

Paul Banks

User Researcher
Creative & Brand Strategist
Frontend Developer
Charlotte, NC, US
Mobile Design
AI
Figma
User Interface Design
Journey Mapping
Collaboration
Branding
Visual Design
Wireframing
Design Research
Design Strategy
Analytical Thinking
Human-centered design
Problem Solving
Available for hire fromNegotiable
Contracts
Senior Product Designer specializing in Human-Centered Interactions
My heart is at the intersection of Brand and Product. I have a deep affinity for a wide range of design and art. I pursue design because of its vast potential to help people, and for its integration of beauty and utility. I’m keen on exploring human-centered, interactive, and engaging design. I’m driven by curiosity, mixing analog and digital media to develop novel visual expressions.

Projects

Credit Karma Onboarding

As a Product Designer at Credit Karma, collaborating closely with the Director of UX Research on the onboarding flow, I leveraged user research and data insights to tackle a critical design challenge: high drop-off rates during the initial account-linking step. This experience highlights how our partnership turned insights into impactful design decisions. The Problem: Our analytics showed a 35% drop-off when new users were prompted to link their financial accounts or provide sensitive information like a Social Security number during onboarding. This step was essential for delivering Credit Karma’s core value—free credit score access—but users were abandoning the flow, preventing them from reaching the Dashboard. The Director of UX Research and I hypothesized that users felt anxious about security or unclear about the step’s purpose, but we needed data to confirm. Insights Gathered: Working hand-in-hand with the Director, we designed a mixed-method research plan to dig into the issue: Qualitative Research: We conducted moderated usability tests with 12 new users, observing their interactions with the onboarding prototype in Figma. The Director facilitated sessions, asking open-ended questions like, “What’s going through your mind here?” Users expressed distrust, with comments like, “Why do you need my SSN already?” or “I’m not sure if this is safe.” They also found the form’s dense layout intimidating. Quantitative Data: We analyzed funnel metrics and heatmaps via Amplitude, pinpointing the exact screen where drop-offs peaked. Only 60% of users completed the SSN input field, and clicks on the “Next” button were low, suggesting hesitation.See More

Work History

C

Lead Product Designer

Credit KarmaFull-time Employee
P

Lead Designer UX/IA

PELOTONContract EmployeeJun 2021 - Mar 2023 • 1 yr 10 mosKey Takeaways: Project Focus: Developed interactive experiences for LANEBREAK, a multiplayer game system, to enhance engagement. Achievements: Increased user engagement by 15% and contributed significantly to the PE Design System. Responsibilities: Documented high-fidelity workflows, coordinated with remote teams, and validated design decisions through user research.
I

Founding Designer

IHEARTJANEFull-time EmployeeJun 2017 - Mar 2020 • 2 yrs 10 mos Successfully implemented scalable design systems that ensured consistency across platforms. Elevated customer engagement and satisfaction through strategic design optimizations. Enhanced collaboration between design and engineering, expediting product development cycles.
A

Design System Engineer

ANCESTRY DNA & HEALTHContract EmployeeJun 2019 - Mar 2021 • 1 yr 10 mosChampioned design system standardization, improving cross-platform consistency.
W

Associate Creative Director

WalmartContract EmployeeJun 2017 - Mar 2018 • 10 mosStreamlined design-to-development processes, enhancing UI integrity and reducing errors.
S

Lead Design Engineer

Sony PlaystationFull-time EmployeeMar 2015 - Jun 2017 • 2 yrs 4 mosDeveloped scalable design systems and improved VR interface clarity
S

Senior Concept Designer,

SamsungFull-time EmployeeFeb 2013 - Mar 2015 • 2 yrs 2 mos

Education

V

Virginia Commonwealth University

BFA, Interactive Design / New Media1998 - 2002

Virginia Commonwealth University

BFA, Design LeadershipMar 2001 - Mar 2004

How Pangea Works

Effortlessly discover top talent

We've distilled the candidate search from endless hours down to just a few minutes. Using Pangea's AI-powered search tools, you can find top fractional talent able to take on your next project. Our system looks at your company's niche and your needs to find the perfect match faster than any traditional hiring platform.

Start working with talent today

The top talent on Pangea is ready to get started with you right now. You can message or hire a candidate right from their profile page and start assigning work as soon as they respond. And the best part? Pangea's fractional contract structure lets you start small and ramp up as your needs change, keeping your costs manageable and your team's capabliities flexible.

Track work and invoices in one place

Assign tasks, track progress, and complete invoices all on Pangea. We've combined every part of the hiring process into one platform to eliminate the miscommunication that's unavoidable on other freelance platforms. We even send out 1099s to your contractors at the end of the year!

Talk with a Talent Expert

Members of our team are available to help you speed through the hiring process.
Available Now
Book a Call
Senior Product Designer specializing in Human-Centered Interactions
My heart is at the intersection of Brand and Product. I have a deep affinity for a wide range of design and art. I pursue design because of its vast potential to help people, and for its integration of beauty and utility. I’m keen on exploring human-centered, interactive, and engaging design. I’m driven by curiosity, mixing analog and digital media to develop novel visual expressions.

Talk with a Talent Expert

Members of our team are available to help you speed through the hiring process.
Available Now
Book a Call

Top Talent like Paul are on Pangea

Pangea, a YC company, connects companies with fractional talent. Fractional hiring allows companies to move faster and work with more specialized talent, while giving talent more flexibility and independence. If you are talent open to fractional work, apply here. If you’re a company looking for high-quality fractional talent, learn more here.

Paul Banks

User Researcher
Creative & Brand Strategist
Frontend Developer
Charlotte, NC, US
Mobile Design
AI
Figma
User Interface Design
Journey Mapping
Collaboration
Branding
Visual Design
Wireframing
Design Research
Design Strategy
Analytical Thinking
Human-centered design
Problem Solving
Available for hire fromNegotiable
Contracts

Projects

Credit Karma Onboarding

As a Product Designer at Credit Karma, collaborating closely with the Director of UX Research on the onboarding flow, I leveraged user research and data insights to tackle a critical design challenge: high drop-off rates during the initial account-linking step. This experience highlights how our partnership turned insights into impactful design decisions. The Problem: Our analytics showed a 35% drop-off when new users were prompted to link their financial accounts or provide sensitive information like a Social Security number during onboarding. This step was essential for delivering Credit Karma’s core value—free credit score access—but users were abandoning the flow, preventing them from reaching the Dashboard. The Director of UX Research and I hypothesized that users felt anxious about security or unclear about the step’s purpose, but we needed data to confirm. Insights Gathered: Working hand-in-hand with the Director, we designed a mixed-method research plan to dig into the issue: Qualitative Research: We conducted moderated usability tests with 12 new users, observing their interactions with the onboarding prototype in Figma. The Director facilitated sessions, asking open-ended questions like, “What’s going through your mind here?” Users expressed distrust, with comments like, “Why do you need my SSN already?” or “I’m not sure if this is safe.” They also found the form’s dense layout intimidating. Quantitative Data: We analyzed funnel metrics and heatmaps via Amplitude, pinpointing the exact screen where drop-offs peaked. Only 60% of users completed the SSN input field, and clicks on the “Next” button were low, suggesting hesitation.

Work History

C

Lead Product Designer

Credit KarmaFull-time Employee
P

Lead Designer UX/IA

PELOTONContract EmployeeJun 2021 - Mar 2023 • 1 yr 10 mosKey Takeaways: Project Focus: Developed interactive experiences for LANEBREAK, a multiplayer game system, to enhance engagement. Achievements: Increased user engagement by 15% and contributed significantly to the PE Design System. Responsibilities: Documented high-fidelity workflows, coordinated with remote teams, and validated design decisions through user research.
I

Founding Designer

IHEARTJANEFull-time EmployeeJun 2017 - Mar 2020 • 2 yrs 10 mos Successfully implemented scalable design systems that ensured consistency across platforms. Elevated customer engagement and satisfaction through strategic design optimizations. Enhanced collaboration between design and engineering, expediting product development cycles.
A

Design System Engineer

ANCESTRY DNA & HEALTHContract EmployeeJun 2019 - Mar 2021 • 1 yr 10 mosChampioned design system standardization, improving cross-platform consistency.
W

Associate Creative Director

WalmartContract EmployeeJun 2017 - Mar 2018 • 10 mosStreamlined design-to-development processes, enhancing UI integrity and reducing errors.
S

Lead Design Engineer

Sony PlaystationFull-time EmployeeMar 2015 - Jun 2017 • 2 yrs 4 mosDeveloped scalable design systems and improved VR interface clarity
S

Senior Concept Designer,

SamsungFull-time EmployeeFeb 2013 - Mar 2015 • 2 yrs 2 mos

Education

V

Virginia Commonwealth University

BFA, Interactive Design / New Media1998 - 2002

Virginia Commonwealth University

BFA, Design LeadershipMar 2001 - Mar 2004

How Pangea Works

Effortlessly discover top talent

We've distilled the candidate search from endless hours down to just a few minutes. Using Pangea's AI-powered search tools, you can find top fractional talent able to take on your next project. Our system looks at your company's niche and your needs to find the perfect match faster than any traditional hiring platform.

Start working with talent today

The top talent on Pangea is ready to get started with you right now. You can message or hire a candidate right from their profile page and start assigning work as soon as they respond. And the best part? Pangea's fractional contract structure lets you start small and ramp up as your needs change, keeping your costs manageable and your team's capabliities flexible.

Track work and invoices in one place

Assign tasks, track progress, and complete invoices all on Pangea. We've combined every part of the hiring process into one platform to eliminate the miscommunication that's unavoidable on other freelance platforms. We even send out 1099s to your contractors at the end of the year!

Talk with a Talent Expert

Members of our team are available to help you speed through the hiring process.
Available Now
Book a Call
Pangea empowers fractional work across the world for marketing and design roles.