About – Michael Olson

Hi, I’m Michael — a product designer based in Chicago.

I have an educational background in visual communications design and a recreational background in animation, video games, and general nerdery, making product design a very natural fit.

Long before I heard the term “UX,” I was routinely irritated by 500ms hover animations, confusing layouts, and cryptic error messages. I’ve been fortunate to have had plentiful opportunities to grow and learn a great variety of things, which a more linear career path may not have afforded me. So while UX will always be my home, it’s far from my only area of expertise.

In a nutshell

My career has so far taken place entirely inside fast-paced startups, so I know how to roll with the punches, wear a lot of hats, and quickly shift directions.
I take a lot of pride in what I do and always want to produce the best work I can, but I also know that deadlines exist for a reason.
I have various interests inside and adjacent to typical product design roles. From pencil mock-ups to helping developers with tricky CSS to making a promo video and writing email copy, it’s hard to think of a step in the process I haven’t at least dabbled in.
Whatever I’m doing, I utilize my experience in UX to minimize friction wherever I can. From handoff documentation and boring emails to the products themselves, I’m always aiming to make people’s lives at least a little easier.

In detail

Let’s talk!

Want to collaborate or discuss my work? Get in touch with the form below or email me directly at [email protected], and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.