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Available for Q2 2025

Systematic design for complex products

An example of Systematic by Tech Merlin—where methodical process meets product thinking. We design technical interfaces, design systems, and data-heavy applications for product teams who value precision.

12+ Years Product Design
50+ Design Systems
3 Patents Filed
design-process.js
1 const designSystem = {
2   tokens: 'atomic',
3   components: 'modular',
4   documentation: 'comprehensive',
5   validate: () => user.test()
6 };
7  
8 // Output: Scalable, maintainable design
Case Studies

Evidence-based design decisions,
measurable business outcomes

View All Projects
Fintech B2B SaaS

TradeFlow Analytics

Redesigned the core trading dashboard for a financial analytics platform processing $2B+ daily transactions. Focused on data density, real-time updates, and cognitive load reduction.

-40%
Task Completion Time
99.9%
Data Accuracy
4.8/5
User Satisfaction
2.3x
Feature Adoption
TradeFlow Dashboard
01

Research & Analysis

Conducted 30+ user interviews, analyzed 500+ support tickets, mapped cognitive workflows

02

Information Architecture

Restructured navigation based on mental models, reduced menu items by 60%

03

Component Library

Built 45 reusable components with strict accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA) compliance

04

Validation & Iteration

A/B tested 12 variants, measured with Mixpanel/Amplitude, iterated based on data

Healthcare Enterprise

MedCore Platform

End-to-end redesign of a clinical documentation system used by 15,000+ healthcare providers. Balanced regulatory compliance with workflow efficiency.

-35%
Documentation Time
100%
HIPAA Compliant
-60%
Error Rate
94%
Task Success Rate
MedCore Interface
01

Compliance Audit

Mapped 200+ regulatory requirements to UI constraints, identified friction points

02

Workflow Optimization

Shadowed 20 clinicians, reduced click-through paths from 12 to 4 steps average

03

Design System

Created specialized form components with validation patterns, error prevention

04

Clinical Validation

Pilot with 500 users, measured efficiency gains, FDA documentation support

DevTools Design System

Nexus Design System

Built a comprehensive design system from scratch for a developer tools company, serving 12 product teams and ensuring consistency across 40+ applications.

340+
Components
85%
Design Consistency
-50%
Dev Handoff Time
12
Product Teams
Nexus Design System
01

Audit & Inventory

Analyzed 40+ apps, identified 200+ inconsistent patterns, prioritized components

02

Token Architecture

Defined semantic token structure, theming capabilities, dark mode support

03

Component Library

Built in React/Storybook, comprehensive docs, Figma plugin integration

04

Adoption & Governance

Migration strategy, contribution guidelines, office hours, metrics tracking

Toolkit

Technical proficiency across the
product design stack

◈
Design & Prototyping
  • Figma
  • Sketch
  • Principle
  • Framer
◉
Frontend Development
  • React / Next.js
  • TypeScript
  • Tailwind CSS
  • Storybook
◆
Research & Analytics
  • Mixpanel
  • Amplitude
  • UserTesting
  • Dovetail
Writing

Thoughts on design systems,
product strategy, and technical UX

View All Articles
2025-01-15

Scaling Design Systems: Lessons from 50+ Implementations

Design Systems • 12 min read
→ 2024-12-03

The Cognitive Load of Data-Dense Interfaces

UX Research • 8 min read
→ 2024-10-22

Bridging the Gap: Design Tokens for Engineers

Engineering • 15 min read
→ 2024-09-08

Measuring Design: A Framework for Product Teams

Strategy • 10 min read
→
About

Methodical approach,
technical foundation

Design is a technical discipline

I'm Merlin, Lead Tech & Product Designer at Tech Merlin. With a background spanning computer science and human-computer interaction, I approach design as an engineering problem—systems thinking, measurable outcomes, and scalable solutions.

My experience extends back to the early 2000s, building interfaces when CSS was young and JavaScript was fragile. That technical foundation means I don't just push pixels—I architect design systems, write component logic, and collaborate with engineering teams as a peer, not a handoff.

At Tech Merlin, Systematic represents our most rigorous work: products where precision matters, data is complex, and the margin for error is zero. I believe the best design is invisible—it just works, at scale, for everyone.

2020—Now

Lead Tech & Product Designer

Tech Merlin — Design systems, technical product design, engineering collaboration

2016—2020

Senior Product Designer

Stripe — Design systems, developer tools, payment interfaces

2012—2016

Product Designer

GitHub — Collaboration tools, code review interfaces, design systems

2008—2012

UI Engineer

Various startups — Frontend development, interaction design, early design systems

Let's build something systematic

Have a complex product challenge? I'd love to discuss how a methodical, evidence-based approach can solve it. Whether you need a design system, a technical interface, or product strategy, let's talk.

✉

Email

thetechmerlin@gmail.com
◈

Calendar

Schedule a 30-min discovery call
◉

Location

San Francisco, CA (Remote friendly)