Developing your ideas from the initial concept to final execution.
7+
years of experience in engineering and design
Led and thrived in dual roles of engineering and design within startups, driving product innovation and scaling growth
3
Successfully launched MVPs for 3 projects, each with significant user bases
135k+ active users across 3 innovative products
3
Architected 3 robust design systems
Slashed dev time by hundreds of hours, boosting team efficiency
Laila Ali
Frontend EngineerProduct Designer
Austin, TX
About
As an adept creator of high-impact accessible web solutions, I excel in mitigating end-user problems through my expertise. Leveraging my background as an interior designer, I seamlessly transitioned into developing experientially-enriching digital web products. My track record showcases a strong commitment to delivering practical, adaptable, and enduring solutions consistently, establishing a reputation for excellence.
Abilities
Design
User Research
Information Architecture
User Interface Design
Interaction Design
Prototyping
Design Systems
Development Tools
GitHub / GitLab / Bitbucket
Azure Dev Ops
Jira / Trello / Linear
Storybook
Jest
Design Tools
Figma
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Soft Skills
Communication
Empathy
Teamwork
Critical Thinking
Continous learning
Creativity
Featured Projects
financial advisor
A financial advisor that automates your most important financial decisions.
telehealth staffing
Optimize the way you staff and scale.
track
Define and measure behaviors that align with your company's core values, while ditching yearly reviews in the process.
haworth
Create spaces that engage, refresh, and inspire collaboration
animal care connect
Network. Share. Save: Empowering Animal Organizations
Experience
Sep 2023 - Present
Animal Care Connect - remote
Animal Care Connect is a non-profit revolutionary platform designed to transform the landscape of animal welfare
Founder + Product Designer + Software Engineer
- Leading all aspects of the project including user research, product design, and full-stack development.
- Designing & developing an intuitive interface and features for organization profiles, volunteer management, and resource allocation.
- Creating an innovative organization finder based on location and specialization.
Sep 2023 - Present
Toptal - remote
Network of professionals specializing in software development and design
Software Engineer + Product Designer
- Accelerated frontend development for multiple client projects, significantly improving delivery timelines and client satisfaction.
- Designed and implemented user-friendly, secure, and responsive interfaces using React and TypeScript, enhancing user experience and driving adoption of productivity application.
- Leveraged Redux Toolkit to manage complex state and integrate with backend services, optimizing data flow and ensuring application scalability.
- Collaborated cross-functionally with product managers, UX/UI designers, and backend developers to translate business requirements into high-quality frontend solutions.
- Led the development of intuitive user interfaces, resulting in improved user engagement and productivity across multiple client applications.
Sep 2022 - Sep 2023
Private (Fintech startup) - remote
Startup specializing in tailored financial advice for professionals
Software Engineer + Product Designer
- Led the product design and co-led the frontend development for an automated financial advisory platform, serving 80,000+ users within 4 months of MVP launch.
- Implemented critical features including automated retirement asset allocation, personalized mortgage calculator, and tailored financial advice engine.
- Boosted scalability and maintainability via documentation and architecture restructuring.
Jun 2021 - Sep 2022
OpenLoop Health (Telehealth startup) - remote
Startup offering custom SaaS healthcare staffing solutions
Software Engineer + Product Designer
- Engineered complex React components and user-friendly forms, enhancing the platform's usability and contributing to rapid user adoption, reaching 15,000 users within two months of MVP launch.
- Developed robust GraphQL data query algorithms with appropriate permissioning, ensuring secure and efficient data management.
- Created MongoDB migrations for database schema updates, supporting the platform's evolving data requirements.
- Implemented Storybook and initiated the development of a comprehensive design system, improving team collaboration and maintaining design consistency.
- Mentored junior developers and designers, fostering team growth while maintaining high standards of code quality and user experience.
Feb 2019 - Jun 2021
Brightly - remote
Digital agency with a focus on UX and software development
Frontend Engineer
- Engineered a comprehensive e-commerce platform for furniture dealers, resulting in a 25+% increase in client sales by streamlining product access, customization, and order management.
- Developed a robust team management solution that streamlines employee feedback and performance review processes, eliminating the need for annual reviews and thrilling the client with the MVP.
- Engineered critical frontend components and views using React, TypeScript and Angular.
- Constructed pragmatic and effective technical solutions based on research findings by collaborating with UX designers and developers to understand end-user requirements and formulate use cases.
- Enhanced user experience and accomplished web application objectives by designing and creating accessible, cross-browser and multi-platform applications in an agile work environment.
Feb 2018 - Feb 2019
CerteDrive (B2B startup) - Grand Rapids, MI
Specialized company streamlining and optimizing DOT medical certification process.
Frontend Engineer + Product Designer
- Engineered the development of high-impact features for a custom SaaS product, leveraging Angular to enhance user experience and drive growth to 3000+ monthly active users.
- Developed robust, cross-platform web solutions, dramatically improving speed, accessibility, and compatibility across browsers.
- Pioneered comprehensive UX/UI solutions through rigorous user research, information architecture optimization, innovative interaction design, and high-fidelity prototyping, directly addressing user needs and business challenges.
2013 - Oct 2017
Atlantis Health System (Healthcare startup) - Remote
Care delivery organization with a focus on creating networks of medical specialists nationwide
Contract UI/UX Designer
- Orchestrated end-to-end branding, user experience, and visual design strategies for a primary client and its network of 14+ partners, ensuring cohesive brand identity across all platforms.
- Conceptualized, designed, and launched 20+ bespoke WordPress marketing sites, tailoring each to specific client requirements and business objectives.
- Drove creative innovation by collaborating with copywriters to develop unique, integrated concepts that seamlessly blended traditional and cutting-edge strategies, aligning with overarching advertising and marketing goals.
- Streamlined project management by coordinating directly with clients and partners to define clear project scopes, establish interaction guidelines, and create efficient project timelines, ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery.
Volunteer Work
Jul 2021 - Sep 2021
Code Nation - Instructor
Organization that equips students in under-resourced high schools with the skills, experiences, and connections that together create access to careers in technology.
- Led instruction for a comprehensive beginner-level frontend development course, covering HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery, while integrating crucial soft skills training and industry insights to prepare students for real-world scenarios.
Feb 2021 - May 2021
TCCodes - Instructor
Organization providing free workshops and events to area software developer professionals.
- Co-taught an advanced React TypeScript frontend development course, emphasizing human-centered design principles, UI component library creation, and practical application development, equipping students with cutting-edge skills for modern web engineering.
Education
Bachelor of Arts
2004 - 2007
Harrington College of Design -Chicago
Certificate of Completion
Oct 2017 - Dec 2017
Grand Circus -Grand Rapids, MI