Owned end-to-end UX for AKAIO’s AI innovation workflow and turned consulting methodology into an engaging SaaS MVP.

Title
VP of Product Design

Duration
1 Year & 6 Months

Location
Boston, MA + Madrid, Spain

Outcome: MVP shipped + demo-ready product

Best fit for:
Lead Product Designer · Staff Product Designer · Head / Director / VP of Design

  • Go-to-market: sales enablement assets + product storytelling

  • Scope: 0→1 platform, multiple modules, enterprise-facing UX

  • My role: Head of Design (hands-on), cross-functional lead

  • Leadership: Partnered directly with founder + exec team; aligned product, AI, and engineering

  • Users: Heads of Innovation, consultants, enterprise decision-makers

$2M pre-seed raised

Tools: Figjam, UserTesting, Figma

AKAIO was born from the world-class innovation consulting methodology used my the top consulting firms in the world sanctioned by GIMI (The Global Innovation Management Institute). It was a methodology actively used with global enterprise clients, but it did not yet exist as a scalable, productized platform.

What Changed When Design Leadership Was Introduced

  • No shared product vision → a single, guided innovation workflow

  • Consulting decks → interactive, demoable SaaS platform

  • Fragmented UI → cohesive system built for scale

  • Vague story → clear narrative for investors, partners, and customers


The challenge was turning abstract innovation strategy into a guided, repeatable product experience that executives and consultants could actually use.

I implemented Lean UX Design principles to bring speed to defining the UX strategy in order to shape the product workflow, align founders and engineering, and build the MVP to get AKAIO to market.

Core Leadership Team: Cofounders (CEO + CIO), VP of AI, and VP of Product Design

Top Three Decisions I Made

1

Refactored concept so SaaS platform was built around decision outputs, not exploration.

2

Took ownership of the brand, ensuring alignment from product to sales and investors.

3

Built a modular system to support future vertical expansion.

Product Experience & UI Design

Uncover Hidden Trends

Learn Scenarios of the Future

See future scenarios based on company information and trends that showcase what your ideal future could be and what future products, services and partnerships will look like.

See Competencies Your Company Needs to Win

Finding experts for projects based on the competencies of the future that your company needs to win

Prototyping & Commercialization

User-Centered Innovation in the demo below will show you:

  • How I simplified complex AI insights for enterprise users with the platform

  • A full user journey of the platform: logging in, viewing profile, generating a scenario and finding partners to collaborate with

  • Integrating best-in-class innovation consulting methodologies utilized by the best consulting groups today.

Prototyping & MVP Development: Transforming an Idea into a User-Centric Innovation Engine

Bringing AKAIO to life meant transforming a proven innovation consulting methodology into a seamless, AI-powered SaaS experience that was:
✅ More Impactful – AI-powered insights amplified the boldness and precision of innovation strategies.
✅ Faster Execution – Automated workflows replaced manual consulting processes, reducing delays.
✅ More Affordable – By eliminating consultant man-hours and in-person workshops, AKAIO made world-class innovation strategy accessible at scale.

This groundbreaking shift generated market buzz, secured additional pre-seed capital, and validated the product’s value proposition.

Scaling for Real-World Impact: The MVP – November 2024

Building on the success of the POC, we expanded AKAIO’s core functionalities for an MVP that could serve a diverse range of industries and enterprise clients. The platform was designed to empower users at every stage of their innovation journey with an intuitive, streamlined experience:

  • Company Profile & Innovation Goals – Users define their strategic focus and align teams around shared objectives.

  • Trend Selection – Identify the most critical macroeconomic, technological, and societal trends impacting their industry.

  • Future Scenario Generation – AI-powered narratives map out how the company can win by responding to key trends, unlocking new products, services, and partnerships.

  • Competency Mapping – Visualize the skills, knowledge, and assets required to succeed in future markets.

  • Proprietary Matchmaking Database – Discover ideal partners for collaboration, acquisition, or outsourcing, accelerating change management and execution.

  • By creating a bold, AI-enhanced, user-friendly experience, AKAIO has redefined how companies approach innovation strategy. The MVP has not only delivered real business impact but has also positioned AKAIO as a market leader in AI-driven innovation consulting.

Marketing & Commercial Success

The arrival of a dedicated design VP (myself) and an AI VP fundamentally reshaped the company’s trajectory. The original founder—the visionary behind the Innovation SaaS product concept—departed, leaving behind a fragmented vision and an early prototype that lacked the clarity and execution needed to scale. This forced us to start over, rebrand, and rebuild from the ground up.I led the charge in crafting a bold new identity, refining the product’s core messaging, and launching a dynamic marketing campaign that not only repositioned AKAIO in the market but reignited investor enthusiasm. With a fresh brand, a powerful narrative, and high-impact video content (where I became the voice of the brand), we drove massive momentum—securing $2 million in total funding just six months.

Building Enterprise Trust Through Brand Systems

“Brand decisions were made to support credibility with enterprise buyers and investors — not aesthetic exploration.”

Here’s a gallery showcasing early concepts and the progression to the final logo.

What’s in a Name? The Meaning of AKAIO

AKAIO was intentionally crafted to be modern, concise, and forward-leaning. The inclusion of “AI” signals intelligence and emerging technology, while the overall form feels premium, global, and built for enterprise-scale innovation.

The name draws from layered cultural references to express clarity, leadership, and exploration. Akio (Japanese) translates to “man of light” or “hero,” reflecting insight and guidance. Kai, across cultures, evokes the sea (adaptability and depth) and victory (progress and achievement). Together, AKAIO represents a guiding force navigating complexity and possibility.

This thinking extended beyond naming into the visual identity. Typography, tone, and color were designed to feel intelligent yet expansive—positioning AKAIO as a platform that helps leaders move confidently through uncertainty, from early foresight to decisive action.

Visual System (Color & Typography)


The visual system was designed to support enterprise credibility and clarity in a complex, data-heavy product.

  • Deep Teal (#006F7C) — Primary brand color used to signal intelligence, depth, and adaptability; reinforces the AI core of the platform.

  • White (#FFFFFF) — Used for clarity, contrast, and hierarchy; supports readability and focus across dense interfaces.

  • Black (#000000) — Grounds the interface and allows data, visualizations, and key actions to stand out.

Together, the palette creates a high-contrast, professional environment suited for executive and enterprise users.

Typography was chosen for legibility, structure, and long-term scalability.

  • Clean sans-serif fonts ensure clarity across dashboards and workflows

  • Subtle geometric forms add a modern, technical tone without sacrificing readability

  • Balanced weights communicate stability and trust in decision-making contexts

The result is a restrained, future-ready visual system that supports usability, data comprehension, and enterprise trust.

Key fundraising events in Madrid, Spain at the CEOE as well as our own product launch event at the Hotel Wellington downtown led to many press releases including being featured several times in Forbes.com.

Business Impact & Future Vision

The Results

  • 💰 $2M raised in Pre-Seed, $500K in Seed, $300K+ in Ongoing Sales,

  • 📈 Increased platform adoption & engagement post-rebrand

  • 🏆 Globally recognized as an emerging leader in AI-driven innovation consulting by GIMI (Global Innovation Management Institute)