Elise Maddox is an experienced UX professional with 8+ years of experience in design strategy, product design, and research for SaaS (B2B) and e-commerce. She has led UX projects across diverse industries, including InsurTech, FinTech, senior living, facility management, trade shows, HR, and OSHA compliance.
I am an experienced UX professional with 8+ years in SaaS (B2B) and e-commerce, specializing in data-informed design that balances user needs with business goals. I’ve led design strategy for a Fortune 100 company while also thriving in fast-paced startups.
In startups, I focus on rapid iteration, helping teams quickly refine high-value features through continuous user testing. I collaborate closely with tech leads and product management—often sketching on a whiteboard—to rapidly align design with business and technical goals.
In enterprise environments, I drive strategic design initiatives to impact the business. I blend existing data with research strategy, coordinate across the design team and enterprise, and influence multi-year product strategies. I advocate for user needs at the executive level, ensuring design remains a priority even in challenging stakeholder discussions.
Beyond execution, I am a proactive leader and mentor. I foster skill-sharing through UX training, support teams in navigating business landscapes, and create a culture of collaboration. I am known for clear communication and strategic thinking, I help teams and products reach their full potential.
Recommendations
“I have worked with Elise for just over a year and the impact she had on our team was immeasurable. She is a motivated design leader who not only excels in identifying opportunities for our clients, but supports our team in how best to elevate these needs to our business leaders. She is a team player, holding productive and clear communication in high regard. She was a great support to me during my first year at a new company, guiding me about the landscape of the business, and giving me external resources to boost my professional growth. I can’t recommend Elise enough!”
Lead Product Designer at Northwestern Mutual
“Elise and I worked on the same team for about two years. In that time, I knew her to be an exceptionally talented, passionate, and driven colleague. She fearlessly championed the needs of the user, and went out of her way to fight for their best interests, even if that meant more work or winning over a skeptical room of stakeholders. She's also one of the most motivating people I've ever worked with and had the ability to elevate both the drive and performance of those lucky enough to work with her. I cannot recommend her highly enough.”
UX Researcher at Amazon Web Services (AWS)
“Elise is by far one of the most driven, passionate individuals I've had the pleasure to work with. She comes at design and research from a unique, analytical perspective that is conducive to iterative enhancements and frequent testing and validation. As a developer, it was quite unique to work with someone that could "speak the language" and understand technical limitations in a solution, enabling her to pivot and find a compromise that ends up still working for the user. Be ready for frequent collaboration!”
Director of Engineering at Zywave