Sr. UX Designer/ Design Lead
Diane Marie Pascual
Designing clear, accessible experiences that connect people to the systems that serve them. Currently working remote and based in Reno, NV.
My Story
I’m Diane Pascual, a UX Designer, Creative Strategist, and Educator with over 15 years of experience in design, digital strategy, and creative direction. My journey began in 2007 as a web designer in San Diego, where I fell in love with building visually engaging websites that helped small businesses tell their stories online.
From 2009 to 2011, I pursued my MFA in Animation at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, sharpening my understanding of motion, storytelling, and visual design. After graduating, I moved to New York City, where I worked from 2011 to 2013 as a UX and web designer, collaborating with startups and creative teams on branding, interface design, and digital campaigns.
In 2013, I returned to California and spent several years in Los Angeles, freelancing across both UX and illustration. I worked with a boutique marketing agency designing websites and digital campaigns, while also taking on contract illustration work with Hasbro Studios and Skechers USA. I even helped local food truck businesses develop their brands end-to-end — from logos and truck graphics to full website builds — which gave me hands-on experience blending design strategy with small business growth.
By 2016, I moved back to San Francisco, where I contracted at Salesforce, supporting visual design and creative initiatives, and began teaching design courses at the Academy of Art University.
Between 2018 and 2023, I worked in recruiting and talent strategy, helping creative and technical professionals land meaningful roles while continuing to freelance on web design and digital branding projects. This period taught me a lot about business operations, empathy for users, and how people interact with systems of opportunity — all of which deepened my approach to UX.
Today, I work as a UX Designer and Crew Lead at i4DM, consulting with the Department of Veterans Affairs on large-scale digital modernization projects that improve access to critical services for millions of Veterans and their families. My focus is on user-centered design, accessibility, and transforming complex systems into intuitive, human-centered experiences.
Across every stage of my career — from web design to UX strategy to teaching — my goal has remained the same: to bridge creativity and functionality, empowering people and organizations through design that makes a real difference.
Work Experience
May 2024 – Present
UX Lead
i4DM – Remote, USA
Leading UX strategy for VA’s Public API Platform (developer.va.gov), supporting over 3,000 developers nationwide. Directed cross-team design alignment, responsive redesigns, and 508 accessibility compliance. Improved onboarding workflows by 20% and established UX review standards across five product teams.
Aug 2024 – May 2025
Salesforce UX Expert
i4DM – Remote, USA
Delivered end-to-end Salesforce Experience Cloud and Microsoft Dynamics 365 solutions for VA legal and transportation systems. Improved workflow clarity, reduced manual tasks, and streamlined UI design across complex case management tools. Partnered with leadership to enhance adoption, efficiency, and team collaboration.
2017 – 2024
Lead UX & Web Designer
Prism Light Studios – Remote, USA
Led UX strategy and design for 50+ WordPress websites across wellness, coaching, and creative industries. Built scalable, conversion-focused designs and custom WordPress themes that empowered clients to manage their own content. Increased client engagement and lead conversions by 25–40% post-launch. Mentored junior designers and guided the agency’s brand refresh, boosting client acquisition by 40%.
2016 – 2017
Art Director / Senior Designer
Salesforce HQ – San Francisco, CA
Led visual and interaction design for Trailhead, Salesforce’s global learning platform used by millions worldwide. Created the “Salesforcelandia” character ecosystem—now a core part of Trailhead’s visual identity. Designed illustrations, icons, and motion graphics for key learning modules and global events, enhancing engagement and brand consistency across 90+ countries.
Education
2009 – 2013
Masters Of Fine Arts – Animation & Games
Academy of Art University – San Francisco, CA
2005 – 2007
Bachelors Of Science – Graphic Design
Art Institute of CA – San Diego, CA
Certifications
Salesforce Certified Platform User Experience Designer
Issued April 2024, Trailhead Profile Link
Agile Methods for UX
Issued July 2024, IxDF – Interaction Design Foundation
Skills & Expertise
Product & Visual Design:
Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, Principle, Canva, Visual Design Skills, Interaction Design Skills, Product Design Experience, Design Systems, Branding
UX Methods:
Design Systems, Workflow Mapping, User Journeys, User Research, User Interviews, User Surveys, Wireframes, Accessibility (508/WCAG), Information Architecture, Service Design
Collaboration:
Jira, Confluence, Asana, Smartsheets, Trello, Notion, Microsoft Office, Google apps
Web Tech:
HTML, CSS, WordPress, WebFlow, Squarespace, Shopify, Visual Studio Code, GitHub, staging environments: dev > QA/Testing > prod
CRM
Salesforce Experience Cloud, Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Flows, Lightning Components, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power Pages and Power Apps
Agile & Workflow Methodologies:
Agile methodology, Scrum framework, Sprint planning, Daily standups, Backlog grooming/refinement, Sprint prioritization, Retrospectives, Kanban workflow
Soft Skills & Collaboration:
Client discovery and needs assessment, stakeholder management, cross-functional communication, creative problem-solving, team leadership, requirement gathering, presentation and storytelling, conflict resolution, active listening, user empathy
Project & Process Skills
Scoping & estimation, cross-functional collaboration, design hand-off to development, requirements documentation, creative ops & workflow optimization, sprint deliverable planning, product road mapping with PMs, multi-project prioritization