Dane O'Leary🇺🇸

About Dane O'Leary

Principal Designer at Dane O'Leary Media

Most designers study their users' behavior, but I dig for why.

I'm Dane, the Design Archaeologist™. For 14+ years, I've been excavating the layer beneath the interface, from the behavior and incentives to the structural stuff that decides whether a product serves its intended users.

❖ 𝗦𝗬𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗦 + 𝗚𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 ⁣❖ Hired to [re-]build the LINEAR² design system for a boutique agency hoping to compress client-project production timelines. Architected a 3-tier token core (~266 tokens, 159 styles) driving ~75 custom UI components with ~945 variants. Created 5 independent theme axes—radius, shadow, icon stroke, icon endcaps, and light/dark—to recombine into 360 brand skins with full Webflow parity across 5 responsive breakpoints (incl. ultrawide).

❖ 𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗢𝗥-𝗗𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗡 𝗨𝗫 ⁣❖ "Flipped the flow" on a clinical trial recruitment project after synthesizing past campaign data—driving task abandonment down 29% and acquisition costs down ~$300 per user.

❖ 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗨𝗘 𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗘 ⁣❖ Built a marketing site with a custom lead-gen funnel driving $112K–$168K/month in new revenue over the first 90 days of launch.

❖ 𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝗧𝗢𝗢𝗟𝗦 / 𝗦𝗞𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗦 ❖ UX/Product Design • Design Systems • Branding • Figma • Webflow • Adobe Creative Cloud (PS/AI/AE/PR/ID) • HTML / CSS / JS / PHP / React • Storybook • Zeroheight • WCAG 2.2 AA • Claude, Perplexity • Lyssna, UserTesting, Hotjar

Expertise

Sessions with Dane O'Leary

• Q&A (20 min): Is there something specific you want to talk about? Do you need a Figma tutorial? Have you reached an impasse on a project and need advice for breathing through? Are you curious about something I've made and want the tea? Consider these my office hours. Anything can I help with?
• Building Your Creator Brand (30 min): As a designer, your personal brand is one of your most valuable assets. Why? Because it's one of the best ways to get your work in front of more eyes. Over 3 sessions, I'll guide you through the art of personal branding, especially where it involves showcasing your unique strengths / skills effectively and differentiating yourself in a competitive job market.
• Project or Portfolio (30 min): This quick-hit session is perfect if you need a pair of eyes on your work. We can review a case study, do a project walkthrough or mock presentation, or assess the overall strength of your portfolio. I give simple, actionable feedback to help you boost clarity, find your story, and create strategic framing.
• Interview Prep Session (30 min): Getting ready for an interview? We’ll work through common UX interview formats, tough questions, or storytelling strategies—whether it’s a mock run or deep dive into your prep plan. You’ll leave with sharper answers, more confidence, and a clear framework to position yourself with strength.
• Coaching (40 min): For technical subjects requiring more of a "deep dive," book a Coaching session.
• Vibe Session (15 min): Also known as the "coffee talk," this session is short, sweet, and flexible. Great for vibe checks before recurring or longer sessions if you want to make sure we speak the same language, or even just to meet “face to face.”

What mentees say

“Dane was really amazing to talk to, the meeting went very well and he was helpful throughout the session, gave me proper time to speak, and gave his insightful ideas on my designs, would recommend him!”

“Dane and I had our first session together and I'm thoroughly impressed! He was honest with his feedback regarding my portfolio and had numerous ideas to help push me forward and take it to the next level. Thank you, Dane!”