Michael Ruocco🇬🇧

About Michael Ruocco

Senior Product Designer at Freelance

I started life as a typographer/art director working at London ad agencies in the 1990s early 2000s. Moved to web design in 1998 then app design in 2007. Started my own company in 2016 teaching Ui/Ux skills to the people that design usually skips: prisoners, drug users, chronic unemployed etc.. Wrote a book on Ui/Ux design: 'Hacking a career in Ui/Ux Design' available on Amazon and Apple iBooks.

I've also lectured on UX/Ui/Product design Brainstation, DesignLab and Ivy League Columbia University in New York.

Right now I'm building two AI apps: Moodflo, which reads tone, sentiment and mood in digital meeting rooms, and Yogen, a swarm-oracle simulation.

Off the clock: film scripts, design systems, Claude Code, and helping designers earn more than they think they can.

Expertise

Sessions with Michael Ruocco

• Mentorship - Free (30 min): General mentorship -
• Everything you need to know about Freelance Work (60 min): Freelance, without the guesswork. 37 years in the industry. Agency, independent, and everything between. I've underpriced myself, scoped jobs that ate months, got constant employment even in recesssions — and worked out how to stop all three. This session is for designers going freelance, or already freelancing and tired of trading every hour for money. Bring a real problem. We'll fix it. What we can get into: • Pricing the outcome, not the hours, and not discounting when they pause • Day rates • Finding work before you need it (outreach that doesn't read like outreach) • Build-first, pay-after: when speculative work wins, when it sinks you • How to stand out in a packed market place • Scoping so a "quick redesign" doesn't become a three-month hostage situation • Getting paid: deposits, milestones, and the invoice that goes silent • Going from one client to a pipeline
• Overlooked to booked-The job market and how to win (60 min): The market's hard right now. Most people are sending more applications and getting less back. We'll work on the things that actually move the needle: an application that gets read past the first line, outreach that opens doors instead of getting ignored, and a way of positioning yourself that fits the role you want — not the one your CV accidentally describes. Bring a real job you're chasing, or a real wall you've hit. We'll fix it.
• Transition from Graphic Designer to Product Design (60 min): I made the jump myself — typography and art direction first, then UX and product. It isn't a different career, it's the same eye pointed at a different problem. You already know how to make things look right; most product teams are full of people who can't. What changes is what you're solving. A poster is finished the day it ships. A product never is — it has states, flows, edge cases, and a user who's distracted and doing the wrong thing. This session is about making that shift without losing what made you good in the first place. Bring your work and your worries. We'll go from there.
• Fix the Portfolio. Get the Offer. (60 min): In these mentorship, I'll review your existing portfolio and provide constructive feedback for improvement. You'll receive guidance on enhancing visual appeal, organizing content, and targeting specific audiences. Session 1 — We find the holes. The places that should tell a story and go quiet. You leave and rebuild. Session 2 — We craft each case study to tell the clearest story of you and your work when you're not in the room. You leave again and refine. Session 3 — We build the case studies into three clear acts that leave the hiring manager wanting more. And then i'll teach you how to get a job at any company, any brand, anywhere (you'll love it ) so you can land your dream job!

What mentees say

“Helped me identify the root cause of career uncertainties and quickly presented clear, workable solutions”

“Michael has been really generous with both his time and advice. Speaking with him was inspiring. He gave me lots of tips that covered a range of topics, and he shared very valuable insights.”

“I had an outstanding session with Michael! His amazing communication style and deep subject knowledge made it easy for me to understand the steps I needed to take. He was honest, objective-oriented, and exceptionally motivating, which instantly inspired me. Michael's problem-solving skills exceeded my expectations, guiding me with clarity.”