Will Lenzen Jr
Product and Design leader with nearly 20 years experience and a focus on AI, Web3, and StoryTech.
My expertise includes 0->1 building, end-to-end product strategy and design, and brand story and development.
Some teams I've worked with
Core specialities
Product Strategy
Product Design
Branding & Brand Strategy
Creative Direction
Prototyping
User Research
Human/Device Interaction
Design Systems
RivetAI
Empowering Hollywood pre-production with AI
As Principal Product Designer at RivetAI, I had the privilege of working with their team to redesign their website and platform, which included copywriting and UX writing. Hollywood's relationship with AI is complex and multi-faceted, so it was important that RivetAI visitors and users felt empowered by the AI messaging and toolset.
With a mature Engineering team, a key goal was to equip the RivetAI team with a Design System that allowed them to build efficiently and confidently. I particularly enjoyed collaborating with the Lead Engineer to get the token system just right. The platform redesign was a ground-up rethinking of what this tool could be based on over two years worth of user feedback on the first system. This led to a modern product experience with magic and delight brought in at intentional moments that makes the users feel seen, understood, and their time valued.
Northstar
Making financial wellness for the 100%
As Lead Product Designer at Northstar, I helped craft and inform strategy for multiple key product initiatives: Cash Flow, Retirement Fund, Emergency Savings, and Equity, which required I work closely with Product and Engineering to ensure efficient workflows that hit KPIs.
I also presented an opportunity for Northstar to reinforce its brand promise, which achieved two key outcomes: 1) infuse the experience with delight, and 2) increase brand equity within the user.
Togather
Community engagement and metrics
As founding Head of Product and Design, and Cofounder, I helped define the product vision and strategy and designed the platform 0->1.
User research was the foundation of our product development lifecycle–I particularly enjoyed the many roundtable discussions I led. The platform consisted of a native iOS app and browser app, and sought to increase member retention and overall user engagement.
My work led to our customers increasing member retention by 65% and the app had an average mobile session time of 15 minutes per session.
Even Financial (now Money Lion)
Giving a financial products marketplace a platform redesign
As Lead Product Designer, I led the embedded platform design team of six. The technology transformed how people search, compare, and get recommended financial products. I had the unique privilege of transforming the Design culture into a system and team rooted in leadership, productive process, and measurably better both quantitatively and qualitatively.
Knowing the team acknowledged a need for the platform to be designed for modern conventions, I took the initiative to present a bold new vision to increase customer comprehension and performance. Led by research and confirmed by blind user testing, this redesign paved the way for new AI technologies that would continue to push the platform forward.
AI • Crypto • Branding
Other projects
Lot2: WebXR interactive and collaborative story builder
Bonfire : crypto/NFT creator tool
Branding
Kind words from generous people
I had the privilege to work under Will’s design leadership on a long-term project from 2021 to 2022 during his time at Even Financial. Will not only immediately took to his role, but connected on a personal level with each of us as team members. He was always a source of motivation and guidance for us in the design team and consistently advocated for the importance of our work within the project’s company.
- Jake Dragash, Even Financial
I’ve worked with Will formally for the last year, and have collaborated as friends for a few years. He brings his background of leading teams and building products 0-1 to any role and conversation, often helping craft a holistic narrative that makes the entire product team better. Will is an outstanding leader, product builder, coworker, and designer. He is reliable, hard-working, and talented in both craft and leadership. I highly recommend Will to any team looking for someone passionate about building a team and creating a quality product!
- Dennis Cortés, Northstar
Will reported to me during his time at Even Financial as our Lead Product Designer. In that role, Will was given ownership of a fragmented team that needed management, definition, and process. After being hired he took control immediately and in short order set Design into a long term and scaleable framework. He was an expert manager, a strong collaborator, and a cornerstone of our team. He is able to both manage designers and create strong designs. I would recommend him for any design position at any size company. He is a great leader and I will miss his wisdom and focus.
- Thomas Navin, Even Financial (now MoneyLion)