Hello, I am Mert
I’m a senior product designer with 10+ years in software and digital product. I care about end-to-end craft—clarity in the UI, sound interaction patterns, and the design systems and workflows that keep teams aligned as products grow. I’ve worked in studios, agencies, and in-house product orgs; that breadth helps me go deep in ambiguous problem spaces without losing sight of delivery.
At Nike, I’ve spent the last four years leading design as an IC across digital footwear and apparel creation tools. My work spans day-to-day workflow improvements and longer-term vision for where product creation is headed. I partner closely with product, engineering, and business stakeholders to turn complex ideas into software that feels simple, useful, and well crafted.
Experience
Nike
Jan 2022 — Present
Portland, OR
Senior Digital Product Designer
Led end-to-end product design for enterprise footwear and apparel creation tools, working closely with engineering and product to improve complex workflows and make day-to-day work clearer and more efficient. Since summer 2025, I've been working on a design system used across internal Nike tools, defining shared patterns, components, and documentation so teams can ship consistent, scalable experiences.
Freelance
May 2016 — Present
Various agencies & startups
Senior Product Designer
Partner with product-led teams from discovery through launch, clarifying problems, shaping flows, and shipping usable software for startups and agencies.
Ziba Design
Sep 2020 — Aug 2021
Portland, OR
UX Designer
Designed and tested digital products for major brands including FedEx, Clorox, P&G, and Intuit, and contributed to a patented social VR commerce concept.
University of Oregon Boot Camps (2U)
Aug 2020 — Aug 2021
Portland, OR
UX/UI Assistant Instructor
Mentored students on UX/UI, design thinking, and front-end fundamentals through weekly critique, facilitation, and office hours in an intensive online program.
University of Oregon
Sep 2019 — Sep 2020
Eugene, OR
Visual Designer & Assistant to Program Head, School of Architecture & Environment
Created digital and print communications with the program head, delivering lecture posters, faculty booklets, and social content aligned to school standards.
Periscopic
Dec 2018 — Jul 2019
Portland, OR
Visual Designer
Built design systems and high-fidelity interfaces for data products, partnering with developers to deliver polished work for clients like U.S. Pharmacopeia and Lumina Foundation.
Phase2
Sep 2018 — Dec 2018
Portland, OR
User Interface Experience Design Apprentice
Designed UI components and style guides across web and mobile projects while collaborating with PMs, design leads, and engineers.
R/West
May 2018 — Sep 2018
Portland, OR
Designer
Designed campaign assets, interface graphics, and motion deliverables for brands including DeMarini, Flir, First Tech, and Intel.
Education
University of Oregon
M.S. in Advertising and Brand Responsibility
Pacific Northwest College of Art
B.F.A. in Communication Design
Santa Fe University of Art and Design
Communication Design + Art Direction
Transferred to PNCA (school closure).
Istanbul Bilgi University
Visual Communication Design + Business & Managerial Economics
Transferred to SFUAD after a year-long study abroad program.