Francisca Crespo
Director of Product and Design at ubbu
Bio
I've started my career working in Service Design and Social Innovation agencies, interning at thinkpublic and Participle. I was living in London since I had just graduated from a BA in Multi-Disciplinary Design course, Graphic Product Innovation in London College of Communication. Back in Lisbon, I've worked at Ivity, a Design and Advertising Agency. When it was time to focus on digital I turned to Novabase, a Technology Consultancy where I was at for 4 last years, working with several business areas from Banking to Telecoms. I then worked on a fintech small start-up, Advicefront, at this time I also became their Product Owner, with amazing support from Faber Ventures. After that, I was part of the EatTasty's team, a food delivery start-up, again as a Product Owner. Back as a Product Designer, I worked at Talkdesk. I then worked at at Farfetch for 4 years as a Lead Designer for Acquisition & Engagement vertical over at Consumer Products and later as a Design Manager for Rewards. At the moment I’m working at ubbu as a Product Manager and Design Director.
Expertise
Design / UX
I focus on making UX a collaborative and practical part of the process. I work with product managers to understand user needs, turn them into clear design solutions, and validate ideas through research. Together, we make sure the product not only works for the users but also supports the bigger goals of the business. Let's talk about all things Product + UX if you are looking to improve your process.
Product management
Product management is about quickly turning a clear vision into an actionable roadmap that pulls in key insights—user feedback, complaints, bugs, and research—every step of the way. By staying on top of these influences, I help ensure the product adapts fast to meet user needs and drive business impact.
Product market fit
Mapping product-market fit session can be a dynamic experience for a team, it involves building up the session structure, collaboratively reviewing it with teams, and rigorously validating assumptions through research to drive meaningful outcomes.
User research
User research, even with limited resources, is about getting creative and focusing on what truly matters. I prioritize quick, cost-effective methods like user interviews, surveys, and usability testing to gather actionable insights. By staying focused on key pain points, I help teams make informed decisions that improve the product without needing big budgets.
Toolkit
Figma
6 years of experienceI use Figma as my primary design tool to bring ideas to life. It’s perfect for creating interactive prototypes, designing UI elements, and collaborating with teams in real time. Whether it’s wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, or user flows, Figma helps me ensure designs are not only visually appealing but also functional and user-friendly.
UserTesting
5 years of experienceI have experience using UserTesting.com to gather real, actionable insights directly from users. It allows me to quickly run usability tests, get feedback on prototypes, and validate design decisions with real people. This helps me ensure the product resonates with users and aligns with their needs, all while streamlining the testing process.
Notion
4 years of experienceI rely on Notion to keep everything organized, from building and tracking the roadmap to creating product documentation, business cases, and aligning OKRs with the overall vision. It’s also my go-to for team management and collecting feedback, allowing me to seamlessly connect ideas, tasks, and insights to keep everything moving forward efficiently.