Michele Hutchison

About

Hi, I’m Michele with one ‘L’!… a design leader with 10 years of experience in nonprofit, travel, real estate, and beauty

I lead human-centered design and systems thinking to create products that are accessible, adaptable, intuitive, and scalable using an iterative, data-driven approach. My design background includes experience working in-house, both B2B and B2C, at mid-to-small-sized companies and startups.

I’ve built a strong foundation by working with small teams to research, ideate, execute, and collaborate cross-functionally to deliver quality products, giving me the confidence to own design for an entire organization.

In my free time, I hike to find balance, say "ya'll" often in conversation, and never turn down some good Tex-Mex. Above all, I love spending time with my family and our pets!

 
 

Approach

Great design solutions result from asking the right questions, researching the best creative solution, and paying attention to the unspoken details. While technical skills, aptitude, and process are crucial, my approach prioritizes collaboration, adaptability, and a continuous learning mindset.

I empathize with the situation at hand, remain open to feedback and tradeoffs, and maintain a positive outlook by showing the capacity to admit and learn from mistakes. By staying open-minded and flexible and working closely with diverse teams and disciplines, I navigate the non-linear ebb and flow of the design process, mitigating risk and discovering opportunities for creative solutions.

 
 

Experience

Co-Founder & Product Lead, Planet Nacho
February 2019 - Present

Co-founded a design studio providing end-to-end product solutions—from UX to full-stack development—for clients across web and native platforms, delivering optimized, user-centered experiences.

Senior Product Designer, American Bible Society
August 2023 - Present

Leading initiatives in cross-functional design to promote quality, systems thinking, and enhanced collaboration to deliver refined user experiences across web and mobile application development for nonprofit.

UX/UI Designer, AutoRentals
July 2021 - February 2023

Managed product design development for a travel-comparing ecommerce web app, prioritizing search optimization, conversions, revenue growth, and minimizing friction.

UX/UI Designer, ZYYAH
January 2021 - June 2021

Organized marketing UX design for home and real estate products at ZYYAH and cobrands, Hello Covered and Certus Title, to increase customer acquisition, retention, brand awareness, and startup growth.

Creative Designer, FusionPKG
July 2016 - March 2020

Coordinated visual designs and photography to elevate FusionPKG and cobrand, FusionPKG BeautyLab, drive marketing performance, and achieve organizational goals within the beauty space.

 
 

Education

Master of Arts (MA), Interaction Design, University of North Texas
August 2023 - December 2025

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Communication Design, Texas State University
August 2011 - May 2016, Magna Cum Laude

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Photography, Texas State University
August 2011 - May 2016, Magna Cum Laude

Associate of Arts (AA), Liberal Arts, Lone Star College
August 2008 - May 2011, Cum Laude

 
 

Certificates

Graduate Academic Certificate, Technical Writing, University of North Texas
March 2026

 
 

Bootcamps

 
 

Workshops

 
 

Engagement