From the first hypothesis to the final pixel in production, I turn the chaos of creation into clarity and craft.
Nothing is arbitrary.
I'm a psychologist by training — MSc in social and organizational psychology, with a background in statistics — who spent six years as a consultant before moving into product design, and became a founder after that.
Before design, I was dropped into new clients, new industries, and new problems on a monthly basis. Manufacturing, leadership development, organizational change. I learned to be useful in a room before I understood it. That turns out to be most of what fractional work is.
These days I build as much as I design — often in code, with AI agents, or still in Figma, depending on what the stage needs. When the real question is what should this be, building the thing settles arguments a mockup can only stage; when it's about aligning a team fast, a flow does more.
Embedded and hands-on, or a step back as a strategic sounding board — I currently do both, including coaching founders building their software with AI agents on product and roadmap.
The psychology, statistics and industrial design backgrounds are why I'm suspicious of design that can't say what it's for. The founding is why I know what a runway feels like.
"Mara is at her best on problems that need analytical rigour and lateral thinking at once, combining input from several different fields."
I also run Mareamori, a platform of toolkits for regenerative fibres, and I write about materials, supply chains, and how we see — or fail to see — nature, at Archaster's Perspectives/Blog and as an occasional guest contributor elsewhere.
01 — Why it works
M.Sc. psychology
Design is not decoration; it is cognitive ergonomics. My background in advanced statistics and psychology means I don't guess; I measure. Whether it's a complex B2B dashboard or a consumer app, I design for how the brain actually processes information, not how we wish it did.
02 — How it feels
Industrial design roots (San Francisco)
I spent a year in SF learning physical design and am using many of these principles in software design. I value tactility, weight, and friction. My experience building for Smart Buildings (IoT/Bluetooth) and Nature Tech taught me that digital products live in a physical world. If it doesn't feel "real," it doesn't ship.
03 — How we build
Certified coach & workshop lead
6+ years experience facilitating workshops across organizations and levels, incl. C-suite. I know how to navigate stakeholders, kill scope creep, and keep a team psychologically safe. And: I'm also a Yoga teacher with >500hrs training. I bring the calm to the chaos.
Experience
Scale-up
First in-house designer and de facto design lead for a Smart Building platform. Responsible for the entire ecosystem: B2B Web, B2C Native Apps, and Bluetooth Hardware integration.
Startup
Co-founder of a satellite data and GIS (mapping) software. I specialize in turning massive, complex data into intuitive, lovable interfaces.
Consultancy
Years of experience in organizational development and leadership consulting. I speak "Executive," "Developer," and "Customer/user" fluently.
Available for fractional and project work
Tell me what you're building, where it's stuck, and when you need someone. I'll tell you honestly whether I'm the right person.