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Mary Fran Wiley's logo is a lockup of a shape made of the M&W in her name with a flower inside and her name to the right. It also includes her tagline "design for humans"

Mary Fran Wiley

Experience Design Leader

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The best experience design leader your team could have is based in Chicago and available to hire for contracts and full-time roles.

I’ve built award-winning experiences and worked on some of the world’s most famous brands – and you’ve likely come across my work.

I’m open to hybrid roles based in Chicago and Milwaukee as well as fully remote roles anywhere in the US. My experience covers all aspects of experience design including design (UX, UI, traditional graphic design), CX/service design, and marketing strategy.

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Experience

Creative Director, Experience Design

Freelance | July 2023 – Current

  • Develop inclusive design guidelines for clients with existing brands and products
  • Facilitate week-long sprints around omni-channel experiences and accessibility
  • Explore new applications for emerging technologies such as AI, AR/VR/XR and voice.
  • Connect marketing objectives to experience principles to drive mutually beneficial engagement between brands and customers through my campaign mapping process

Associate Director, Experience Design (UX/CX)

VMLY&R | August 2021-June 2023

Client: Ford

  • Led Experience Design as part of the Ford Maintenance & Repair CX team
  • Designed, protyped & tested services such as Ford Mobile Service and Service Pickup & Delivery
  • Designed an industry-leading transparent payment process and related digital components such as an app and mobile site
  • Developed a rapid user journey validation methodology
  • Led human centered design workshops with clients and build comprehensive experience documentation for cross-functional product and field teams
  • Co-founded the umbrella ERG IncredABLE for neurodiversity, disability and accessibility as a result of founding VMLY&R’s disability ERG
  • Won $1.5M in incremental scope over 18 months

Associate Director, User Experience / Experience Architecture

FCB Chicago | April 2019 – August 2021

Clients:Cox Communications, HP, Glad, Discover

  • Led UX on a cross-functional team for an enterprise telecom client 
  • Collaborated with creative leads on innovating engaging multi-platform digital brand experiences
  • Created a proprietary audit methodology
  • Mentored junior team members and managed day-to-day team

Lead user experience architect (UX/Interactive Art Director)

Ogilvy USA | October 2016 – March 2019

Clients: Modelo, CDW, Grainger, SC Johnson (Glade, Pledge, Mrs. Meyers, Caldrea, Duck, Mr Muscle, Lysoform, Scrubbing Bubbles), Kimberly-Clarke (Huggies, Pull-Ups, GoodNites), Chicago Sun-Times

  • Produced UX documentation such as personas, empathy maps, user journeys, wireframes, wireflows and interactive prototypes
  • Developed a UX process and implemented accessibility standards for global CPG and B2B brands
  • Produced award-winning experiences with honors at the One Show, Cannes Lions and Clios

UI/UX Designer (Web Designer)

Orbit Media Studios, Inc.  
November 2011 – August 2016

Clients:Cox Communications, HP, Glad, Discover

  • Led UX on a cross-functional team for an enterprise telecom client 
  • Collaborated with creative leads on innovating engaging multi-platform digital brand experiences
  • Created a proprietary audit methodology
  • Mentored junior team members and managed day-to-day team

Creative Manager

Illini Media Company | June 2010 – November 2011

  • Coordinated and mentored student staff.
  • Led an interdisciplinary team as the creative director and project manager through the redesign of 5 media websites
  • Managed ad placement and page layout for a daily newspaper and weekly entertainment magazine in print and online.
  • Trained design team to create digital banner advertisements

Freelance UI Designer

June 2007 – November 2011

  • Designed and built websites and HTML/Flash banner ads for a variety of small business clients as a freelancer for small design agencies

Skills

Practice areas

Human-centered design
Service Design
Customer Experience (CX)
Universal Design & Accessibility
Conversational UI
AR/XR/MR

Methodologies

Wireframing
Prototyping
User Interviews
Client Workshops
Heuristic Evaluation
Accessibility Evaluation
Empathy Mapping
User Journey Mapping
Task Analysis
User Testing
Card Sorting
Design Sprints
User Flows
Service Blueprints
Usability Testing
Agile
Lean UX
StrUX & CrUX pairing
Workshop Planning & Facilitation

Languages

English – Native
French – Advanced (C2)
German – Beginner (A2)

Speaking & Thought Leadership

FCB Inclusive Interfaces, 2020
Word Camp Chicago 2017, UX is the Heart of the Matter
WordCamp Chicago 2016, Information Architecture for Normal People
Food Allergy Blogger Conference 2014
Food Allergy Blogger Conference 2013

Volunteer Work

Chicago Tap Theatre, Member, Board of Directors, December 2016-Present
Chicago Tap Theatre, Secretary, Board of Directors, September 2017-August 2021

Education

Certificate in Advanced Design
May 2010 | College of DuPage   

Bachelor of Arts in French Commercial Studies & International Marketing
May 2007 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Certifications

Mastering Customer Experience
May 2022 | Forrester

Facebook Certified Creative 
Strategy Professional

December 2020 | Facebook

Diplôme Français des Affaires, 1ière degrée (avec Mention Très Bien)
January 2007 | Chambre de Commerce et de l’Industrie de Paris


Mary Fran Wiley

Copyright © 2025 · Yes, Mary Fran is my first name. But who is Aoife?