Macarena González Cazón

product Designer
A curious designer who loves to focus on understanding complex problems and finding thoughtful solutions. I believe that the best work comes from collaborating with passionate people, always trying to create the best experience for our users while considering business goals.

Selected projects

2022 | research - UX/UI

Simplifying sales in the largest e-commerce platform of Latin America

View Mercado Libre Case Study

2023 | UX/UI - web design

Crafting comprehensive design solutions for a health tech startup

View Tiny Health Case Study

2023 | Design ops

Enhancing processes and services at a growing design agency

View Indicius Case Study

About

Hi! I'm Maca

I enjoy design as it allows me to understand and change the world around me. I take pride in my systematic thinking and my ability to consider the big picture while maintaining a high level of craftsmanship.

I have 4+ years of working experience. I've worked for Mercado Libre, Indicius and Tiny Health. I also teach Usability at the National Technological University.

I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I really like to read, run, and draw. I also write a newsletter about picture books, design, art and literature called Parsimonia.

My Journey

I've always been a very curious person. Pursuing a career in design allowed me to test my creative ability to perform in different fields, bringing out both my most analytical tools and those that feel closer to playing than anything else. Thanks to design, I met exceptional people from whom I learned a lot. It's a career that shaped my way of seeing the world, feeling that there are always ways to improve it.

Laying the groundwork in Visual Design (2012-2018)

I relocated alone from a tiny town to a large city to study design. Although I wasn't exactly sure what it entailed, I committed myself to learning about typography, color theory, art history, categories and hierarchies, and communication. My university experience was invaluable, fostering strong friendships, teaching me to appreciate feedback, and encouraging persistence without losing motivation. Consequently, I graduated with honors as a Bachelor in Visual Communication Design in 2018.

First steps into UI (2019-2021)

When we finished university, I started studying about UI. Shortly after, a friend invited me to join Indicius, a design agency located in Buenos Aires. Having my first steps in that agency was an ideal environment: having multiple clients gave me the opportunity to run from Design Sprints to completely redesigning the agency's identity.

It was a period of tremendous growth, venturing into a world that completely won me over.

I also pursued a Diploma in Accessibility and Usability at the National Technological University. This significantly enhanced my knowledge, and facilitated my development in UX research.

Scaling design skills at a large company (2021-2022)

In June 2021, I transitioned to a UX/UI Designer role at Mercado Libre, the largest e-commerce and payment company in Latin America. The company operates in 18 countries and focuses on creating technological and commercial solutions tailored to the region's cultural and geographical challenges. This experience was transformative. I went from a team of 10 colleagues to a company with 45,000 employees, including 600 designers. This change in scale significantly matured my skills. I benefited not only from collaborating and addressing project complexity, but also from designing end-to-end flows and working daily with developers.

Teaching usability and broadening perspectives (2022-now)

During my time at the university, I had the opportunity to engage in teaching practices for my favorite subject. When I relocated to Buenos Aires, it was one of the things I missed the most: I understood that teaching was a great way to learn. Consequently, when I received an invitation in 2021 to join the teaching team for the Diploma in Accessibility and Usability at the National Technological University, I accepted without hesitation. I believe that staying updated and sharing diverse perspectives in an academic setting is crucial.

Venture into freelancing (2022-now)

Throughout my career, I have always been open to collaborating on freelance projects that piqued my interest, lending my skills and expertise wherever they were needed. However, it wasn't until October of 2021 that I decided to shift my focus and make these freelance projects the core of my professional pursuits. This decision set me on a journey of exploration and self-discovery, where I had the opportunity to immerse myself in a variety of roles. As I navigated through these experiences, I was able to identify the areas that I was not only proficient in but also genuinely enjoyed.

The road ahead (2024…)

Throughout my professional journey, one of the key elements that I've identified as a personal requirement for fulfillment in my work is the opportunity to engage in teamwork. More specifically, I've found that I truly thrive when contributing to projects that present a certain level of complexity and challenge. This allows me to fully engage my problem-solving skills and work creatively towards solutions. The dynamic nature of freelance collaboration, while valuable in its own right, often doesn't allow for the level of depth, commitment, and sustained focus that can be found in a more traditional, in-house position. For this reason, my interest has been increasingly drawn towards exploring full-time roles within organizations that resonate with my values.

My values

I always appreciate the chance to express how I aspire to live my wild and precious life. Although we all evolve over time, I believe that these values effectively embody my work ethic.

These are my core values:
  • I believe in having a curious mindset when it comes to work. I approach projects with an eagerness to learn and explore new ideas. This allows me to come up with deeper questions and to offer new perspectives to solve problems.
  • I also prioritize respect. Respect for others, for their ideas and for their time. Self-respect, on the other hand, means that I understand that I have to take care of my own wellbeing and be able to work with focus on a specific task in order to do my best work.
  • I also value taking things with joyfulness. I believe that taking a light-hearted approach to work helps to create a positive work environment and encourages collaboration. I want to build great things with talented people while enjoying the process.

The qualities I particularly value in people who work with me:
  • I deeply value simplicity. I appreciate individuals who strive for simplicity in their work, involving the ability to distill complex ideas into clear, understandable concepts, and to focus on what truly matters, removing unnecessary clutter. Simplicity leads to efficiency, clarity, and meaningful results.
  • I believe that being able to communicate clearly and efficiently is essential for successful collaboration. I appreciate when people are able to articulate their thoughts, ideas and concerns in a clear manner. This allows everyone involved to be on the same page and avoid misunderstandings.
  • I place high importance on a learning approach towards work. I admire individuals who constantly pursue growth in their professional and personal lives. They aren't scared to question their beliefs and presumptions, and always remain open to feedback and new strategies. This commitment to learning fosters a flexible and dynamic work environment, where ongoing improvement is the norm.

Personal Information
Full Name · ‎L‎elia Macarena Gonzalez ‎‎Cazón
Birth date · 04 / 03 / 1994
Nationality · Argentina
Residence · Buenos Aires, Argentina
E-mail · macarena.gcazon@gmail.com
Phone · +54 342 5366838

work experience

2022–Now

Self-employed Designer

Design and consulting for startups and design agencies, focusing on the design of digital product experiences. Clients included: Tiny Health, Kenbi, Brightscout.
2022–2024

UX professor at National Technological University

The Diploma in Accessibility and Usability (AYU) aims to train professionals to conduct user research, manage and execute the design of digital products and evaluate their usability in professional environments, integrating accessibility as a central factor in practice.
2021–2022

Mercado Libre

The largest company in Latin America has the challenge, among others, of unifying the experiences of different Business Units within its online sales and payment ecosystem. I was part of the Omnichannel Squad, a team dedicated to this task.
2019–2021

Indicius

The agency's diverse portfolio of clients gave me numerous opportunities to apply and improve my skills in various areas. This ranged from participating in Design Sprints to redesign the agency's entire brand identity.
2017–2019

City government of Santa Fe

My job was to carry out all the communication of the Sector of Strategic Development and Resilience. I had close contact with different actors in order to prioritize and establish needs in each case, and then transfer them to specific pieces. These pieces were usually editorial or audiovisual.

Studies

2020

Accessibility and Usability Diploma

National Technological University (Buenos Aires, province of Buenos Aires)
2018

Bachelor's Degree in Visual Communication Design

Universidad Nacional del Litoral (Santa Fe, province of Santa Fe)

Complementary

2017–2018

Student Jury

Practical Work Chief - Workshop II, III, IV - Resolution 147-182018
Practical Work Chief - Technology III - Resolution 149-182017
Full Professor - Workshop II, III, IV - Resolution 063-172017
Associate Professor - Workshop II, III, IV - Resolution 064-172017
Associate Professor - Workshop II, III, IV - Resolution 065-172017
Associate Professor - Workshop II, III, IV - Resolution 066-172017
Practical Work Chief - Workshop II, III, IV - Resolution 309-17
2017

Course in Interface Design in HTML and CSS language

Universidad Nacional del Litoral (Santa Fe, province of Santa Fe)
2017

Extension Project Volunteer

Household effluents: raising awareness about the need for their treatment and possible reuse in the Alto Verde neighborhood.
2015

Introduction to Formal Calligraphy

Universidad Nacional del Litoral (Santa Fe, province of Santa Fe)
2015

Student Senate at University Council

Universidad Nacional del Litoral (Santa Fe, province of Santa Fe)

Contact