About Carmel
Who I Am
I'm a Strategic Product Designer who works at the intersection of
technology, business, and human behavior.
My journey started with code. After earning my Computer Engineering
degree in 2006, I spent my early career as a web developer. But I
kept asking "why are we building it this way?" and "how will people
actually use this?" Those questions wouldn't go away. Eventually,
they led me to UX design.
Here's what makes me a bit unusual: I can argue about technical
architecture with engineers because I've written the code. I can
present business cases to executives because I understand what moves
the numbers. And I can sit with users because I genuinely want to
know what frustrates them. Most designers come from visual design or
research. I came from engineering. That changes how I think about
problems.
What Drives Me
I build products for people doing complicated work.
Most of my career has been in B2B—finance teams making international
payments, healthcare professionals managing patient data, developers
troubleshooting distributed systems. These aren't casual users. They're
experts under pressure, often dealing with high stakes. A confused
interface doesn't just annoy them—it costs time, money, sometimes
more.
I'm drawn to the messy problems. Multi-currency workflows where one
mistake means someone doesn't get paid. Clinical interfaces where
confusion could affect patient care. Observability tools where
developers need answers in seconds during a production incident.
These problems don't have obvious solutions. That's what makes them
interesting.
→ View my work
Building Inclusive Tech Communities
In 2015, I was working at a startup. Same patterns I'd seen at other
companies: dismissive comments, exclusionary behavior, jokes that
weren't really jokes. I was tired of wondering if it was just me.
So I tweeted. "Does anyone else feel this way?"
Turns out, a lot of people did. We met in Málaga that July. It was
supposed to be one meeting. It became a community. Then an NGO.
Yes We Tech is now 500+ members. We organize conferences, provide
grants and mentorship, advocate for inclusive education, and create
spaces where women in tech don't have to pretend everything is fine.
I've been called "feminazi" for this work. People worry I might be
"too sensitive" at work. Here's the thing: I am sensitive to
homophobic, ableist, racist, and sexist jokes. They're not jokes—
they're signals about who's welcome and who isn't. I don't apologize
for noticing.
I have a daughter. She deserves better than what I experienced. But
this isn't just about her. Everyone deserves to work in environments
that don't require them to accept harassment as "culture."
I also teach—at Lemoncode since 2015, and through enlainterfaz.com.
I've published 75+ articles on design, technology, and making tech
more inclusive. I speak at conferences. I share what I learn because
that's how we all get better.
→ Read my manifesto: We Need Feminist Tech Activism
→ Learn about Yes We Tech
How I Think About Design
I don't believe there's one right way to design. After 18 years, I've
learned that good design comes from principles, not prescribed steps.
Some designers need to sketch before talking to users. Others need
conversations before touching Figma. Both can arrive at good solutions.
What matters is staying curious about users, collaborating honestly
with your team, and being willing to change your mind when you learn
something new.
I've watched too many teams get stuck following "the process" while
the actual problem sits unsolved in front of them. Process is useful
when it helps you think. It's harmful when it replaces thinking.
→ Learn about My approach
Right Now
I'm at New Relic designing developer observability tools. I'm exploring
how Generative AI and LLMs might actually help SREs work better (not replace
them—augment their capabilities). I'm co-organizing the next WeyWeyWeb conference. I'm teaching. I'm learning.
Before New Relic, I led design at Ebury, where we built a design
system from scratch, scaled a team from 1 to 6 people, and helped
grow the platform from with a 30% of new users, 15% rise in conversions, and a 5-point improvement in NPS. Before that, I explored contextual interfaces at Honest, designed voice experiences at Monoceros, and worked on everything
from healthcare systems to browser extensions.
When I'm not working, I'm usually enjoying family time, running on the beach near Málaga, reading about philosophy of interfaces, or thinking about what
kind of future we're actually building with all this technology.
Let's Talk
I'm interested in Lead or Principal Designer roles where I can shape
product strategy, build teams, and solve problems that don't have
obvious answers.
What I'm looking for:
- Companies where design actually influences strategy, not just
implements it - Teams that practice diversity, not just talk about it
- Work that has genuine impact on how people do their jobs
- Problems complicated enough to be interesting
What I bring:
- 18 years designing digital products
- Experience leading teams and building design culture
- Technical depth that lets me work closely with engineering
- Track record in fintech, healthcare, and developer tools
- Community building and feminist tech activism
- Clear opinions, loosely held
carmel.hassan@gmail.com
LinkedIn: carmel-hassan-montero
Bluesky: @carmel.es
Based in Málaga, Spain
Open to remote opportunities in Europe.