Maryam Richards .
PORTFOLIO 2026
10+ YEARS
Product Thinker,
Designer & Builder
SENIOR PRODUCT DESIGNER

Partnering with teams to build digital products that create business value.

I notice annoying problems in everyday life, then build and test my way out of them — with AI as my digital collaborator to learn, fail and move forward.

FINTECH EDUCATION HEALTH TRAVEL WELLNESS
Explore my work →
What I'm Building
5 digital products in different stages.
  • AceIt
  • Snap2Meal
  • FitConnect
  • Mother OS
  • Little Roots Play
→ Explore
that's me!
Maryam Richards
What I'm Breaking Down
2-minute case study series on product decisions.
  • Ideas
  • Trade-offs
  • What worked / didn't
  • What I'd do differently
→ Watch Videos
What I'm Living
Real life inspires my work.
  • Modern motherhood
  • Fitness & healthy living
  • Education & learning
  • Human connection
→ About Me
SCROLL ↓
PLANNING ✦ PRIORITIZATION ✦ AI WORKFLOWS ✦ RESEARCH ✦ PROTOTYPING ✦ KINETIC MOTION ✦ SHIPPING ✦PLANNING ✦ PRIORITIZATION ✦ AI WORKFLOWS ✦ RESEARCH ✦ PROTOTYPING ✦ KINETIC MOTION ✦ SHIPPING ✦
BY THE NUMBERS

Real products, real industries, real shipping.

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PRODUCTS BUILT
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INDUSTRIES
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YEARS DESIGNING
AI
IN THE LOOP
ALMOSAFER · SENIOR PRODUCT DESIGNER

Selected work at my most recent company.

Two decisions on the same surface — the fare a traveller picks, then what they add to it. Someone else’s roadmap, real revenue pressure, and eight carriers that each bundle differently. Each started with a call I had to defend, so that’s what leads.

The shipped flow. The cheapest fare arrives selected.
SENIOR PRODUCT DESIGNER · FLIGHT BOOKING · 8 CARRIERS

“The cheapest fare stays selected.”

Revenue wanted the upgrade pre-ticked. I refused the dark pattern and argued the harder position: travellers were losing to airline sites because they couldn’t compare, not because they were cheap. So I made eight carriers’ bundles comparable on six attributes — and let people choose up on purpose.

Who I worked with: product, engineering and the design team.
What it cost: normalising eight carriers meant dropping some carrier-specific perks, and full fare rules moved one tap deeper. I took clarity over completeness.
+17%TARGETED UPSELL INTERACTIONS
THEN — THE SAME FLOW, ONE STEP LATER
Almosafer booking flow add-ons: trip insurance, a stay discount and an eSIM, each with price and benefits
Adding revenue to a checkout I wasn’t allowed to break.

The brief was attachment rate on trip insurance, stay discounts and eSIM. The constraint I held: no extra could cost a completed booking — so placement, wording and timing were tested against completion, not just attach.

+12%ATTACHMENT RATE
All figures reported by Almosafer.
The questions I keep coming back to
01

What are we actually trying to do?

Before jumping to solutions, I want the real goal — what success looks like for the user, the business and the people behind the request.

02

What’s making this harder than it needs to be?

I look for the real constraint. Sometimes it’s technical, sometimes behavioural — and sometimes we’re solving the wrong problem entirely.

03

How do we know it worked?

Outcomes, not prettier screens. Real change in behaviour, clarity, confidence or revenue — measured, not assumed.

DIFFERENT PROJECTS. SAME MINDSET.
FEATURE REQUEST
“Get more travellers to upgrade their fare.”
The brief
But…
“What’s the real problem?”
+ Are travellers confused?
+ Are they not seeing the value?
+ Is it a trust issue?
+ Are we overwhelming them?
My notes
ALMOSAFER · FARE FAMILIES
What travellers actually did
Picked the cheapest fare, every time
Couldn’t tell what each fare included
Our fastest design still didn’t convert — too little to trust
The insight
Travellers weren’t seeing the value clearly.

It wasn’t a choice problem — it was a communication problem.
ALMOSAFER · FARE FAMILIES
Almosafer fare-type selection: Eco Saver and Eco Basic compared on baggage and change rules
Six comparable attributes.
Clearer options, happier travellers.
+17%TARGETED UPSELL INTERACTIONS
Reported by the business across three shipped phases.
INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT · 2024 – PRESENT

Independent work, designed and shipped end to end.

Since 2024 I’ve worked as an independent product designer — taking products from discovery and PRD through prototyping, AI-assisted build and launch. These are the ones I’ve designed and shipped in that time, most of them live.

AceIt app icon
AceItAI MOCK INTERVIEWS & FEEDBACK
A PROBLEM I KEPT WATCHING TEAMS HAVE

Hiring is broken on both sides of the table.

Interviewers improvise and pitch it at the wrong level. Candidates guess what’s being assessed. Nobody leaves with what they came for.

CUT
Scoring tone, pace and filler wordsImpressive demo. It made people perform for the metric instead of answering.
CUT
A generic question bankPaste the job spec instead — the level is the whole point.
KEPT
Answering out loudReading a model answer is not the skill being tested.
Download on the App StoreLIVE · FREE TO DOWNLOADWe launched. Now what? →
AceIt practice screen AceIt question track
Snap2Meal logo
Snap2MealNEVER KNOW WHAT TO COOK
THE OTHER ONE THAT SHIPPED

It was never a shortage of food. It was decision fatigue.

5:47pm, a full fridge, and nobody can decide. The obvious build was a bigger recipe library — but more options was the problem, not the fix.

CUT
AI shopping lists“A database query in a costume.” Ordinary software does it better and cheaper.
CUT
The chat assistantDelightful in a demo. Nobody wants a conversation at 6pm.
CAPPED
Three results, never thirtyEvery snap costs a vision call — and thirty options was the original problem.
Download on the App StoreLIVE · FREE TO DOWNLOADWe launched. Now what? →
Snap2Meal scan screen Snap2Meal meal ideas
FitConnect logo
FitConnectA MARKETPLACE FOR PERSONAL TRAINING
DESIGNED & BUILT BY ME · LIVE ON THE WEB

Book a personal trainer the way you book anything else.

What it is: an app where you find verified personal trainers near you, see their price up front, and book and pay inside the app — plus a separate business tool where trainers manage their profile, availability and bookings. Two apps, one codebase, built in React Native on Firebase.

Why it exists: booking a trainer ran through Instagram DMs and bank transfers. No price to compare, no proof anyone was qualified, no protection if it went wrong. The insight: choice was never the bottleneck — people want to trust the one they pick.

CUT
Group classes, nutrition plans, a social feedI wrote the non-goals down first, and that list did more scoping than the roadmap.
CUT
Ten screens of onboardingShow the product, then ask. Ten screens became four.
KEPT
Human-reviewed verificationA slower path to a live profile, in exchange for a claim competitors could not make.
READ THE CASE STUDY → LIVE · FITCONNECTRAINERS.COM ↗
FitConnect certificate verification screen FitConnect booking and payment screen
♥
WHAT I'M LIVING

Designing & building products inspired by parenting challenges & everyday life.

▶ WATCH & SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE
▶
CURRENT STAGE · MVP IN DEVELOPMENT

Behaviour-change daily system for overwhelmed modern moms.

Why: mornings run on invisible mental load. How: dinner, toddler, movement and outfit — decided by 6 AM. Research → PRD → a working MVP in 5 days, still in development.
▶ Watch me build →
▶
LIVE · WEB + APP STORE

Homeschool & parent education platform — whole-child development through play.

Why: parents and homeschoolers lack structure. How: an AI platform for mind, body, relationships, skills, creativity and values — inspired by Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Waldorf and Forest School, tied to none.
▶ Watch me build → Visit the website ↗ App Store ↗

I post the problem before I post the fix.

The build happens in public — the 6am problem, the failed attempt, then the thing I actually shipped.

@regulamomma ↗
I notice annoying problems in everyday life and try to build products and test my way out of themMom problem #1: I have to think of everythingSolution: Mother OS, manage everything in one placeMom problem: what do I cook today with what I have?Solution: Snap2Meal, snap your ingredients
FOLLOW THE BUILD ↗
SUPERPOWER — SMILE, RESPECT & HONESTY WITH KINDNESS

WHAT'S IT LIKE WORKING WITH ME

REAL RECOMMENDATIONS, FROM LINKEDIN
"I had the opportunity to work alongside Maryam for four transformative years, during which she consistently demonstrated unparalleled expertise and leadership in the field of design. She is not only a highly skilled designer but also a visionary leader whose contributions have left a lasting impact."
SA
Saja Alkhatib
Senior Product Designer · managed Maryam directly
"Authentic, charismatic and always willing to go the extra mile! Focused on growth and delivering quality outcomes. Her natural approachable manner, charm and sense of humor is useful in pressurized situations and enables her to build lasting relationships in the workplace."
LE
Lydia Erasmus Strydom
People & Talent Specialist
"Working with Maryam was without a doubt a privilege. Maryam as the lead on the team — she takes everything head-on, never shying away from a task. She will take the time to explain something to you and work with you to ensure you understand."
YJ
Yuseerah Jhetam
Lead User Experience Designer (CUA)
"Maryam brought enthusiasm, energy and passion for a professional user experience to our client projects. From the sale, to the scoping, to implementation and support, she was a vital part of the team and always delivered."
NH
Nick Hart
AI SDLC Strategist · managed Maryam directly
👀

Interested in Collaborating?

A LITTLE NOTE TO READ
Dear Potential Collaborator,

If you're building something where process is the bottleneck and great design is the unlock — I'd love to help. I work fast, kindly, and with AI in the loop. Bring me your messiest problem.

OPEN TO SENIOR IC ROLES CAPE TOWN ANY TIME ZONE
— Maryam

Let's Connect

📅 BOOK A CALL in LINKEDIN ✉ EMAIL ME
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© 2026 MARYAM RICHARDS · DESIGNED & BUILT WITH AI IN THE LOOP