Hi! :)

Avatar of the website author

I'm Mercedes

Staff Product Designer · Available for strategic collaborations

I partner with teams as a Staff Designer to turn complexity into scalable product experiences.

Avatar of the website author

Hi! :)

I'm Mercedes Oliva

Staff Product Designer · Available for strategic collaborations

I partner with teams as a Staff Designer to turn complexity into scalable product experiences.

  • 18+

    years in digital design

  • 10+

    years in product

  • 4+industries

    fintech, FMCG, e-commerce, proptech

  • +6 digital products

    launched from concept to scale

  • 12+ startups and companies

    worldwide

  • 18+

    years in digital design

  • 10+

    years in product

About me

About me

I'm Mercedes Oliva, a staff product designer specializing in product strategy, experience architecture, and design leadership.


Originally from Argentina, I studied Visual Communication Design at Universidad Nacional de La Plata. I currently live in Barcelona.


Over 15 years, I've worked across fintech, B2B SaaS, and complex multi-product platforms—at companies like MercadoLibre, PayPal, PepsiCo, and Bitpanda.


My focus is on how design influences organizational decision-making. I don't work only on interfaces; I work on what to build, why it matters, and how impact is measured.


I've helped organizations align product vision, business objectives, and technological capabilities—with emphasis on operationalizing design systems and experience architecture that scale.


I believe the strongest products emerge when strategy, systems thinking, and deep user understanding converge.

I'm Mercedes Oliva, a staff product designer specializing in product strategy, experience architecture, and design leadership.


Originally from Argentina, I studied Visual Communication Design at Universidad Nacional de La Plata. I currently live in Barcelona.


Over 15 years, I've worked across fintech, B2B SaaS, and complex multi-product platforms—at companies like MercadoLibre, PayPal, PepsiCo, and Bitpanda.


My focus is on how design influences organizational decision-making. I don't work only on interfaces; I work on what to build, why it matters, and how impact is measured.


I've helped organizations align product vision, business objectives, and technological capabilities—with emphasis on operationalizing design systems and experience architecture that scale.


I believe the strongest products emerge when strategy, systems thinking, and deep user understanding converge.

Let’s make it visual!
Here are a few projects I’ve really enjoyed working on

{01} — Featured projects

{01} — Featured projects

A few highlights of my work with different companies:

Pearl

Pearl

New

integrations

+40%

+40%

Product

upgrades

+25%

+25%

Demo

requests

+50%

+50%

Led the rebranding and in-app messaging strategy to drive product adoption and perception shift. Designed visual system that unifies platform identity with in-app banners showcasing new features and products.


Unified language across product, design, and marketing ensures every customer touchpoint reinforces the "professional, feature-rich" positioning.

Why it mattered

Product was feature-rich but lacked a cohesive visual identity. Users didn't know about new integrations or upgrades. Design became the channel to drive adoption, close deals, and shift perception from "tool" to "platform."

Product was feature-rich but lacked a cohesive visual identity. Users didn't know about new integrations or upgrades.


Design became the channel to drive adoption, close deals, and shift perception from "tool" to "platform."

What I owned

Visual direction & rebranding · Design system · In-app messaging (Pendo) · Marketing alignment · Design leadership

PayPal.

PayPal.

App installs

+1000%

App logins

x5

Click-through rate

x3

Shifted thinking from "email optimization" to "mobile-first entry point."

Redesigned the transactional receipt email, millions sent daily, as a deliberate

engagement engine.


Coordinated with 9 teams to define strategy, content, and scalable

layout that drove app adoption.

What I owned

Receipt redesign · Mobile-first strategy · Cross-team coordination

· Engagement framework

Why it mattered

Receipt emails were invisible to users—just transactional noise. No engagement meant low app adoption post-purchase. By treating the receipt as a product moment instead of a notification, we turned millions of daily touchpoints into acquisition and retention channels.

Pepsico.

Pepsico.

Implementation

speed

40%

Purchase

growth

+18%

Retention

(30d)

+20%

Implementation

speed

40%

Purchase

growth

+18%

Retention

(30d)

+20%

Built a design system rooted in principles rather than rigid components, giving regional teams flexibility to adapt locally while maintaining global alignment.

Built a design system rooted in principles rather than rigid components, giving regional teams flexibility to adapt locally while maintaining global alignment.

What I owned

Product vision · Design system architecture · Executive strategy

Why it mattered

15+ markets with vastly different regulatory and cultural constraints needed a unified but flexible system.

Bitpanda

Bitpanda

Design rework

-75%

-75%

vs. isolated design

Delivery speed

3x faster

3x faster

via components

System adoption

95%

95%

of components used

Treated as a systems problem: Instead of designing three separate products (Academy, Broker, Enterprise), built a scalable design system that flexes across different visual languages and audiences without losing coherence.


Each product launched with unified brand identity but distinct visual expression.

Why it mattered

Three products launching in parallel would have meant tripled design work and inconsistent brand. A unified system became the source of truth for 20+ designers, enabled independent product launches, and reduced rework and maintenance burden.

What I owned

Product vision · Design system architecture · Cross-product collaboration · System strategy

Mercado Libre

Mercado Libre

Processing speed

Processing

speed

-33%

-33%

72 → 48 hours

Coverage

5 countries

5 countries

localized workflows

Operator productivity

Operator

productivity

↑ Increased

↑ Increased

across region

Designed from on-site research, not assumptions.

Spent time shadowing warehouse workers, understanding real workflows. Translated complex stock processes into intuitive interfaces for non-technical users.


Collaborated with Logistics, Engineering, and Operations to scale across 5 countries with localized but consistent workflows.

Designed from on-site research, not assumptions.

Spent time shadowing warehouse workers, understanding real workflows. Translated complex stock processes into intuitive interfaces for non-technical users.


Collaborated with Logistics, Engineering, and Operations to scale across 5 countries with localized but consistent workflows.

What I owned

WMS design · Research-backed architecture · Multi-device system (handheld + desktop) · Regional localization

Why it mattered

Warehouse workers had no digital experience. Processes were manual, slow, error-prone. Clarity and simplicity were survival—a confusing interface meant operator frustration and operational bottlenecks. The system became the foundation for Mercado Libre's regional logistics optimization.

{02} — My Design Journey

{02} — My Design Journey

Beyond the Projects

With 18 years in digital design (10+ in product), I've led product strategy and design systems at scale, mentored designers, and shaped cross-functional alignment—always as an individual contributor.

I focus on clarity, consistency, and measurable outcomes — connecting design decisions with business impact through systems, research, and cross-functional alignment.

I also integrate AI into my workflow to accelerate synthesis, documentation, and early concept exploration.

With 18 years in digital design (10+ in product), I’ve led UX/UI initiatives, scaled design systems, and mentored designers across fintech, e-commerce, real estate, hospitality, and consumer goods.

I focus on clarity, consistency, and measurable outcomes — connecting design decisions with business impact through systems, research, and cross-functional alignment.

I also integrate AI into my workflow to accelerate synthesis, documentation, and early concept exploration.

{03} — Staff-level design expertise for fast-moving product teams.

Staff Product Designer Expertise

Product Strategy & Vision

Understanding trade-offs at scale. Vision comes from evidence, constraints, and business reality, not assumptions.

Design Systems & Scalability

Systems aren't a luxury, they're how teams move. I design foundations that flex across contexts without breaking coherence.

UX Research & Insights

Designing from context, not guesses. I spend time understanding real workflows before sketching anything.

Mentorship & Design Leadership

I mentor without managing. The goal: help people think harder, build sustainable culture, and know their own judgment matters.

{03} Practical design expertise for fast-moving teams.

Leadership Focus Areas

Product Strategy & Vision

Understanding trade-offs at scale. Vision comes from evidence, constraints, and business reality, not assumptions.

Design Systems & Scalability

Systems aren't a luxury, they're how teams move. I design foundations that flex across contexts without breaking coherence.

UX Research & Insights

Designing from context, not guesses. I spend time understanding real workflows before sketching anything.

Mentorship & Design Leadership

I mentor without managing. The goal: help people think harder, build sustainable culture, and know their own judgment matters.

  • 18+

    years in digital design

  • 10+

    years in product

  • 4+industries

    fintech, FMCG, e-commerce, proptech

  • +6 digital products

    launched from concept to scale

  • 12+ startups and companies

    worldwide

  • 18+

    years in digital design

  • 10+

    years in product

{05} — Real stories, real impact.

{05} — Real stories, real impact.

Don’t take my
word for it

Don’t take my
word for it

Words from colleagues

I have been fortunate enough to work with

Mercedes has been a key player on our team in Checkout, she’s an amazing visual designer and advocate for user needs. Her ability to generate new ideas and execute handoffs quickly made our team a powerhouse this year! She can plug and play anywhere in PayPal, quickly assessing the needs and problems at hand, she’s been an amazing partner and anyone she works with would also agree!

Laura Martinez

Sr. Design Manager @ PayPal

Close-up of the hand holding the mobile phone

{06} — Let’s talk about your next project.

{06} — Let’s talk about your next project.

Contact

Send me your thoughts, ideas, or questions. I’ll be in touch within a day :)

info@oliva.design

info@oliva.design

Let’s make it visual!
Here are a few projects I’ve really enjoyed working on

  • 18+

    years in digital design

  • 10+

    years in product

  • 4+industries

    fintech, FMCG, e-commerce, proptech

  • +6 digital products

    launched from concept to scale

  • 12+ startups and companies

    worldwide

  • 18+

    years in digital design

  • 10+

    years in product

Back to top

Back to top

Great design starts with a conversation — let’s talk.

Avatar of the website author

Mercedes Oliva

Shaping design systems and product vision.

Contact me

info@oliva.design

I’m always open to exciting projects — feel free to reach out.

Back to top

Back to top

Great design starts with a conversation — let’s talk.

Avatar of the website author

Mercedes Oliva

Shaping design systems and product vision.

Contact me

info@oliva.design

I’m always open to exciting projects — feel free to reach out.