# Flora Michalon — Senior Product Designer Tout le texte publie sur https://www.floramichalon.com, extrait des pages elles-memes. --- # Accueil Source: https://www.floramichalon.com/ ## Ex-founder and Product designer, I turn complex product problems into clear, outstanding experiences. With eight years from global brands to startups, I bring a versatile approach focused on impact. ## Testimonials - Flora has turned the PropertyGRID into an outstanding brand. Her expertise was evident in the strategic decisions and positioning which had a significant impact on the company growth and fundraising. — Steve Rodgers, President of PropertyGRID - Flora has been amazing at designing our website. The brief was complicated but she succeeded at translating it into a concrete project. The result is outstanding. — Nicolas Cohen, CEO of Ankorstore & Nebesta - Flora is an exceptional designer, smart, intuitive and passionate. She quickly grasps the needs of a project or client and turns it into a beautiful and functional product with an eye for perfection. She is also a pleasure to work with, her positive energy and attitude were inspiring to the whole team. I'm truly grateful I had the chance to work with her. — Mehdi Djabri, CEO of Revo AI - We got a ton of positive feedback (including from competitors hihi) on our new site and graphical identity—www.LARVOL.com. Also, on our mascot design. Merci Flora. A pleasure working with you and the Iteration X team. — Bruno Larvol, CEO of Larvol - Excellent product designer working VERY quickly and with HIGH quality standards. She produced a full set of FIGMA designed pages for a total rebuilt of our website. Straight to the point, creative and efficient. Thanks 🙏 — Stanislas Gruau, CEO of Explora Project - I had the chance to work with Flora on several projects for our company and the results were always matching our high quality standard/expectations. She gives a great and unique twist to all designs she works on. I would recommend Flora to any companies looking for powerful designs. — Tanguy Fecon, Cofounder of Lizee - Flora made her presence felt on the first day of joining the studio. And everyday after that. She helped design some projects from scratch, helped improve the UI/UX of others. And when she's done she asked to do more. Fast, eager, helpful, with an eye for clean, beautiful designs, Flora is a gem. — Tuan Le, CEO of The Lab Saigon - Flora helped me on a big chunk of macartevacances, from designing the main app screens to working out the product logic with third party tools like Trezor. Her sharp eye and product sense made a real difference. — Alexandre Guillot, Founder of Macartevacances app - Flora is one of the best designer I know ! She is a perfect mix of creativity & pragmatism, she's both proactive, challenging, yet listen to her clients. I recommend Flora ! — Ivan Litovsky, Head of Product at Ankorstore ## Experiences Independent Product designer & advisor Freelance, since 2017 Worldwide Partner & Founding Product design PropertyGRID, 2024-2025 Florida, US Co-founder & Creative product lead Iteration X, 2020-2024 Paris, Fr Product Designer Air France startup studio, 2019-2020 Designer (Apprentice) Beaubourg, 2018 Designer (Internship) The Lab Saigon, 2017 Saigon, Vn UX, UI Designer (Internship) Sensiogrey, 2016 ## Featured projects Iteration X Co-founded and designed an AI-powered tool to capture, organize and resolve product feedback easily. (€4.7M raised, 0 to 200+ clients). PropertyGRID Designed a regulated real-estate investment platform and turned complex financial features into a product institutional investors trusted ($6M raised, 0 to 80 accredited investors signed up before launch). AXA Live Redesigned the internal employee platform for AXA, ten years after designing the original. I rebuilt solo with AI (from wireframes to working prototypes with Claude Code, Vercel, Figma MCP). ## More collaborations where I had impact Built the platform behind a €1.7M seed Explora Project travel startup Early product design, later acquired Macartevacances app Site, platform and mascot, still live Larvol Data AI Sales pages optimised for a unicorn Ankorstore startup ## Other collaborations & clients Air France-KLM Paris, France Nebesta AI Decathlon Kipling SKFK fashion Archiman beauty The Lab Saigon Saigon, Vietnam AIA Insurance Revo AI San Francisco, California Ava Ideaflow Spontex ## Discover more My approach Craft, strategy & team work Linkedin View more about me Contact Let’s have a chat or a coffee to talk about anything interesting, I’m always open to chat about anything. Made with ♡ and self-developed with AI. --- # About Source: https://www.floramichalon.com/about.html ## Hello, I’m Flora 👋🏻 Senior Product Designer & ex-founder combining strategic design, entrepreneurial vision, and deep craft for product teams that care about clarity, quality, and measurable outcomes. 2012 to 2019: how everything started My journey started with an unconventional path. Moving from literary studies to general tech & engineering in Paris, I quickly realized my true value lay right where design meets technology and business. To ground my studies in reality, I built my experience through freelancing, internships, and work-study roles, spanning e-commerce, digital studios in Paris, and a creative agency in Vietnam. These five years of hands-on learning taught me how to design products rooted in reality before stepping into the next chapter. 2019 to 2020: early startup collaborations At Air France-KLM’s startup studio, I partnered with founders from day zero under tight deadlines. My role was to define key priorities with them for rapid iteration, then directly design and code the initial products. I brought this end-to-end approach to several startups right from their launch. For Lizee , I structured, designed, and built their first e-commerce platform, helping secure a €1M seed round and laying the foundation for Decathlon’s rental service (€36M today). For Explora Project, this early framing and development set the stage for their €1.7M funding round and current profitability. As for MaCarteVacances, this early-stage collaboration helped the founder reach a successful exit and still lives today. 2020 to 2024: The founder chapter with Iteration X Co-founding Iteration X was the catalyst for my growth as a Product Designer. Following my time at Air France, I co-founded the company with two partners to solve a major friction point: the inefficiency of product feedback loops. We built a browser extension capturing real-time technical context (logs, DOM), securing €4.7M from top VCs like La Famiglia and Connect Ventures. As part of the founding team, I actively contributed to roadmap and product vision decisions, designed all iteration cycles, and jumped in to build the front-end code myself when timelines were tight. We prioritized product-led growth and AI integration early on. To help fund the company’s initial stages, I also continued freelancing for US clients including Larvol, Ava, and Ideaflow. _My cofounders and I with Dylan Field, CEO of Figma (La Famiglia VC reception, 2022) Schaffhouse, Switzerland_ I am deeply grateful for this journey, which allowed me to tackle real customer pain points and connect with inspiring leaders such as Dylan Field. This chapter concluded with an exit in 2025, and the company continues its journey in San Francisco as Revo AI, now valued at $22M. These five years gave me a grounded ability to bridge experience design, technical feasibility, and business goals. 2024 to 2025: Partnering with a US RWA startup As an investor myself with a strong passion for tech and financial innovation, I joined PropertyGRID to lead the design of their RWA platform. The project aimed to fractionalize investments in high-end physical assets (premium hotels, private islands, land) under the leadership of Steve Rodgers (former CEO of Prudential California). _Steve Rodgers (former CEO of Prudential California), Serge Baudrillart and I San Jose, California_ To engage traditional private equity, I shifted the brand strategy away from crypto-centric tropes toward an institutional look. This positioning alongside rapid prototyping helped secure $8M in funding. I then designed the marketplace end-to-end, solving cold-start liquidity by starting with luxury villas before rolling out complex assets, alongside an intuitive visual interface for co-buying. The project ended following major governance and financial oversight issues from the leadership team. ## Testimonials - Flora has turned the PropertyGRID into an outstanding brand. Her expertise was evident in the strategic decisions and positioning which had a significant impact on the company growth and fundraising. — Steve Rodgers, President of PropertyGRID - Flora has been amazing at designing our website. The brief was complicated but she succeeded at translating it into a concrete project. The result is outstanding. — Nicolas Cohen, CEO of Ankorstore & Nebesta - Flora is an exceptional designer, smart, intuitive and passionate. She quickly grasps the needs of a project or client and turns it into a beautiful and functional product with an eye for perfection. She is also a pleasure to work with, her positive energy and attitude were inspiring to the whole team. I'm truly grateful I had the chance to work with her. — Mehdi Djabri, CEO of Revo AI - We got a ton of positive feedback (including from competitors hihi) on our new site and graphical identity—www.LARVOL.com. Also, on our mascot design. Merci Flora. A pleasure working with you and the Iteration X team. — Bruno Larvol, CEO of Larvol - Excellent product designer working VERY quickly and with HIGH quality standards. She produced a full set of FIGMA designed pages for a total rebuilt of our website. Straight to the point, creative and efficient. Thanks 🙏 — Stanislas Gruau, CEO of Explora Project - I had the chance to work with Flora on several projects for our company and the results were always matching our high quality standard/expectations. She gives a great and unique twist to all designs she works on. I would recommend Flora to any companies looking for powerful designs. — Tanguy Fecon, Cofounder of Lizee - Flora made her presence felt on the first day of joining the studio. And everyday after that. She helped design some projects from scratch, helped improve the UI/UX of others. And when she's done she asked to do more. Fast, eager, helpful, with an eye for clean, beautiful designs, Flora is a gem. — Tuan Le, CEO of The Lab Saigon - Flora helped me on a big chunk of macartevacances, from designing the main app screens to working out the product logic with third party tools like Trezor. Her sharp eye and product sense made a real difference. — Alexandre Guillot, Founder of Macartevacances app - Flora is one of the best designer I know ! She is a perfect mix of creativity & pragmatism, she's both proactive, challenging, yet listen to her clients. I recommend Flora ! — Ivan Litovsky, Head of Product at Ankorstore Present: Helping build what matters After an intense journey blending entrepreneurship and collaborative projects, I took a strategic step back to recenter and explore emerging design methodologies, as reflected in the redesign of my AXA case study with Claude code ten years later. Today, I partner with brands, products, and founders as a freelancer at the intersection of product design, UX, and strategy. I am always open to ambitious opportunities and challenges. ## Discover more My approach Craft, strategy & team work Linkedin View more about me Contact Let’s have a chat or a coffee to talk about anything interesting, I’m always open to chat about anything. Made with ♡ and self-developed with AI. --- # My approach Source: https://www.floramichalon.com/approach.html ## How I work 🧠 📐 Over the years, I’ve learned that strong product design rarely comes from a single big idea. It usually comes from understanding the problem well, relying on familiar and proven patterns, and shaping experiences that stay clear for users while supporting business goals and technical reality. 1. What I optimize for When I work on a product, I look beyond the happy path. I pay attention to how flows connect, where users might lose context, and how the experience holds up in empty states, errors, and moments of ambiguity. My goal is to make sure users always understand where they are, what is happening, and what they can do next. 2. How I make decisions My process is practical and rooted in discovery. I start by using existing patterns, product context, and user behavior to frame the problem clearly, then map the core flows and test the weak points across the journey. I focus on solutions that feel intuitive, realistic to build, and resilient once they reach production. _Grey reflects my positioning: bridging creative vision with technical reality while following users & business needs._ 3. How I work with teams I work closely with product and engineering from the start, because the best decisions usually come from shared understanding early on. That includes not only the main journey, but also fallback paths, system messages, transitions, and the small product details that make an experience feel coherent and reliable. 4. How I use AI I use AI as a thinking and testing partner throughout the design process. It helps me explore alternative flows, surface overlooked edge cases, pressure-test unlikely scenarios, and create faster prototype variations in Figma before the team invests too much in one direction. I see it as a way to expand reflection and speed, while keeping judgment, prioritisation, and product quality firmly human. ## Discover more Featured projects Iteration X, PropertyGRID & AXA Live Linkedin View more about me Contact Let’s have a chat or a coffee to talk about anything interesting, I’m always open to chat about anything. Made with ♡ and self-developed with AI. --- # Iteration X Source: https://www.floramichalon.com/projects/iteration-x/ Iteration X ## Co-founding, architecting and designing a contextual feedback ecosystem for tech, clients and product teams, from 0 to exit Why this project matters Building Iteration X from scratch was a major lesson in speed and focus. I designed the product from zero to 200+ clients, €4.7M raised, a $22M valuation, and a successful exit. Designing a tool with no existing model to copy taught me to make sharp product choices, balance quality with tight deadlines, and prioritize what truly drives survival and growth. Context 2020 - 2024 Paris, France Role Co-founder Founding Product & Design Product strategy Metrics €4.7M raised with european funds Churns reduced from 5% to 3% Used by more than 200+ clients Team Context & Vision ## Solving an industry-wide challenge: how fragmented communication between teams drains time, drops critical data, and impacts revenue While running our agency, client feedback was a constant headache. Notes were scattered across emails, Slack, and PDFs, forcing us to waste hours taking screenshots and copying context into tools like Asana. Constantly switching between apps meant losing critical details and precious time. Realizing this friction costs teams hours every week, we decided to build our own solution to fix feedback loop once and for all. _Before Iteration X_ _The Iteration X solution_ Phase 1: The extension ## How a simple browser extension secured $5M by making feedback effortless Why write a bug report when you can just point and comment? Rather than forcing users to manually detail bugs, our extension captures the entire environment as they work. It automatically logs DOM metadata, viewport specs, OS data, and console output directly on the live product. To avoid manual bug reports, I designed a simple extension flow that lets guests point, comment, and resolve issues directly on the live page. _Capturing an issue directly on live product with the extension_ The design challenge ### Navigating the unknown to build a non-intrusive UI Since no benchmarks existed in 2021, we went through 5 to 6 major design iterations. Designing a modular overlay meant handling web environments we had zero control over: avoiding content collision across unpredictable viewports, keeping crucial underlying UI elements visible, and ensuring the interaction remained faster than logging a task in Asana or Jira. _How I designed live-site commenting long before Figma added in-context feedback._ Our biggest early mistake ### How an extension-first architecture blocked adoption and stalled growth. We crammed our entire product into the browser overlay: live DOM node mapping, issue tracking, project spaces, notifications, and granular roles. Requiring a plugin install just to review a single issue created a massive wall for external clients, guest reviewers, and mobile users. Static email workarounds couldn’t scale, crippling our viral sharing loop and forcing an architectural shift toward a web-accessible ecosystem. _I designed an extension overlay mapping issue cards to their exact DOM nodes on the live product._ The First Pivot ### Turning the extension into a dedicated capture tool while moving project management to the dashboard To move beyond one-off redesigns and become a daily workflow, we built with my cofounders and the engineers a web platform for project management while focusing the extension purely on capturing live feedback. What to keep & to fix The goal was to scale the platform without losing its core speed: preserving effortless feedback sharing for clients without mandatory plugin installs, while removing the rigid extension requirements on mobile and isolated public pages that previously blocked collaboration for larger teams and complex projects. The main goal Scaling web project management without sacrificing the fast, simple live captures and context that made Iteration X unique in the first place. _I upgraded the extension from simple screenshots into a dedicated capture suite, adding full-screen video recording, window/tab capture, and precision area selection._ Phase 2: The dashboard ## Evolving from a constrained overlay to a high-density workspace for an optimized feedback loop The main challenge was losing context. Static task boards disconnect bugs from the live product, forcing teams to context-switch when reporting issues and reviewers to waste time figuring out where they actually happened. _How I designed the issue panel modularity_ A zero-friction, bi-directional loop Working closely with engineering, I designed a real-time two-way sync between the extension and the dashboard. As shown below, reporting a bug directly in-product automatically links to its dashboard ticket, and vice-versa, keeping developers, PMs, and clients aligned. Architecture ### Structuring issue navigation around depth, focus, and collaboration To accommodate different working styles across product teams, we designed a flexible view architecture. By separating quick issue triage from deep debugging and external client alignment, each view mode serves a specific operational depth without cluttering the interface. _The issue split view Quickly scroll through issues on the left and see details on the right._ _The Full view open a complete ticket to inspect video recordings and technical notes._ _The Public page a simple Notion-style link for the stakeholders who don’t have an account, because sharing is a key feature for our clients — even for those who are not part of their team’s workspace._ Project management ### At this stage, I also had to manage high-density issue lists with many settings and layers. As client’s teams size and issue volume grew, we introduced a structured triage system with custom tagging. Fitting status, priority, ID, assignee, tags, creation date, sync status (Jira/Linear), and capture source (extension vs. web) into a single row required a tight UI balance. Beyond row mechanics, we had to solve list-level complexity. _The issue list and custom views I designed for fast triage_ Making heavy project data actionable at a glance It combines advanced filtering (project, priority, deadline, tags) with a strict metadata hierarchy and real-time update states, keeping complex data readable and actionable at a glance without cluttering the UI. Modular issue panel ### Building a scalable and modular layout template that adapts to any company’s issue type, media and content A visual bug report isn’t structured like a feature request. Rather than building rigid templates for every edge case, we created a modular layout system that dynamically shifts data density based on attached assets, ensuring critical information remains readable at a glance. Structuring content across edge cases I designed a flexible card layout that handles all levels of content density without cluttering the screen. It smoothly combines live web captures with rich-text notes, adapts its hierarchy when users attach heavy videos or multiple tags, and keeps long comment threads clean so teams can easily track their history over time. User Permissions ### Designing role-based interfaces that power our business tiers Product teams operate in complex ecosystems with internal members, freelancers, and external clients. Collecting feedback requires opening up access without compromising sensitive project data. _How I designed granular user roles and billable tier indicators._ Structuring boundaries for clients and teams I designed every feature with role-based access in mind to balance security, business goals, and user needs. Workspaces are segmented to keep external client feedback separate from internal discussions, while critical management actions like inviting or modifying members are restricted to authorized roles to prevent scope creep. Notifications strategy ### Turning Notifications into an Engagement Engine: The Shift to a Modular Home Feed Tracking project progress across teams is hard when updates are hidden inside detailed technical tickets. We noticed that notifications were actually the main way PMs, clients, and team members stayed up to date. People didn’t want to dig through complex boards; they just needed a quick, reliable summary of what changed. _My updates inbox Live activity feed with split issue inspection, adapted for every user type and rights._ Upgrading existing notification patterns instead of adding feature clutter To simplify project tracking, I turned standard notifications into a standalone Home inbox. This central feed gathers all updates, comments, and feedback into a single stream that automatically adapts to each user’s role, whether they are a PM, team member, or external client. By replacing complex project boards with an intuitive view, it opens the product to non-technical users, provides direct access to live progress, and eliminates the need for manual status meetings. Universal search ### Solving product complexity: designing search as a universal shortcut for both new joiners and power users As Iteration X evolved into a powerful, feature-rich platform, the product naturally gained depth. With advanced capabilities nested across workflows, guiding users through every layer became time-consuming: live demo calls were stretching out, and traditional onboarding couldn’t do justice to the platform’s full scope. _Universal search, turned into a command center rather than a lookup box._ Evolving search from basic lookup to an active command center Building traditional onboarding tutorials was consuming too much time for our team with little value. To eliminate this overhead, I collaborated with engineering to turn global search into an active shortcut instead of passive walkthroughs. By embedding documentation and quick actions into the query window, we enabled users to learn on demand within their workflow, saving core resources while cutting support tickets. Step 3: The mobile app ## Answering user demand without slowing down the roadmap of our core product As mobile usage grew, users increasingly needed to manage and report issues directly from their phones. However, our desktop layout relied on deep nested menus and side-by-side views. Fitting that complex experience onto a phone screen without creating a slow, multi-tap process was a tough UX challenge. _The feedback loop I designed for mobile: Real-time sync between extension and dashboard_ UX decisions ### Rethinking our mobile UX: turning deep navigation into active feeds Our desktop layout uses deep nested menus and side-by-side views. Packing all that data onto a phone screen without creating a slow, multi-tap experience was tough. The UX Pivot Instead of forcing users to click through endless folders on mobile, I flipped the architecture by grouping content by type. Issues, updates, and threads now surface in clean, aggregated feeds right at the top. The outcome is a fast, focused app built around two core jobs: reviewing updates in seconds and drafting new issues on the go, while leaving complex management on desktop. _How I replaced multi-level menus with aggregated, task-focused feeds_ Issue preview on mobile ### Structuring complex issue metadata for instant mobile readability Losing desktop split screens and expanded side panels created a tough layout challenge: how to condense complex metadata and deep discussion threads into a single phone view without sacrificing speed or context. _The first issue preview I designed for the mobile app_ Designing an issue preview built for thumb navigation I condensed complex desktop issue views into a contextual bottom sheet tailored for mobile screens. To prevent endless scrolling, critical metadata is placed in a horizontal chip carousel directly below the title, remaining pinned whenever users scroll up. Since mobile lacks hover states, key actions like attachments and mentions are integrated directly into a sticky input bar, surfacing dynamically as soon as typing begins. Step 4: The AI engine ## Moving beyond standalone chats: An AI assistant built directly into project tasks, documents, and team history Our product was already capturing live UI states, technical data, and discussion threads, giving us a rich, structured knowledge base. With AI becoming a standard expectation in modern SaaS, leveraging this history allowed us to help teams spot recurring bugs and retain project knowledge effortlessly. Beyond product value, this initiative created a strong narrative to boost brand awareness and provided rich material to lead interactive workshops with clients and community events. _Mapping AI capabilities across our project data to automate core workflows with my cofounders and the engineering team_ Skipping the AI hype to build a true workflow intelligence Rather than chasing the AI hype with a generic sidebar chatbot that frustrates users with prompt fatigue, we wanted to leverage our existing project data to deliver instant, context-aware answers right where teams work. Cross-work agent ### Turning passive issue tracking into proactive AI assistance Rather than using AI for generative tasks, we made a conscious architectural decision to direct AI toward system refinement. We focused on high-impact workflows around existing work: cross-checking issue history, spotting priority anomalies, and clarifying dependencies. This strategic prioritization turns raw project data into actionable insights while avoiding the bloat of unnecessary generative features. _I collaborated with engineers on issue pattern analysis and opportunity mapping to make informed tradeoffs, ensuring we didn’t waste time, resources, or roadmap capacity._ What we proposed We wired the AI directly into the project data model, including tickets, specs, design tokens, and comments. Instead of an isolated chat window, the copilot works directly inside the UI to pre-fill tasks, assign team members, flag blockers, and answer questions based on the full history of the project. Adaptative AI ### Adapting AI interactions across flexible dashboard layouts I designed the Copilot to fit seamlessly into the dashboard’s split views and modal states, allowing users to summon AI assistance without losing context of their active tickets. The main challenge was maintaining a coherent experience across different layout modes, from side-by-side issue inspection to floating panel conversations. By introducing contextual prompt templates and clear parsing indicators, the system adapts dynamically to available screen real estate, turning complex team data into clean, structured digests right where users need them. _I prototyped and tested multiple AI workflows to deliver maximum value, including context-aware reporting on team members, issues, and project status._ _Some of the requests our users were doing_ _An example of AI in action within an issue’s comment feed_ Brand identity ## Designing an inclusive identity to humanize technical collaboration _The logo and color palette I made for Iteration X_ Developer tools are usually cold and rigid. Since Iteration X connects developers with designers, PMs, and clients, I designed a brand identity that bridges both worlds. I balanced a structured logomark with a vibrant color palette, keeping the product grounded in technical credibility while making marketing touchpoints warm, welcoming, and accessible to non-technical teams. _I built the logo to be consistent with the collaboration we offer_ The “X” logomark is engineered on a strict geometric grid, fusing three core collaboration primitives: a cursor, a feedback comment bubble, and an intersection point. _Pins combinaison I proposed for our extension_ Takeaways ## What I learned by building the startup Iteration X goes far beyond digital product design and client management. Designing custom solutions vs. scalable UX We sometimes over-designed complex workflows for a single client who eventually churned. This created bloated interfaces and diverted us from solving core user problems. It taught me that UX decisions must serve scalable patterns rather than edge-case client requests. Design velocity and team morale Watching complex flows and interfaces get discarded demoralized the team after weeks of intense design and dev effort. Balancing fast iterations, user testing, and quality craft requires knowing when to ship a lightweight prototype before committing to full high-fidelity designs. Pricing strategy in feature development Early on, we prioritized adoption and retention over monetization. We overlooked how features fit into our pricing plans, missing opportunities to convert users. Scalability and business logic must be baked into every feature from day one. Managing design system and tech debt Moving fast to stay competitive led to shortcuts in both code and design that required costly refactoring later. Focus on perfecting a few key features to test a concept rather than expanding prematurely, which inflates maintenance and communication costs. Product design goes beyond UI Design is about solving core problems, not just drawing interfaces. Sometimes the best solution isn’t adding a feature or tweaking a flow, but introducing a human touchpoint or removing a feature altogether. Intent always matters more than form. Cross-team communication is vital Under high pressure, team members occasionally made isolated decisions, causing alignment friction. I committed to radical transparency and setting ego aside to keep the team cohesive. Design cannot exist in a silo Every feature must account for engineering constraints and marketing goals. Cross-functional alignment is essential to build a cohesive product. Leverage proven patterns over reinventing the wheel To flatten the learning curve, I adopted established mechanics from mature products. Unnecessary originality costs resources; leveraging tested patterns drives faster adoption. Beware of FOMO & hype-driven design Adopting trends or forcing AI into every feature adds unnecessary complexity with hard-to-measure ROI. Unless a feature is immediately vital, it is better to validate market demand before committing resources. Product success requires balancing tech, people, business, and timing The hardest part of building is aligning these key elements while managing their trade-offs. Great UX elevates a product, but it can’t drive success on its own. Getting the timing right and keeping everything in sync is what actually makes or breaks a project. Investors & press ## Throughout this journey, we’ve been privileged to be supported by exceptional investors, advisors, and partners Investors La Famiglia Ventures (pre-seed investment) Connect Ventures (seed investment) Diaspora Ventures (& private investors (seed investors)) Contentsquare (accelerator) Advisors Thibaud Elzières (Folks, eFounders) Jonathan Anguelov (Aircall) David Okuniev (Typeform) Jeremy Le Van (Sunrise) My sincere gratitude to all the other investors, advisors and collaborators who contributed to our journey. _Featured as a must-try tool for web project collaboration by tech creators_ Press Why Connect Ventures backed Iteration X (Pietro Bezza, our investor) Iteration X raises $4.7M to bring collaboration into live products (Tech.eu) Iteration X launches with a $4.7M seed round (The Saas News) Launch in 2022 (Product Hunt) Launch in 2024 (Product Hunt) Next project PropertyGRID Designed a regulated real-estate investment platform and turned complex financial features into a product institutional investors trusted ($6M raised, 0 to 80 accredited investors signed up before launch). --- # PropertyGRID Source: https://www.floramichalon.com/projects/propertygrid/ PropertyGRID ## Establishing institutional trust for tokenized real estate Why this project matters I joined PropertyGRID as a partner to make buying real estate with crypto simple and trustworthy. My job went way beyond interface design. I helped build the business from the ground up: creating the pitch deck to raise our first funding round, and designing a marketplace that brought in both property sellers and buyers. It taught me to design for business growth, not just screens, acting as a real partner focused on making the company succeed. Context 2024 - 2025 Miami, Florida (US) Role Founding Product Design Fundraising support Branding Metrics $6M raised from private equity 80+ accredited investors on the waiting list A modular card system covering every type and status Team ## Leveraging blockchain to build a new asset class and open 1% investments to everyone Real estate has seen little technological innovation compared to other markets. PropertyGRID changes this by enabling fractional ownership of high-value assets that were once reserved for ultra-wealthy, well-connected investors. Powered by RWA tokenization and blockchain technology, the marketplace bridges the gap between Web3 innovation and institutional-grade real estate. _Visualizing PropertyGRID’s long-term vision: Introducing GRIDs, an on-chain, asset-backed ETF structure unlocking fractional real estate investment at global scale._ Brand & positioning ## Before building the prototype and platform, we first had to align the brand with the right audience From crypto clichés to luxury real Estate: when I joined, PropertyGRID relied on stereotypical crypto/blockchain aesthetics: purple tones, neon green, and tech-heavy shapes. To establish credibility with institutional investors and luxury real estate professionals, I advocated for a complete brand repositioning before jumping into product design. Defining a trustworthy identity was essential to clearly communicate our vision, audience, and value proposition from day one. _Previous brand identity_ _Redesigned brand identity featuring a modular grid pattern. The detaching bricks pattern in the background visually express the shift from rigid traditional real estate to fluid, blockchain-powered fractional ownership._ Winning traditional investors with a private banking aesthetic PropertyGRID looked too much like a risky tech tool, which turned away traditional real estate investors. I simplified the visual identity to match private banking standards, focusing on trust and clarity. The new logo combines Web3 hexagonal shapes with a simple roof line, keeping the tech background while looking safe and professional for big investors. _Logo geometry: PropertyGRID is designed to balance institutional real estate aesthetics with Web3 visual standards. This harmony is illustrated here, placing the PropertyGRID hexagon (center) alongside the geometric forms of Chainlink (left) and BNB Chain (right). PropertyGRID adapts the solidity of real estate to the modular structure of blockchain._ _Identifying PropertyGRID’s positioning_ Marketplace & properties ## Building the PropertyGRID Marketplace, from 0 to 1 When launching a brand-new marketplace, you face a double hurdle. Introducing a novel Web3 concept without confusing users, and dealing with a limited initial inventory. At launch, we simply couldn’t compete with the massive volume of listings seen on long-standing platforms. _The marketplace UX structure_ One marketplace for two very different types of investors Investors browse differently depending on what they want. Some look for key numbers, while others search by location. To serve both fractional and whole-asset buyers, I paired a data-rich list on the left with an interactive map on the right. This lets users compare financial metrics or explore areas visually without ever losing context. _Translating the wireframe layout into final UI components_ Responsive ### Bringing a complex split-screen layout to small screens Squeezing a desktop split-screen map and dense filters into a phone usually leads to tiny touch targets and a cluttered screen. Instead of just scaling things down, I redesigned the experience around one-handed use. By using focused full-screen views and keeping core controls right under the thumb, users can easily scan market data on the go without feeling overwhelmed. Designing for the thumb, not just a smaller screen Instead of shrinking the desktop layout, I restructured the experience around single-handed ergonomics and progressive disclosure. By isolating primary tasks into focused full-screen states and keeping primary controls strictly within thumb reach, the mobile UI delivers a fast browsing experience that feels native to touch while keeping complex market data easily accessible. Modular asset listing ### One flexible system for all investment types To accommodate both direct purchases and fractional investments, I designed a modular listing system that dynamically adapts data fields and status indicators (Funded, Sold Out, Coming Soon) to the asset type. Coupled with smart pin auto-clustering on the interactive map, the interface streamlines property discovery while keeping high-density inventory clear and navigable. _A flexible card framework built for three distinct asset types: tokenized land, real estate properties, and asset bundles. Designed for visual alignment and effortless scannability across diverse data structures._ _20 of the 90+ unique asset card configurations._ Property page ### Why I made the property page first A high-converting property page must reconcile two opposing user needs: triggering an emotional connection with the asset while delivering complex, trustworthy financial data. On top of that, we needed a way to onboard property owners and test market demand before building the full platform infrastructure. Onboarding sellers and validating investments before platform launch I prioritized designing the property detail page first as our primary 0-to-1 validation tool. The layout uses a clear structural split: full-width visual media handles emotional engagement upfront, while a dedicated financial panel breaks down key metrics like yield, ownership structure, and entry pricing. This dual-focused hierarchy enabled us to secure early inventory and validate investor interest well before launch. _The property page layout on mobile — the system I found to fit the price & important details box on a small resolution_ Listing a property ### Unlocking new revenue streams during property onboarding Designing the property submission flow required close alignment with our CEO, CTO, and real estate experts. I led the design to balance technical constraints with business goals, turning a heavy onboarding process into a smooth, step-by-step experience. By introducing optional service add-ons directly into the flow, we unlocked new revenue opportunities without adding friction for property owners. _Integrating business monetization into the seller onboarding flow: strategically presenting paid add-ons at high-intent touchpoints to drive seller differentiation and platform revenue._ _I designed multiple onboarding flows regarding the need of the customers, always updating to new properties specificities._ Tokenized lands ## Adding tokenized Land Plots & Grid Visualisation on the marketplace Visualizing land plots and subdivisions directly on a map presented an industry-first design challenge. Standard real estate platforms like Zillow only support traditional single-property pins, while Web3 virtual platforms like Decentraland or The Sandbox offer grid systems that are far too cluttered and complex for real-world investors. We needed a way to display parcel boundaries, land scales, and property status without turning the map view into visual noise. Structuring map interactions for maximum clarity and deep data access To show complex property data without cluttering the map, I organized the UI into three clear layers. A subtle grid outlines parcel boundaries for context, while clean pins highlight core scores for quick scanning. Detailed information like price, availability, and funding progress only appears on hover or tap, keeping the map readable even with dozens of listings. Data layers ### Managing Data Density on the map Showing too much information at once made the map hard to read and navigate. To solve this, I added interactive layers and hover details so users can reveal key data only when they need it, keeping the interface clean and easy to scan. _Validated map concept: To avoid cluttering the map with too much information, I split the interface into toggleable layers. Users can turn specific filters on or off (like plot status, featured assets, or scores) and hover over items to see quick details without feeling overwhelmed._ _Modular map pins: Showing how plot indicators adapt dynamically when overlaying multiple data layers (score ranges, tags, and availability status)._ Social proof ### Adaptive grid & social proof: visualizing fractional ownership To build buyer trust, we needed to highlight active investors in real time, but displaying irregularly shaped land parcels made the grid messy. I designed a modular grid system that snaps varied plots seamlessly together, complete with buyer avatars on funded parcels. This instantly shows live activity and trust while keeping the layout clean and unified. _Adaptive parcel overlay: Modular grid system displaying real-time investor activity and interlocking custom land shapes._ Mobile UX ### Freeing up screen space for mobile users Fixed controls were taking up almost half of the phone screen, making map navigation feel cramped. I moved non-essential elements into dedicated views so the map gets full-screen space, keeping core tools accessible only when needed. _Before (Viewport saturation): Persistent UI controls and static search bars occupied nearly 45% of the screen, leaving minimal room for map discovery and severely degrading the mobile UX._ _After (Dedicated mobile navigation): Re-architected views give the map full edge-to-edge screen real estate while keeping search, filtering, and contextual controls easily accessible on demand._ Beyond the screen ## Beyond product design: I created the pitch decks alongside leadership that helped secure $6M and co-hosted key events Investor Decks ### Designing pitch decks for two different investor mindsets Our pitch decks needed to convince both conservative institutional investors and modern, tech-focused buyers. I built a clear story structure paired with a clean visual identity. This balanced traditional financial credibility with digital innovation, presenting PropertyGRID as a safe yet forward-thinking product. _Investor deck samples for USGRID, an asset group initiative_ Events design ### Participation à l’intervention lors d’événements et à la stratégie pour attirer de nouveaux utilisateurs _The founder, Mathieu Hudson, presenting the company at Clever Summit in 2024_ Takeaways ## What I learned joining PropertyGRID and designing for real world assets Navigating complex technical terminology Blockchain and Real World Assets (RWA) come with heavy technical jargon. We spent significant time aligning on technical requirements before translating them into UI flows. Having a centralized repository early on to simplify and translate domain knowledge would have saved us valuable time and improved overall clarity. Designing for two-sided marketplaces Balancing the needs of buyers and property owners is a classic prioritization challenge. I proposed starting with the property page and the upload flow first. This allowed PropertyGRID to demonstrate immediate value to property owners, even while using traditional billing methods initially. The key takeaway was to launch early, test quickly, and iterate in small increments. Aligning diverse stakeholder priorities Each leader in the company had distinct priorities, requiring me to balance competing requests. I navigated this by tying design decisions directly to business goals, creating a shared product framework that brought alignment across leadership while keeping user experience at the center. Leading and mentoring designers I mentored and led two to three designers and visual creators. To bridge different working styles, I hosted weekly sessions to share problem-solving frameworks and foster an open, transparent environment where team members felt safe raising roadblocks so we could progress together. Press ## Disrupting US real estate: press coverage and industry keynotes _PropertyGRID President Steve Rodgers (former Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CEO) introducing the platform to national media in El Salvador._ PropertyGrid Revolutionizes Real Estate (Yahoo Finance) Podcast with Steve Rodgers (Mortgage Lending Mastery) PropertyGRID launches investment platform in El Salvador (Dinero) PropertyGRID launches the real estate... (Mercadosyfinanzas) Next project AXA Live Redesigned the internal employee platform for AXA, ten years after designing the original. I rebuilt solo with AI (from wireframes to working prototypes with Claude Code, Vercel, Figma MCP). --- # AXA Live Source: https://www.floramichalon.com/projects/axa-live/ AXA Live ## A corporate and editorial new generation intranet app Why this project matters In 2016, I designed the original AXA Live app at an agency. Ten years later, I completely rebuilt it as a self-initiated project. More than a redesign, this was an experiment to test how far one designer can push an enterprise-scale app today using AI, rethinking complex flows while honoring constraints. Context 2026 Paris, France Role Product Design AI building Metrics In 2016, AXA group adopted the app we delivered for its employees. Team 2016 version: Sensiogrey agency 2026 version: Personal + Claude Code Product thinking ## Product insight above all: People open an intranet with a task in mind. The reading follows. The original product was AXA's internal newsfeed, built to broadcast. A few years after shipping, AXA itself named the tool's limits: top-down, passive, built to inform rather than involve. So I shifted the app from content people might read to tasks they’d like to know of. This also reflects the times: in 2016, large groups commissioned internal apps as brand showcases. Today, companies look for convenience. _The original icon, validated by AXA in 2016. I kept it because it already carries the product's duality: both a newspaper and a payslip._ Dual architecture ## From passive magazine to daily employee tool: introducing dual-mode UX architecture To make this vision work without cluttering the screen, I structured the interface into two distinct environments. The dynamic switch at the bottom gives employees immediate access to their personal workspace in “My AXA”, while keeping “Explore” dedicated to news. Each space uses its own visual tone, surface color, and density, ensuring users always know where they are. _The previous intranet app, I designed for AXA in 2016: Passive information browsing by employees_ _The new intranet I designed in 2026: Active use, driven by what employees can't skip_ Blending HR tools and news into a unified navigation Adding HR management alongside company news risked overloading the interface. I split the experience into two clear workspaces using a dedicated mode switch and distinct brand colors: a dark blue theme for administrative tasks (“My AXA”) and a vibrant red for editorial content (“Explore”). This gives each tool a distinct focus while keeping the overall platform cohesive. _Splitting the ecosystem into utility workflows (“My AXA”) and editorial feeds (“Explore”), each backed by a distinct visual identity._ My AXA: management ## Modernizing a corporate intranet to elevate the employee experience Internal tools deserve the same level of UX rigor as customer-facing applications. When redesigning AXA’s management platform, I set out to bridge the gap between heavy enterprise utility and modern digital standards. I implemented established fintech UI patterns, including real-time status indicators, inline table editing, and clear data visualization summaries, turning dense administrative workflows into an intuitive and efficient employee workspace. Homepage ### Structuring key HR data for instant answers Essential info like salary, leave balance, and expenses was buried across multiple portals, driving up support tickets. I redesigned the homepage to highlight key financial updates at the top and pending requests right below. Employees can now get the answers they need in under three seconds without digging through complex menus. _Translating the wireframe layout into final UI components_ Advance salary flow ### Designing a frictionless, anxiety-free salary advance flow Salary advance requests sit at the intersection of complex payroll rules, strict compliance, and high user anxiety. Employees accessing earned wages often face financial stress, making absolute transparency, zero hidden fees, and immediate feedback critical. First wireframes with Claude Code Static screens fail when financial calculations are involved. I used Claude Code to prototype the logic upfront instead of guessing UI states in Figma. Live coding allowed me to instantly test real-time math inputs like capped keypads, quick-add pills, and dynamic payslip deductions ($3,000 to $2,500) before locking the final design. _Low-fidelity UX flow generated with Claude Code before moving to Figma_ _Flow: High-fidelity with Figma_ Salary advance: From code wireframe to high-fidelity UI with Figma Prototyping in code established the core financial logic, but Figma is where I shaped the architecture. I used it to transition the flow from an isolated functional experiment into a cohesive system component, anchoring seamless entry points, spatial continuity, and high-craft visual polish directly into the main product. _On the left: Figma prototype - polished general flow On the right: Claude code - dynamic data & edge cases_ Code vs Figma: Balancing visual fidelity and dynamic amounts Figma and Claude Code do two different jobs. Figma is great for fine visual details and glass overlays, but salary advances are all about numbers. In Figma, you cannot easily show how taking 500 dollars today changes your end of month paycheck. Claude Code let me build a live calculator where users could type any amount, instantly see their new salary preview, and get blocked if they asked for more than their earned balance. Request time off flow ### Booking leave, team in mind Time off affects the people around you. This flow surfaces context before you submit by showing if a teammate is already off on those exact dates. Instead of a full month grid, it uses a horizontal week strip so you can pick dates quickly, preview your new balance, and send the request in seconds. I used Claude Code to quickly move from user intent to low fidelity screens. Prompting AI for dynamic rules allowed me to test core interactions early, like selecting date ranges on a week strip, showing teammate overlaps live, and seeing how the balance drops from 12 to 7 days before spending time on visual polish. Time off: From code wireframe to high-fidelity UI with Figma Moving into Figma was about refining the UX architecture, not just adding polish. Selecting dates is often tedious, so I elevated raw picker mechanics into a structured scheduling experience. Bringing the full month grid front and center gives users instant clarity, while offloading post request balances and team availability into clean contextual cards keeps the interface light, preventing cognitive overload during high intent actions. Code vs Figma: Pairing visual fidelity with calendar logic Figma and Claude Code solve two different parts of time off booking. Figma is perfect for crafting clean UI components like the dynamic balance ring or team overlap warnings. But picking dates is full of hidden logic. In Figma, calculating working days while skipping weekends or showing a live balance drop is tedious. Claude Code allowed me to build an interactive calendar where selecting dates immediately calculated exact working days and updated remaining leave in real time. Explore: internal news ## Prioritizing layout and navigation over complexity To avoid reader fatigue, the Explore section breaks away from repetitive lists. I designed flexible layout components that adapt to different content types and reading contexts. Readers can quickly scan trending tags, dive into hero stories, register directly for upcoming internal events, or switch to an audio version when on the move. Editorial Design ### Visual design over AI logic for editorial content While AI is great for complex workflows, the "Explore" news feed needed a design-led approach focused on storytelling. I designed tailored layouts for different content types, like featured articles, audio clips, and event invites, to keep browsing dynamic. _Structured discovery on Explore pages: featuring category shortcuts, hero editorial posts, popular stories, and trending tags_ _Diverse formats for featured articles, standard posts, events, and audio versions_ Articles browsing ### Article formats, for different hierarchies and reading habits Corporate news often struggles with low engagement because employees consume content differently. Designing directly in Figma, I built a flexible reading experience that lets users choose how they engage: reading full articles, skimming quick summaries, or listening to audio on the go. To make things easy to find, I added quick category filters, search, and one-tap bookmarking. _Browsing articles: Navigating through multiple views and iterating (Figma prototype)_ Figma for the news feed: When layout craft beats code Unlike complex salary logic, editorial design lives and dies by visual composition. The Explore experience is built on human curation, typography, and layout rhythm. Using Figma exclusively let me focus on what truly matters for news discovery: tweaking whitespace, balancing heavy hero cards against subtle list items, and refining dark surface contrast. There was no need for dynamic code prototyping here, as the value lies in visual craft, strong hierarchy, and flawless layout hierarchy. AI vs. Figma in Product ## Combining Figma and Claude Code to test form and function: my conclusion 1. Dynamic logic vs visual hierarchy Choosing between code and canvas depends on what needs testing. Financial and booking flows rely on live calculations, custom inputs, and business limits that static screens cannot mimic. Code wireframes revealed real constraints early, leaving Figma as the space to define surface styling, contrast, and visual identity. 2. Content discovery vs reactive workflows Different product surfaces call for different environments. The editorial news feed demands precise typography scales, whitespace, and card layouts to keep readers engaged without fatigue, making Figma ideal. Conversely, utility flows thrive on reactivity, where code prototypes let users test actual limit caps and live state changes. 3. Pragmatic tooling for product decisions Assigning a clear purpose to each tool sped up product decisions. Code handled complex rules, saving me from creating hundreds of edge case screens in Figma. Once the underlying logic was proven, moving to Figma allowed me to focus entirely on component craft, layouts, and visual polish. Icons & Motion with AI ## Bringing user flows to life with AI-generated icons and motion Having worked extensively in fast-paced environments, I always look for ways to make prototypes feel realistic without waiting for long production cycles. To elevate the experience, I used hand sketches, moodboards, and Higgsfield AI to quickly generate custom 3D icons and subtle motion assets aligned with AXA’s brand. While it doesn't replace a dedicated 3D artist for final production, this workflow allowed us to test realistic user reactions early and ship a polished MVP in a fraction of the time. _The 3D icons I made with Higgsfield_ _A quick motion I did with Higgsfield_ Archives ## Retrospective: Evolving an intranet into an operational workplace Working directly with AXA a decade ago, I designed their official internal app focused strictly on editorial reader needs. As shown in these archives, our client brief centered on content delivery, featuring rich article layouts, media galleries, and event signups. It contained no team management or HR utilities. Revisiting this official work for a personal redesign project gave me the freedom to evolve the concept, transforming a traditional news portal into an active daily workplace platform. Takeaways ## What redesigning this ecosystem taught me about AI, UX, and product evolution AI excels at functional logic, humans excel at emotional resonance AI is a great tool to work with and it gets me there faster, especially on the logic and the edge cases. It has no taste of its own, so I would not trust it with most of the creative work. Typography, pacing and brand are still decided by hand. From reading the news to getting things done In 2016, corporate apps broadcast news from the top down and people read it or did not. Today they come back daily because the app also holds their payslip, their leave and their expenses, next to the media. Making "boring" corporate flows engaging To turn HR tasks and corporate updates into something people open, I rethought the layouts. Interactive modes, audio and quick digests next to full reads, and custom 3D animations turn a chore into a daily habit. Solo concepts vs real client constraints On my own I can explore the architecture, experiment quickly and push the visuals without corporate friction. A real client project, like the 2016 build, asks for compromise, legacy systems and stakeholders to agree. This one shows what the experience can be without any of that. The evolving design process Prototyping in 2026 goes past Figma screens. I put visual polish, live-coded logic and generated assets like icons and motion in the same prototype, so I could test how it looks and how it thinks before production. Next project Iteration X Co-founded and designed an AI-powered tool to capture, organize and resolve product feedback easily. (€4.7M raised, 0 to 200+ clients).