
Hi, I'm Deb Sklüt!
I'm a multidisciplinary designer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a background in fine art and a focus on bold, thoughtful, user-centered design. My work spans branding, packaging, UX/UI, illustration, and digital marketing, with a strong emphasis on visual clarity, brand voice, and user-centered design.
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I began my creative career in screen printing and hand-illustrated apparel, which helped shape my eye for detail, layout, and craft. Since transitioning into graphic design full-time, I’ve contributed to a wide range of in-house and collaborative projects, from brand refreshes and packaging systems, to e-commerce UX, content strategy, and cross-channel campaigns. I’ve played a key role in shaping identity systems, creating scalable design assets, and bringing visual consistency across packaging, digital, and social touchpoints.
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I approach every project with a balance of research, intuition, and clarity, aiming to make design that not only looks good but communicates effectively. I enjoy both independent creative problem-solving and cross-functional collaboration, and I’ve worked closely with product, marketing, sales, and leadership teams to bring ideas to life.
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In addition to my professional work, I occasionally take on freelance projects and enjoy connecting with other creatives. I’m open to conversations with early-career designers or students looking for mentorship or guidance, and I’m always happy to talk shop.
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When I’m not designing, I’m probably playing music (I rotate between guitar, piano, bass, drums, and ukulele), making jewelry out of tiny beads, or playing catcher on my local softball team. I’m also a nerd, a lifelong learner, and someone who believes that good design is both intentional and human.
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If you're interested in working together, or just want to say hello, don't hesitate to reach out!
Resume
UX/UI Designer | Visual & Digital Designer | Branding Specialist
Multidisciplinary designer with 7+ years of experience across UX/UI, branding, and digital marketing. Skilled in Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and web collaboration tools. Passionate about crafting user-centered digital experiences, scalable systems, and cohesive brand ecosystems across mobile, web, ecommerce, print, and packaging.
Work Experience
2021-Present
Graphic & Digital Designer
PetWise (formerly Worldwise)
Novato, CA
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Led UX/UI redesign of D2C multi-brand navigation, streamlining user journeys across FurHaven, SmartyKat, goDog, Sherpa, and Treatly.
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Created responsive Figma prototypes for mobile-first emails, lightboxes, and landing pages. Developed goDog brand rebrand elements: refreshed logos, packaging systems, dielines, and illustration style guides.
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Produced top-performing social media campaigns, including Lunar New Year and Dog Toy Size Chart posts.
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Supported cross-functional teams with packaging, digital assets, and production-ready files for major retailers.
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Created SOPs to streamline Photoshop production workflows and trained junior designers.
2021
UX/UI & Graphic Designer
Left Coast Wholesale
Santa Rosa, CA
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Led UX research initiatives, including heuristic audits and persona development, to guide full ecommerce platform redesigns.
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Designed mobile-first product detail pages, onboarding flows, and account experiences using Figma.
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Developed logged-in and guest UX flows, improving account acquisition and customer segmentation.
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Created low- to high-fidelity prototypes and collaborated with stakeholders to align usability improvements and brand storytelling.
2018-Present
Freelance
Graphic & UX/UI Designer
SF Bay Area, CA
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Designed digital and print collateral including branding, packaging, newsletters, and web graphics.
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Created user-centric UI designs for D2C ecommerce sites, interactive prototypes, and visual brand systems.
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Delivered polished, production-ready assets balancing usability, brand voice, and digital strategy.
Education
2008-2010
BA Art Practice, Spanish Minor
University of California, Berkeley
Honor Roll for 5 semesters.
Graduated with High Honors.
2006-2008
AA, Liberal Arts
Berkeley City College
Dean's List for 4 semesters.
Graduated with Highest Honors.
2018-Present
Relevant Coursework
Santa Monica College (UX Design, Web Design, Front-End Web Development), Cabrillo College (Graphic Design, UI/UX Design)
Core Skills
UX/UI Design
User Experience (UX) Design, User Interface (UI) Design, Product Design, Interaction Design, Web Design, Creative Problem Solving, User Experience Research, Responsive Design
Visual & Brand Design
Visual Design, Brand Development, Product Branding, Packaging Design & Product Mockups, Storyboarding, Graphic Design, Motion Graphics (After Effects), Brand Identity
Technical & Production
Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Creative Cloud, Image Editing, CMYK and Pantone Spot Color Print Production
Languages
English
Spanish
Native
Fluent
Certifications
UX Design & Research Principles & Process
Responsive Web Design: HTML & CSS Fundamentals
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica College
Foundations of
UX Design
Visual Elements of UI Design
University of Minnesota (Coursera)
California Institute of the Arts (Coursera)
The Design of
Everyday Things
Taught by Don Norman (Udacity)
