Matt Karakilic

Founding mentor

🐰 5 sessions

Open to work

Director of User Experience @ Omnia Consulting Ltd.

1testimonial Vancouver, Canada Los Angeles (UTC-7) 15+ yrs in design

About

18+ years building and leading design teams, from SAP to Hitachi Energy to ProtoPie — and reviewing the portfolios and CVs that got people onto them. I'm direct, a little philosophical, and I ask more questions than I answer. If you're stuck, stalled, or second-guessing yourself, that's exactly where I like to dig in. Mentoring designers 1:1 on Hop → https://hop.designbuddies.community/mentors/matt-karakilic

How I can help

I help designers at both ends of the journey: breaking in or leveling up (portfolio reviews, CV feedback, interview prep, positioning for product-led companies like Google, Microsoft, or Amazon) — and growing once you're in (IC to leadership, building and running design teams across time zones, advocating for design in orgs that don't get it yet). I've hired and led design teams from startups to global enterprises (SAP, autoTRADER, Best Buy, UKG, Hitachi Energy, ProtoPie), so I know exactly why a "perfect" portfolio still isn't converting to interviews, and how to fix it. Direct, honest, no BS.

Ask me about

Agency to in-house

IC to manager

Freelance to full-time

Returning from a break

Layoffs

A failed launch

First or only designer

A reorg

Getting passed over

Influence without authority

Stakeholder standoffs

Presenting to execs

Negotiating comp

Imposter syndrome

Building a design system

First design hires

Craft to strategy

Growing into leadership

A hard problem I've navigated

Took over as Global R&D UX Director at Hitachi Energy in 2022 with a small design footprint and no clear headcount plan. Built the case, hired, and scaled the team to 15+ designers and researchers across the US, Canada, Europe, and India within the year — while still shipping. The hard part wasn't finding people, it was building trust with engineering leads fast enough that "the new UX director" stopped sounding like a threat and started sounding like backup.

Expertise

UX Designer

UX Researcher

Product Designer

Design Manager

Design Lead

Gaming

Fintech

B2B SaaS

Agency

Consumer/Social

Design systems

Freelancing

Leadership

Negotiation

Interviewing

AI workflows

AI tools

Agentic AI

Resume

Portfolio Reviews

Coaching

Mental Support

Health

Group sessions Matt is hosting

Testimonials

Matt's feedback reshaped how I approached my design interview, especially the storytelling, reading the interviewers, and structuring my case study. Direct, generous, and genuinely helpful.
Emily · Aug 2026

Sessions

Intro ChatFree
30 min
If you're looking for a coach/mentor, but you're just not sure about how this all works – this one is for you. In a casual, informal introductory call: I will introduce myself (if needed), You will introduce yourself so I get to know you. Then, I will answer couple of your questions or the issue you mentioned in the intake form. Lastly, if we are a fit, I'll explain how our long-term coaching will work, and explain how we would go about it. This intro call is crucial and very helpful for us to see if we click, and for you to check in with yourself to figure out how comfortable you feel in my presence. It gives me a chance to see how committed you are to make a difference in your life before I commit my energy to work with you to reach your goals. Please fill this intake form by going here: https://tally.so/r/nG1by2
Portfolio & Case Study Review$75
45 min
Send me your portfolio ahead of time so we are good togo when we meet — what's working, what's not, and where your case studies are telling the wrong story. You'll leave with specific edits, not vague encouragement. Disclaimer: This is HOP Mentoring Special Pricing. One time use per client.
Career Pivot & Leadership Coaching$125
60 min
For designers moving from IC to lead, lead to director, or considering a pivot altogether. I've made every one of those jumps and led teams through them — we'll map what's actually blocking you and what the next 90 days should look like. Disclaimer: This is HOP Mentoring Special Pricing. One time use per client.
Mock Interview & Presentation Prep$75
45 min
Practice presenting your work or walking through a case study like it's the real thing. I'll interview you the way hiring panels actually do, then give you direct feedback on what landed and what didn't. Disclaimer: This is HOP Mentoring Special Pricing. One time use per client.

English

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