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Human by design.
Magic by code.

THE HUMAN BEHIND THE PIXELS

A curious mind.
A hands-on maker.

I’m Maryl Gonzalez, a Design Technologist (Front-end & UX/UI) based in Kansas City, KS, originally from Guadalajara, México.

Maryl Gonzalez, with violet and mint light across her portrait

DESIGNER. FOUNDER. ALWAYS CURIOUS.

Download my résumé ↗

HEY! THAT’S ME.

A little more human.

With 13+ years across product design and branding, I now build products end-to-end by pairing with Claude Code and Codex.

Founder of Talexa and Co-Founder of The App Chefs, and that founder-level ownership is what I bring to every product I touch.

At SmartPlant, I’ve grown from UX/UI Designer in 2020 to Senior Product Designer and now Staff Product Designer, AI & Digital Experiences. I lead design across GardenSage and Plant Manager, shaping consumer and B2B products with the CEO, product, and engineering teams.

My journey at SmartPlant ↓

I’m a product designer, entrepreneur, and builder passionate about creating technology that feels intuitive, beautiful, and genuinely meaningful.

Since starting my professional design career in 2010 and working professionally in web from 2013, I’ve worked at the intersection of design, engineering, AI, and business, helping startups and growing companies transform ambitious ideas into products people love to use. My work spans UX strategy, visual design, branding, design systems, front-end development, and AI-native experiences, always with one goal: turning complexity into clarity.

I believe great products aren’t just functional: they create trust, inspire curiosity, and make people’s lives a little better every time they’re used.

That belief has led me to build companies, launch digital products, mentor teams, create communities, and explore how thoughtful design can bridge technology with human connection. Whether I’m designing an AI-powered platform, crafting a brand identity, or imagining a physical space where people gather, I’m always asking the same question:

How can this experience make someone feel seen, empowered, and delighted?

My process blends systems thinking with craftsmanship. I care deeply about the details (interaction, typography, motion, storytelling, and visual hierarchy), but I never lose sight of the bigger picture. Every interface is part of a larger experience. Every product is part of someone’s story.

I built my first websites at fourteen. Back then, I was captivated by the magic behind popular Flash websites—their movement, playful interactions, and incredible effects. They inspired me to explore the intersection of technology and creativity, a curiosity that still shapes everything I make.

Outside of work, I’m endlessly curious. I’m inspired by emerging technology, thoughtful architecture, editorial photography, psychology, spirituality, and the small moments where design quietly improves everyday life. I also create documentaries under Lattia Media and compose original music under Lattia Music, exploring storytelling as an independent amateur producer and singer. Those influences shape not only how I design, but also how I lead, collaborate, and build.

I don’t just enjoy creating products.
I love creating experiences that people remember.
Find me on LinkedIn ↗

SELECTED EXPERIENCE · JUN 2020–PRESENT

Growing with SmartPlant.

From the first Smart Plant Home app to GardenSage and Plant Manager: designing the tools, systems, and AI experiences that help people and plant businesses grow.

Staff Product Designer, AI & Digital Experiences

SmartPlant
  • Lead design across GardenSage™ and Plant Manager, partnering with the CEO, product, and engineering teams on consumer and B2B experiences across web, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
  • Led the evolution from Smart Plant Home to GardenSage by SmartPlant, including the brand experience, app redesign, and Sage, an AI guide character that makes plant care conversational.
  • Designed Plant Manager from the ground up and led its redesign: guided plant-data import, review and approval, plant details, analytics, and reports for garden centers and growers.
  • Designed account onboarding, team access and invitations, subscribable trend reports, and plant campaigns for retail partners.
  • Drive AI product strategy and end-to-end UX from discovery and experimentation to delivery; mentor design processes, systems, and best practices.

Senior Product Designer

SmartPlant
  • Expanded from UI/UX into product design across the Smart Plant Home app, web platform, and internal tools; led the 2023 app redesign with a new care calendar and photo-based plant identification in expert chat.
  • Introduced GardenGenius, the product’s first AI horticultural companion, and designed the internal admin dashboard for managing content and users.
  • Conducted user research, defined core features and user flows, and collaborated with stakeholders and developers throughout the product lifecycle.

UX/UI Designer

SmartPlant
  • Designed the first Smart Plant Home app from UX flows and wireframes to high-fidelity UI, including the care calendar, ask-an-expert experience, plant details, and local retailers.
  • Defined the early visual identity, color system, and logo, and designed responsive web and mobile interfaces with product and engineering teams.

THE PRACTICE

Skills that connect the dots.

UI/UX Design96%
Front-end Development & UX/UI Design93%
Design Systems & Branding92%
JavaScript (React/Next.js)78%

ALWAYS LEARNING

Certifications & education.

Webflow 101 Certification

Webflow University

CertificateOnline

Empower Women Speakers for Your WordPress Events in Latin America (#WPDiversity)

Ericka Barboza (@Pastelitocr) & Jill Binder (@jillbinder)

WorkshopIn person · San José, Costa Rica

Product Owner Accredited Certification™

International Scrum Institute™

CertificateOnline

Mastering Innovation & Design Thinking

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

CertificateIn person · Boston, MA

Scrum Master Accredited Certification™

International Scrum Institute™

CertificateIn person · Guadalajara

Design Sprint for Voice Interface

UX Digital Summit Guadalajara 2018

CourseIn person · Guadalajara

Agile UX Masterclass

UXPin

CourseOnline

User Experience and Interaction Design Certification

The Interaction Design Foundation

CertificateOnline

User Experience for the Web

Open2Study

CourseOnline

Cross-Platform Mobile Development with Appcelerator Titanium

DWSoftware

CourseIn person · Guadalajara

Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC)

Interlingua México

CertificateIn person · Guadalajara

SHARING IS CARING

Talks & workshops.

I love sharing what I learn with agencies, companies, and tech communities.

Introduction to No-Code (Web Development Without Code)

Introducción al No-Code (Desarrollo Web sin código)

GeekGirl Meetup · Wizeline Guadalajara

TALK

Design Thinking for New Development Teams

Women Who Code Boston · Boston, MA

TALK

WordPress Basics: Workshop & Meetup

WordPress Básico (Workshop & Meetup)

Campus Party México

WORKSHOP

Web Design Patterns & Trends 2017

Patrones y tendencias de diseño Web 2017

Talent Woman · Campus Party México

TALK

How to Build Your Website with WordPress from Scratch

Cómo crear tu sitio Web con WordPress desde 0

TechWo Community

TALK

How to Build Your Website with WordPress from Scratch (Workshop)

Cómo crear tu sitio Web con WordPress desde 0: Workshop

TechWo Community

WORKSHOP

1st Meetup: Introduction to WordPress Guadalajara

1er Meetup: Introducción a WordPress Guadalajara

WordPress Guadalajara

TALK

UX Nights GDL: UI Design Patterns & Trends

UX Nights GDL: Patrones y Tendencias de diseño UI

UX Nights GDL

TALK

#devHangout: Design Thinking

devHangout

TALK

Campus Party 2016: Design Thinking

Campus Party México

TALK

Design Thinking (Workshop)

Tech Women Community

WORKSHOP

Technovation Challenge Masterclass: How to Monetize Your App

Technovation Challenge

WORKSHOP

Mobile App Design & Development (Native & Hybrid)

Diseño y desarrollo de Apps Móviles (Nativas e Híbridas)

Campus Party 2015 · UdeG & Tech Women Community

TALK

BEHIND THE MAGIC

Currently conjuring.

A peek behind the curtain, where brand systems, products, and visuals are taking shape in the studio.

Luuvi: Brand identityIN THE MAKING · 01

Luuvi

Brand identity

FlowSuite: Brand identityIN THE MAKING · 02

FlowSuite

Brand identity

WPBueno: Mascot illustrationIN THE MAKING · 03

WPBueno

Mascot illustration

GardenSage™: Mobile app screensIN THE MAKING · 04

GardenSage™

Mobile app screens

KIND WORDS

Good work starts with good people.

Words from clients I’ve partnered with through The App Chefs, the design & development studio I co-founded.

“The App Chefs' team helped us transform our website, providing an e-Commerce solution far superior to our previous site with a streamlined user experience.”
Gabrielle RichardsonMarketing Manager · Ten Minutes by Tractor ↗
01 / 03

NOTES FROM MY CORNER OF THE INTERNET

The journal.

All stories
+
A SOUNDTRACK OF MY OWN
Different skiesAmbient edit · Original music by Maryl

Ready to play with your first interaction.

Soft, responsive sounds. You set the mood.