Andrea Ukleja
Product Designer
Resume
Education
University of Connecticut, School of Business | Storrs, CT
August, 2023 - Present
Master of Business Administration; Marketing concentration
Rhode Island School of Design | Providence, RI
January, 2018 - May, 2020
Product Development & Manufacturing Certificate
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Troy, NY
September, 2012 - December, 2016
Design, Innovation & Society and Mechanical Engineering, B.S. | summa cum laude
Skills
Visualization
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NX
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SolidWorks
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Sketching
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KeyShot
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Adobe CS
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Rapid Prototyping
Product Development
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Competitive Analysis
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Codes & Cues Assessment
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Trend Evaluation
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Journey Mapping
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Project Management
Work
experience
Sr. Packaging Designer | Unilever, Inc.
Dec. 2021 - Present
In addition to all previous responsibilities, responsible for curating and leading front-end packaging design workshops and advising on appropriate design exercises and capabilities for a given project. Develop strategic approaches for packaging initiatives, including premiumization of sustainable packaging solutions. Develop internal inclusive design criteria and standards for packaging structures, as well as advocate for and implement inclusive design practices in projects.
Product Design Engineer | Unilever, Inc.
April, 2019 - Dec. 2021
Employ Design for Experience techniques to facilitate front-end design exercises with cross-functional brand teams, including Vaseline, Dove, Simple and others, in order to determine best packaging format and features for a given product. Work closely with Engineering to filter results of such exercises to source stock packaging options or design unique packaging solutions. Focus on sustainable solutions through reduced plastic and/or new materials selection. Ideate, sketch, and model packaging solutions and prove feasibility and manufacturability using NX and 3D printing capabilities.
Associate Reliability Engineer | Hasbro, Inc., Quality Assurance Department
February, 2017 - March, 2019
Responsible for ensuring the safety and reliability of various toys on the My Little Pony, Equestria Girls, Baby Alive, Transformers, and Monopoly brands. Evaluate product concepts and early prototypes for potential safety issues and collaborate with Engineering and Design personnel to ensure compliance with Federal and Global regulations, while still maintaining a functional, reliable, and fun product offering.
Honors/Awards
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Founder's Award of Excellence
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National Academic All-American, 3rd Team
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Pi Tau Sigma - National Mechanical Engineering Honor Society
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Tau Beta Pi - National Engineering Honor Society
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RPI Business Plan Competition - 3rd Place
Leadership positions
Unilever x Design for America |National Sponsored Project Lead
2021
Obtained site funding from senior leadership for a sponsored project with Design for America, focused on increasing the use of refills among American consumers. Co-created project brief, managed internal project team, and organized final student presentations, including Unilever presentations from cross-functional members as well as a live Q&A panel for the students.
Design for America | Co-Founder & Co-Studio Lead
2013 - 2015
Guided interdisciplinary student teams as they designed solutions to everyday problems, with the goal of creating local and social impact. This entailed teaching the human centered design process to 40+ students, leading meetings, budgeting, and securing administrative support and funding.