Madsen Vale – Product Designer & Maker

AI Manifesto

AI Removes Friction,
Not Judgment.

01

I use AI as a tool, not a replacement.

02

I don’t chase speed without intention.

03

I set different guardrails for enterprise and personal work. I know where the line is.

04

I question the output. I know where AI helps and where it falls apart.

05

I protect sensitive data. I respect creative work.

06

I catch bias in outputs. That’s my responsibility.

07

I don’t skip the conversation about what AI means for our industry.

08

I know when AI isn’t the right solution. And when it isn’t the ethical one.

M.V.
Berlin, February 2026

Process

What I Bring, and How I Get Involved

I turn ambiguity into direction

I partner with teams that know their product can be better, but are not always sure where to focus. I improve key entry points, complex flows, and conversion funnels. I test, iterate, and use what we learn to shape what comes next.

Early-Stage Discovery
User Research
Opportunity Mapping
Growth Design
Stakeholder Alignment

I design and ship the actual thing

I work hands-on from early concepts to shipped features. I prototype at any fidelity, design the details, build design systems and the processes around them, and write code when it helps things move faster. Quick to build, solid enough to evolve.

AI-Assisted Development
Visual Design
Design Systems
Rapid Validation
Accessibility Compliance

I give teams momentum

I build processes that stick. Tooling that scales. Measurement that matters. I hire the right people and flex with freelancers and agencies when needed. Better work becomes the default.

Design Leadership
People Management
Hybrid Team Scaling
Process Design
Maturity Uplift

Case Studies

Designed it.
Shipped it.

Shipping Design at Enterprise Scale

Led the design and integration of a contactless fuelling payment feature into the Mercedes-Benz ecosystem.

10+ business units

1K+ users interviewed

Read Case Study

Making Live TV Feel Like Streaming

Redesigned Zattoo's flagship Recordings feature, improving content discovery and watch duration.

15 platforms

3M+ households

Read Case Study

Keynotes

View Keynote

View Keynote

Maker's Life

Zero to App Store

Frido & Friends is my passion project where I design, build, and ship products to tackle everyday challenges.

To Do Cards

Lume

Wallie

Pochete

Little Notes

Moons

Fiti

Frido

2.5M+ Eyeballs

$0 Funding

#2 Product Hunt

Visit Frido.app

Voices

Working With Me

* Now talking in #would-hire-again

* Topic is 'What's it like working with Madsen?'

<head_of_design> He takes action, gives structure to chaos, and makes life easier across product, engineering, design, and support. I would always hire him again.

<product_owner> At Mercedes-Benz, he framed problems deeply, moved fast on first approaches, and kept challenging assumptions to find better solutions.

<product_designer> He nurtures designers, aligns people, and builds a strong design culture that sticks.

<product_designer> Thorough and strategic, great at cutting red tape, and built a design system from scratch with stakeholder buy-in.

<design_director> An extremely talented designer who raised platform quality through finely crafted interfaces, strong guidelines, and proactive cross-functional collaboration.

<ceo> Passionate and dedicated, improving usability without losing sight of business goals. A strong recommendation.

<hr_lead> Structured, creative, and highly professional, but also a very nice colleague everybody would love to work with.

<tech_lead> Helped us ship top-notch products, establish a design system, and get engineering and design speaking the same language.

<marketing_director> Deep user empathy across markets, plus the perseverance, boldness, and creativity to exceed goals.

<mentee> Kind and easy-going. It felt like talking to a friend, with clear guidance on client vs consultancy paths.

<product_manager> At Universal, he introduced new ways of working, aligned stakeholders through better product conversations, and turned vision into pragmatic user improvements.

<madsen> all real quotes btw. no one was bribed or threatened.

About

I am Madsen Vale.

Great design happens where method meets instinct.

Hands-on at every step, I design, mentor, structure processes, and support bold ideas, using AI to accelerate progress when it helps.

I’ve done this for Fortune 500 companies like Mercedes-Benz, Universal Music, and Coca-Cola, as well as for startups across various stages and industries.

Outside of work, I build and ship indie apps through Frido & Friends, vibe with Midnight Valley, and offer pro bono guidance to designers.

You'll often see me keeping a positive attitude and advocating for fairness.

ProptechHealthtechAutomotiveSaaSD2CB2BE-commerceMusicFood & BeverageNews & MediaStreaming ProptechHealthtechAutomotiveSaaSD2CB2BE-commerceMusicFood & BeverageNews & MediaStreaming

🥈 European Design Award Winner
🏆 Emmy-winning product
🎯 Maker of Coca-Cola's first Facebook app
🚀 Product Hunt #2 with Frido
💜 Pro bono mentor for designers & NGOs

My Resume

I design products, lead teams, and ship my own apps.

AI Removes Friction,Not Judgment.