One Unified API For All SaaS
Head of Design
Founding Designer
Employee #5
Building the Unified API Category
The Challenge
When I joined Merge as employee #5 and founding designer, the unified API category didn't exist. Companies were spending months building individual integrations, with each new connection requiring dedicated engineering resources. We set out to create a single API that would give access to hundreds of integrations.
My Role
As Head of Design and the company's first design hire, I shaped every aspect of the product experience from the ground up. I established our design philosophy, built the design team, and personally crafted the interfaces that would help Merge grow from a seed-stage startup to a Series B company valued at over $300M.
Company Impact
Under my design leadership, Merge achieved extraordinary growth that caught the attention of top-tier investors. In October 2022, we raised $55M in Series B funding led by Accel, with our ARR growing 30x in just 12 months. By the time of our Series B, over 3,000 companies including TripActions, Ramp, and Apollo were using our platform—a testament to the intuitive, developer-first experience we created.
As Ben Fletcher from Accel noted when joining our board: “Merge addresses this long-standing friction with ease, affordability, and a genuine understanding of what startups and enterprises need”—a vision I helped bring to life through thoughtful design.
The Command Center Dashboard
I designed Merge's dashboard to be the central command center for managing all integrations. This wasn't just about displaying data—it was about creating a experience where developers could instantly understand the health of their integrations, spot issues before they became problems, and take action with confidence.
The dashboard became one of our most praised features, with customers highlighting how it transformed integration management from a black box into a transparent, manageable process. Every element was carefully considered: from the real-time sync status indicators to the intelligent error grouping that helped developers quickly identify and resolve issues across thousands of connected accounts.
Visualizing Integration at Scale
I defined new ways to represent integrations at scale, creating visualization techniques for the concept of linked accounts across hundreds of B2B SaaS integration options. The challenge was displaying logos upon logos across multiple software categories—HR, ATS, CRM, accounting, and more—all within a single command console.
These visualization systems had to scale from startups with a handful of integrations to enterprises managing thousands of linked accounts across dozens of categories. The design language I created became the foundation for how companies understand and manage their entire integration ecosystem at a glance.
Scaling Integration Management
The Linked Accounts interface was one of my most complex design challenges at Merge. I needed to create a system that could handle everything from a startup with 10 integrations to an enterprise managing 10,000+ connected accounts across multiple regions.
I introduced filtering and search capabilities that allowed developers to find specific accounts among thousands. The design balanced information density with clarity, helping developers manage integrations at scale while maintaining simplicity that made Merge accessible to smaller teams.
Deep Dive: Account Overview
For the individual account view, I designed a comprehensive yet digestible interface that gives developers everything they need at a glance. This overview page became the model for how B2B SaaS companies display complex technical information.
The layout prioritizes actionable information: connection status, recent activity, and configuration details are immediately visible. I introduced the concept of "progressive disclosure" to Merge's UI—showing essential information upfront while making detailed logs and settings easily accessible for power users.
Real-Time Data Synchronization
The Data Sync interface transformed what was traditionally a backend process invisible to users into a transparent, real-time experience that gave developers better control over their data flows.
The interface included visual representations of sync status, data freshness indicators, and intelligent retry mechanisms. It handled everything from simple field mappings to complex data transformations while maintaining simplicity.
Debugging Made Simple
The logs interface transformed debugging from a painful necessity into an efficient process. Instead of walls of text, I designed an intelligent, searchable system that surfaced relevant information when developers needed it.
I implemented smart filtering, color-coded severity levels, and contextual information that helped developers identify issues quickly. The design included features like log aggregation and pattern detection to identify systemic issues across multiple integrations.
Configuration Without Complexity
Settings pages are often an afterthought in B2B software, but at Merge, I made them a priority. I designed a settings architecture that could accommodate the needs of 150+ different integration types while maintaining consistency and usability.
The interface uses smart defaults and progressive disclosure to make configuration approachable for newcomers while providing power users with granular control. Inline documentation and real-time validation guide users through complex configuration flows.
Converting Developers at First Glance
The Merge landing page spoke directly to developers' pain points while presenting our solution clearly. Every element was designed to communicate value quickly and build trust with technical decision-makers.
The design included an interactive API playground that let developers test integrations without signing up, customer logos that built trust, and a clear value proposition that resonated with both technical and business stakeholders.
Leadership Impact & Results
Business Growth
- •30x ARR growth in 12 months under my design leadership
- •3,000+ enterprise customers including TripActions, Ramp, Apollo
- •$55M Series B from Accel at 4x valuation increase
- •Scaled from 15 to 100+ employees
Design Leadership
- •Built and led design team from 0 to 5 designers
- •Created design system supporting 150+ integrations
- •Established design culture and processes from scratch
Building integrations is a massive distraction from core product development. A unified API transforms months of work into a single afternoon.
— Merge Platform Philosophy
This case study showcases the design leadership and foundational work completed as Head of Design at Merge.