Muck Rack: SaaS and PR CRM

Muck Rack is a leading platform for PR and communications teams to engage with journalists and the media.
PR teams were juggling between spreadsheets, CRMs, and inboxes, leading to inefficiencies and fragmented workflows. Our mission was to consolidate these tools, streamlining processes and enhancing user engagement within a single platform.​
As Muck Rack’s first and sole product designer for two years, I was instrumental in laying the UX foundation for a rapidly growing platform now utilized by thousands of communications teams.

ROLE

Senior Product Designer

RELEASE DATE

October 2023

Problem

PR professionals faced significant challenges:​
  • Workflow Fragmentation: Reliance on multiple tools disrupted efficiency.
  • Measurement Difficulties: 64% struggled with quantifiable metrics, and 71% found measuring business impact to be their top challenge.


Solution

I led the design of a new in-app pitching workflow with contextual editing, making it as easy as using a spreadsheet – but smarter. Design wasn’t bolted on. It was baked in—transforming Muck Rack from a feature-rich tool into an indispensable workspace for PR teams.
Each UI decision was rooted in user behavior, data workflows, and the need to reduce cognitive load.
  1. Customizable Dashboards with Contextual Editing
    Replaced static views with editable, user-curated dashboards.
  2. Folders for Contact Management
    Implemented a folder structure mirroring familiar email systems, facilitating organized tracking and management of contacts.
  3. Enhanced Pitching Experience
    Context-aware tools that brought contact discovery into the pitch flow. Integrated a new contact search API, enabling seamless contact discovery, minimizing manual efforts.


Impact

Design moved the needle on productivity, revenue, and investor confidence.
  • Automation.
    A new search API and contact matching system with AI feedback loop, improved contextual matching and reduced content parsing errors by 45% YoY.
  • 15+ hours saved per week.
    Contextual editing, folders, and contact curation shaved hours off daily workflows, freeing up time for actual storytelling.
  • 2.3x revenue growth, $21M → $50M.
    Strategic UX improvements supported growth. Users engaged longer, churn dropped, and Muck Rack scaled without breaking.
  • $180M Series A secured.
    A cleaner, smarter product helped tell a compelling growth story to investors. The foundation laid by design made scaling possible.


“Amazing job launching dashboards into beta with 100 customers! This sets the foundation for how we show the impact…”
— Greg Galant, CEO and Co-founder

Process

I embedded with product and engineering to drive an iterative design loop and deliver continuous improvements.
  • Kicked off with 20+ user interviews to uncover mental models, friction points, and workarounds.
  • Co-created with engineering weekly to scope feasibly, ship incrementally, and validate fast.
  • Introduced new design processes, including async critiques and interactive prototypes, fostering a collaborative environment.​


“Props to Eva for not only designing Dashboards over the last year but also introducing a new design process that’s already leveling up how we ship.”
— Darya Roshikina, Product Manager


Key Takeaways

I wasn’t just designing features, I was shaping the product. By embedding with engineering and staying close to users, I helped evolve Muck Rack from a helpful tool into a business-critical platform.
Design as a Growth Lever
Every UX decision was informed. The dashboards, folders, and pitch flow weren’t just quick wins, they directly drove user retention, operational efficiency, and ARR.
Collaboration over Handoff
Working side-by-side with engineering meant faster iterations, better scoped MVPs, and fewer surprises. Product and dev weren’t just stakeholders, they were creative partners.
User-Led Design
We built tools that mirrored how PR pros actually work, not how we assumed they should. Every feature was grounded in research and data.
Investing in Design Maturity
I focused on laying the foundation for future UX improvements with each feature design. Each release left the system stronger, setting the stage for future improvements.


Thank you for your informative presentation on the importance of Design Systems to the tech and product teams, and for your work on building Muck Rack's own design system.
—Lee Semel, CTO and co-founder (Apr 23, 2021)


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