Alisa Pleasance
About

Hi, I’m Alisa.

I’m a product designer in Calgary with 19 years across fintech, brand and business. I’ve been a designer, an art director, an agency owner and a design lead — and I’m still happiest with my hands in the work.

These days I lead product design and brand at an AI-powered Canadian fintech — and I love designing for fintech: products that help people make decisions about their money.

19years designing products and brands
6years running my own agency
CA + USclients across Canada and the United States

I design like a business owner — because I’ve been one.

For six years I ran my own design agency: leading teams of 5–10, writing proposals, winning clients and answering for the results. So every screen I design is also a business decision — what it has to achieve, what it costs to build, and how we’ll know it worked.

Outcomes, not just outputsDesign tied to what the business needs — sign-ups, retention, revenue.
Scope with judgmentI know what it takes to ship on a real budget, so effort goes where it counts.
Fluent in founderAt home with founders, marketers and engineers — and translating between them.
How I work

Finding the clarity inside the complexity.

What are people trying to do?What’s getting in their way?What should this make them feel?

Financial products ask people to decide something personal. My job is to make complicated systems feel simple — without making anyone learn the system behind them.

Working with AI

I use AI a lot — I’m comfortable vibe coding working prototypes with Claude and Lovable — but I don’t rely on it blindly. AI widens the options — judgment picks the right one.

Use it a lotTo explore more directions and build working prototypes, faster.
Question itAI sounds confident even when it’s wrong. I check what it gives me against real people and real constraints.
Decide myselfTaste, judgment and accountability stay with me.

Experience

  1. 2025 – nowHead of Product Design & BrandAI-powered Canadian fintech
  2. 2019 – 2025Co-founder & Managing PartnerOwn design agency · teams of 5–10
  3. 2018 – 2023Art Director / DesignerATB Financial
  4. 2016 – 2018Designer · lead on Honda Canada Power EquipmentClearMotive Marketing Group
  5. 2007 – nowProduct Design & Brand ConsultantIndependent · Canada & US
Off the clock

Community, comedy and a new country every birthday.

Off the clock you’ll find me at a pub quiz, a standup show or deep in a David Lynch film. I founded Calgary’s Chelsea FC supporters’ club because there wasn’t one, and I tend to build community wherever I land. I bake, I take photos, I love good wine and cheese (no pretension required) — and every year I leave the country for my birthday.

  • David Lynch films
  • Standup comedy
  • Founder, YYC Chelsea FC
  • Pub quizzes
  • Baking
  • Photography
  • Wine & cheese
  • A new country every birthday

Kind words

From clients and colleagues

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Companies I’ve helped

ATB Financial · Honda Canada · Costa Coffee · Valvoline · Marble Slab Creamery · Health Data Movers · Westpower · Revolve Furnishings · Scout Engineering · Vermax · Marlow Design + many more

Let’s make something people want to use.

Book a 30-minute call →alisa.pleasance@gmail.com