Fractional product manager & UX consultant
I help good ideas survive contact with real users.
Most products don’t fail because the idea was wrong. They fail in the gap between what a team meant to build and what a user actually experiences.
I’m Corina Matei, and I run User.Aware — a fractional product and UX practice near Paris, working with B2C brands in online retail — food and cosmetics especially — with a particular interest in premium and luxury.
My partners say my strength is setting egos aside — hearing every side and turning it into one product. I think my real superpower is simpler: hand me a one-line brief — “an app for local producers, a bit like crowd-farming” — and I give back a concept the client can agree on and a designer can build from, with nothing more needed.
What drives me is simple: B2C products that address real needs and make people’s days a little better.
[01] HOW IT WORKS
For founders running product themselves, and product leaders stretched too thin. I embed in your team and own the work: research, UX, rationale, delivery. Alternatively, I can provide you with actionable insights that you can implement straight away.
The idea is clear in your head. Somewhere between that and what your team ships, it gets lost. I work in that gap - calm, structured, no drama. Sometimes is the end-to-end delivery, sometimes is the strategy or advice.
Discovery Diagnostic
When you know something's slowing you down, but not what.
UX & flow review
When users drop off and no one's sure where or why — or a new build needs evaluating before it ships.
Product Direction
From a one-line brief like "I want an app for local producers", I build a clear concept: who it's for, what it does, how it works. Everyone sees the same idea, and your designer can build from it, before the hours and money go in.
UX AUDIT
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DESIGN REVIEW
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DISCOVERY
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FLOW REVIEW
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USER RESEARCH
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SPECS
PRODUCT DIRECTION
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PRDs
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DELIVERY COORDINATION
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MARKET SENSING
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DEFECT RESOLUTION
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TEAM ALIGNMENT
[02] Hi, I'M
Corina Matei
I help good ideas survive contact with real users.
20 years across tech, finance, media, e-commerce, B2C, real-estate, premium products, small startups and big organisations. I've spent these years in the space between the people who have ideas and the people who build them.
9+ years in product management.
Researcher, analyst, UX consultant, product manager — different titles for the same job underneath: making sure the thing that gets built is the thing people actually needed.
[03] Selected work
Real Estate
acasa.ro
A premium real-estate platform re-anchored around verified brokers two weeks before launch — and shipped on time anyway.
[ 04 ] WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Trusted perspective, in their words.
“When we have projects at the company that require UX work, I’ll put you forward because I like the way you lay out the issues and how you manage to be flexible; usually, creative people tend to be more set in their ways.”
Anatol
“From the outset, I was impressed by Corina's relevant experience, and how she could apply her skills to my project (competitor research and UX auditing). Overall, her clear communication, friendly style, ability to understand instructions were top-notch! Despite our timezone difference, she was a pleasure to work with (and she even made me laugh with her lovely sense of humour). Would absolutely work with Corina again in the future, and I wish her all the best.”
Hadleigh W. (Australia)
“Corina is enthusiastic, intelligent and insightful. Her big picture thinking coupled with her attention to detail and ability to run insightful usability tests, makes her one of the few Romanian professionals dedicated to delivering better web experiences.”
Bogdan S. (NZ)
“Corina is for many the #1 "go to" person when things are entangled. She saved me countless times and I know a couple of people who can say the same. She's a great professional and she's definitely a missing piece in your puzzle, 'cause she's one of a kind.”
Alex N.C (RO)
“Corina has deep expertise in usability, insights analysis, and product ownership and a remarkable ability to understand users’ needs. Beyond her technical skills, Corina is incredibly hard-working, smart, and has a natural ability to bring positive energy to any team. Her skills are complemented by her sense of humor and her approachable, friendly nature, making her not only a skilled professional but also a joy to work with.”
Vio P. (RO)
Email me with a dilemma and I'll tell you honestly whether I can solve it.