Design Directors

Kurt Varner is a VP of Design at Adobe with a career built across some of Silicon Valley's most influential product companies, including Dropbox, Frame.io, and Shyp. His trajectory from Head of Design at early-stage startups to executive leadership at enterprise scale reflects a rare ability to shape design culture at every level. Kurt also advises founders through Basis Set Ventures, bringing a practitioner's eye to the next generation of product builders.

Martina Salvaterra is an award-winning interactive digital designer based in Amsterdam, renowned for crafting immersive stories and experiences for global brands such as Google, Polestar, and Adidas. She seamlessly blends design and technology through strategic workflows, with a focus on digital design and motion. Her diverse portfolio spans projects including Polestar, Vibor, Stellar, and Frantoio Cavalli, reflecting her ability to deliver compelling interactive narratives at a global scale.

Justin G. is a Creative Director at brand.ai in Los Angeles, where he helps teams define, operationalize, and scale brands in the AI era. With 14 years of experience spanning sports, fashion, and music, he has partnered with iconic brands including Nike, lululemon, Apple Music, GOAT, and VSCO. His work bridges visionary brand thinking with hands-on art direction, earning him a reputation as a versatile creative leader across some of the industry's most influential organizations.

Dantley Davis is a seasoned design executive currently serving as SVP, Head of Design at ServiceNow, where he leads the transformation of enterprise software through agentic AI, automation, and professional-grade UX. With a career spanning Meta, Netflix, Twitter, Nike, and PayPal, he has partnered with CEOs to turn emerging technologies into products used by billions of people worldwide. Dantley is recognized for his ability to connect AI, design, and business strategy to drive meaningful, durable growth at scale.

Senior Brand Designer with over a decade of experience in digital product development and brand transformation. Previously worked with Red Bull, Mastercard, and Riot Games. Currently available for freelance work.

I'm a Digital Designer and Art Director with over 20 years of experience across brand creation, large-scale website design, and pan-European advertising campaigns. I approach digital work with a strategic and holistic view, creating immersive brand experiences that bridge the physical and digital world. Currently serving as Creative Director at The Webby Awards.

Product Designer based in Belgium. Currently Product Design Director at Cowboy and FWA Judge. Formerly multi-award winning UX Designer at Dogstudio with clients including Google, Microsoft, B-Reel, Dragone, and Instaply.

Dario Memarian is Creative Director at Attio, bringing a track record that spans global campaigns for Twitter, Nike Japan, and Guinness, as well as a senior role at acclaimed agency AMV BBDO. His work bridges brand, advertising, and product, with recent experience leading creative at Podcastle before joining Attio. Based in London, he is known for bold, culturally resonant visual work at scale.

Chaz Rini is a Design Principal at PayPal with a distinguished career shaped by senior leadership roles at renowned agencies Work & Co and R/GA. His trajectory from Senior Designer to Design Principal reflects a consistent record of delivering high-impact digital experiences for some of the world's most recognized brands. Chaz brings a rigorous, craft-focused approach to design strategy and execution at scale.

Independent digital designer and art director focusing on web design, motion, and branding. Helps individuals and companies connect with their audience through meaningful digital products.

Founding Designer at Dub

Jared Erondu is a design leader, investor, and advisor currently serving as Head of Design at Span, where he leads Brand, Product, and Research. He has held senior design roles at Lattice and Teespring, co-founded multiple companies, and advised organizations including Y Combinator, Greylock Partners, and a16z. Jared is also the creator of High Resolution, a video series streamed over 7 million times, and Playbook, a design knowledge-sharing platform with more than 7,000 members.

Ivy Son is a Staff Product Designer at VSCO with over 6 years of experience crafting impactful digital experiences across iOS, web, and graphic design for a platform serving more than 200 million users. She has a proven track record of leading 0-to-1 product initiatives from concept to launch while shaping strategic direction at a company level. Based in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area, Ivy combines deep technical expertise with a user-centered design philosophy honed through her progressive tenure at VSCO and earlier UX/UI work at Ampush.

Award-winning Digital Designer working on a freelance basis. Creates outstanding digital experiences.

Brian Lin is a Product Design Director at HelloFresh with over 20 years of experience crafting compelling experiences, narratives, and high-performing teams for global brands. Based in Toronto, he leads Growth design across teams in Toronto, NYC, and Berlin, leveraging AI to drive impact across 8 brands worldwide. His distinguished career includes transformative work with Factor Programs, Lunchbox, and Thriver—acquired by Gusto—cementing his reputation as a visionary leader at the intersection of design and business growth.

Digital Art Director based in London. Passionate about problem-solving through design, focusing on the harmony between aesthetics and functionality. Awwwards Jury panel member since 2016.

Chief Design Officer and Head of Core Experiences at Gusto. Previously Senior Director of User Experience at Shopify, where she launched the Polaris design system and built the UX operations team.

Freelance Art Director & Designer based in Brighton, UK. Over 11+ years collaborating with clients like Nike on projects involving WebGL, Interactive 3D, WebVR, and AI.

Monet Spells is a Design Director at Square with a deep passion for empowering small businesses through thoughtful, human-centered design. With a Master's in Human-Computer Interaction from Georgia Tech and a career spanning impactful roles at Square, Huge, and Nasdaq, she brings a rare blend of research rigor and design leadership to every product she shapes. Monet leads a talented team of product designers dedicated to making business tools not just functional, but genuinely enjoyable to use.

Creative Lead at Google designing IRL experiences that connect people with the brand, working between inspiration and iteration.

Eli is an independent Creative Director and Designer dedicated to digital experience design, with a focus on the luxury, fashion, art, and retail sectors. She collaborates with international agencies and brands, bringing a passion-driven approach to her work in the Pixel Universe. Her portfolio highlights digital experience design projects from 2023.

Founding Product Designer at Basalt

VP of Design at Vercel, leading a team of designers. Previously at GitHub and Microsoft.

I'm a designer and creative director born in Germany, raised in Austria, currently living and working in New York City. I'm the founder of HOVS, a studio that builds and runs its own products, and co-founder of Semplice and Carbonmade.

I'm a London-based Creative Director specializing in brand identity, visual storytelling, and digital design. Currently leading design teams at Koto, I collaborate with forward-thinking businesses to build memorable, impactful brands. My experience spans working with renowned agencies like Greenspace and Realise Creative, as well as a background with Apple.

Design director based in Amsterdam. Currently working at Your Majesty, a brand innovation agency. Expertise in bringing digital and physical brand experiences, brand identities, immersive websites, digital products and campaigns to life.

Product Designer at Contra, previously at Red Antler and Huge

Valentin Salmon is the Co-founder and Creative Director of anagram, a French creative studio where he leads the development of brand identities, digital products, and experiential work for forward-thinking teams and companies. Alongside his studio practice, he lends strategic design direction to organizations including The Mobile-First Company and Drop, advising on product and brand challenges at the intersection of craft and innovation.

With a background in art direction at The New York Times and teaching typography at NYU, Monina brings a unique blend of creativity and education to her work. She also contributed to impactful campaigns, including Hillary Clinton's presidential bid in 2016, and led diverse projects at R/GA as Design Director.

Staff Product Designer at Shopify

Ambraisse is a Los Angeles-based VP Creative and brand builder with 18 years of experience leading creative teams of up to 90 people across Nike, Dior, Twitter, Cash App, and Wealthsimple. Their work sits at the intersection of brand, product, and culture — spanning Nike's DTC creative evolution, Dior's digital transformation, and Cash App's highest-growth era. Through their consultancy Hofen, Ambraisse also advises founders and brand teams navigating inflection points, bringing senior creative direction to companies ready to move forward.

Currently shaping Allo at The Mobile-First Company, an AI-powered telephony product used by 3,000+ businesses. Before that keeping Fruitz sharp and relevant in an ultra-competitive dating market with 15M+ users. And before that building Staycation's product from the ground up across a complex B2B2C model, from web to mobile-first.

Matt Hryhorsky is a full-stack product designer, speaker, and educator with over 15 years of experience in UX, digital strategy, and design, currently serving as Director of UX at Shopify. He previously led the world-class design team at Filament in Toronto, crafting impactful web and mobile experiences for some of the world's most innovative organizations.

Ben Mingo is a Partner and Design Director at MOUTHWASH Studio, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he leads a practice specializing in graphic design, typography, systems, motion, and emerging technologies. He brings over a decade of experience from award-winning design studios across the US and Europe, with notable work for clients including Nike, Seed, Willett, and Air Company. His work centers on building cohesive, innovative brand experiences through close collaboration with a network of creative partners.

Mark Otto is a designer and developer who created Bootstrap and currently serves as Chief Product Officer at Pierre. He spent years shaping design and brand at GitHub and Twitter, and runs Studio MDO, an advisory practice working with notable tech companies.

Andrii Kravchenko is a seasoned Product Designer and design leader with 15 years of experience crafting and scaling impactful digital products across fintech, adtech, and IoT. As Head of Design at Revolut, he leads high-performing teams to deliver exceptional user experiences across mobile and desktop platforms, with deep expertise in complex web platforms, data visualization, and design system architecture. A strategic thinker and mentor, Andrii bridges product vision and design execution to drive meaningful outcomes at scale.

Dust Leblanc is a Creative Director at Locomotive®, Canada's digital-first design agency, where he brings timeless aesthetics and strategic creative leadership to every project. With a career spanning mobile and digital experiences dating back to the era of the first iPhone, he has developed deep expertise in UX design, brand strategy, and platform development. Known for his collaborative spirit and problem-solving mentality, Dust balances creative vision with a grounded, results-driven approach.

Christine Zhang is an Art Director and Designer based in London, currently working in-house at Stink Studios. Her work spans art direction, design, and collage-style animation systems, with notable projects including the 10th Anniversary campaign for LOEWE's Puzzle Bag. Christine's portfolio reflects a distinct artistic vision executed across digital platforms for a diverse range of clients.

John Kim is a designer based in Brooklyn, New York, focusing on digital product design. He currently leads design at Big Human as Director of Design, and previously worked at Work & Co and Instrument, and taught at School of Visual Arts and Pratt Institute.

Brand designer creating visual identities for startups and tech companies.

Head of Design at Gusto (formerly ZenPayroll). Co-Founder at Sonix. Entrepreneur and professional photographer passionate about design and user experience.

I'm a creative director and visual storyteller with a deep background in film, photography, and design, driven by a relentless curiosity for progressive art direction and original concept development. I specialise in directing works across 3D/CGI, immersive, realtime experiential, and integrated motion experiences — crafting emotive narratives at the juncture of art, culture, and technology. I collaborate with brands, studios, agencies, and artists to challenge how messages are portrayed and build next-level communications that make real-world sense.

I am deeply passionate about the intersection of product development and talent nurturing, where my design prowess and technical insights are harnessed to advance community-centric projects. Driven by a relentless pursuit of knowledge, I partner with both emerging startups and established organizations, transforming ambitious concepts into tangible, market-ready solutions while also focusing on scaling strategies for optimal market fit.

Eric Sin is a designer with 20+ years of experience spanning brand identity and product design, with a focus on 0-to-1 environments across industries ranging from streaming and fintech to mobility and AI tools. Currently serving as Head of Design at Victory+, a live sports streaming platform, he leads brand and product design while continuing to take on select freelance and consulting work

Founding Designer at Vercel

Design director and Webflow developer behind Somefolk®, collaborating with specialists across multiple disciplines. Specializes in digital-first brand identity for entertainment, music, and lifestyle brands.

I help Seed & Series A B2B tech startups go from invisible to irresistible by turning complex offerings into crystal-clear brands and high-converting web experiences. I design strategic brand identities and conversion-first websites using Webflow and Framer. As founder of Jords+Co Studio, I partner with startups to sharpen their positioning, build credibility, and win more business.

Noelle Ghanem is a Berlin-based Head of Design at Revolut with 12+ years of experience crafting impactful product experiences across Europe, China, South America, and the MENA region. A co-founder of two startups and former designer at N26 and KPMG, she brings a rare blend of design expertise and product management acumen to highly regulated industries. Beyond her professional work, Noelle champions human-centred design through mentorship, public speaking, and her role in launching the OpenIDEO Beirut Chapter for social impact.

Adrian is a Senior Digital Designer with experience across South America, the UK, Australia and North America. Creating meaningful experiences and bridging the gap between branding and interface design, delivering world-class solutions from concept to final result.

Design executive with a track record of building high-performing teams and delivering products that make a difference. Previously at Lyft, Stripe, and Airbnb.

Louis Ansa is an Executive Creative Director at Active Theory and multidisciplinary designer with over 12 years of experience specializing in art direction, digital experiences, animation, and brand design. He has collaborated with industry-leading agencies including Makemepulse, MediaMonks, and TBWA, delivering high-end creative work for major brands such as Netflix, Google, Nike, Disney, Adobe, and Ubisoft. A recognized leader in the design community, Louis has served on the Awwwards jury panel and brings a rare blend of strategic vision and hands-on craft to every project.

Aaron Poe is an executive creative leader and Creative Director of Global Brand at PayPal, with a track record of building scalable brand systems for high-growth companies including Square, Zapier, and hims & hers. He specializes at the intersection of storytelling and systems thinking—developing brand frameworks, design languages, and motion principles that evolve with organizations. As founder of Poe Studio, he also champions the integration of AI tooling into creative workflows to accelerate output without compromising craft.

Malte Gruhl is the Founder and Creative Director of Studio Gruhl. Before setting up his own practice, he was the Head of Design at SidLee New York and worked as the Design Director at R/GA in London.

Daniele is Creative Director and Principal/Staff Designer, originally from sunny Rome and currently based in London.

Designer.

Founding Designer at Wabi, previously at Airbnb

I'm a Managing Creative Director with 20 years of experience building high-performing design teams and craft. I co-founded Rally Interactive, earning an Apple Design Award, before an acqui-hire by Stripe where I led creative direction for Stripe.com, Stripe Sessions, and Link.com. I'm now bringing design leadership to Adobe on a contract basis.

Product designer building tools for creative professionals. Currently at Figma.

Jordan Winick is a design director based in Denver, CO, specializing in brands, products, and services. He currently leads design at Recurly, where he helps subscription businesses build scalable revenue models through thoughtful, strategic design. Jordan also channels his passion for typography into designing typefaces for Let's Type.

Jonny Belton is VP of Design at Tines, bringing expertise in product design and design systems. He is also the creator of Whilst, a platform for effortless online publishing, and writes about design principles, AI, and the tools shaping modern design practice.

I'm the co-founder of SPACING, a design venture studio partnering with highly ambitious founders to incubate their visions into beautifully crafted product experiences. I bring taste, craft, and a strong point of view to help build products, brands, and experiences that stand apart. Alongside our studio work, I back early-stage founders building tech companies who place a high value on design.

Founder & Creative Director at HOLOGRAPHIK®

Bastien Allard is a Senior Art Director at Locomotive in Montréal, bringing over 15 years of experience shaping digital experiences with a sharp, self-taught design sensibility. His rare blend of strong visual direction and front-end development fluency allows him to bridge the gap between concept and execution with precision. Through years of independent practice and agency work, he has built a consistent body of work defined by clarity, craft, and technical depth.

Founder and Creative Director at Daybreak Studio, a hybrid practice that blends research, creativity, and technology across mediums. Previously at Meta and Palantir.

Design & Art Director based in Canada

I’m a Product Designer currently heading up design at OpenPhone

Marcos Weskamp is a product designer and Human Interface Design lead at Apple, with a career spanning some of the most influential companies in tech—including Uber, Flipboard, and Adobe. Born in Argentina and educated in Japan and Italy, he brings a rare global perspective to the intersection of design and technology. A fluent practitioner of both design and code, Marcos has built and led teams at every scale, shaping products from zero to one and redesigning experiences used by millions.

I'm a Design Director at Studio Freight and co-founder of YEYE Design Studio. Over the last decade, I've helped build memorable brands for startups and established tech companies, previously leading design at ZEBEDEE and Sagmeister & Walsh.

I'm a Creative Director and Co-Founder of Exo Ape, a global digital design studio where I've spent the past decade art directing exceptional digital experiences for brands like Sony Pictures, Marriott International, and Columbia Pictures. My work has been recognized with 40+ awards from Awwwards, The Webby Awards, The Lovie Awards, FWA, and Communication Arts. I combine elegant aesthetics with strategic concepts to help experience-driven companies connect with their audiences in the digital space.

Michael Villaseñor is a seasoned design leader with over 20 years of experience shaping culture-driven visual storytelling across some of media's most iconic brands. Currently serving as Head of Design for the Podcast Mission at Spotify, he brings a transformative approach to audio and video creator experiences, informed by executive roles at Hearst and The New York Times. Based in Brooklyn, Michael is a dynamic force at the intersection of design, culture, and innovation.

Design at Medusa

Samuel Kang is a seasoned product designer with over a decade of experience crafting user-centered digital experiences across top-tier companies including Slack, Microsoft, and Indiegogo. Currently serving as Lead Product Designer at Slack, he brings a versatile design background spanning UX, brand, and web design to drive impactful, scalable product solutions.

Brannon Wellington is an award-winning Founding Product Designer at Listen Labs, bringing over 15 years of experience launching impactful products across industry-leading companies like Square, Cash App, and Pipe. With a multidisciplinary background spanning design systems, product design, art direction, web development, and motion graphics, Brannon operates at the intersection of craft and strategy. His work reflects a rare depth of expertise honed through principal-level roles at some of the most recognized brands in fintech and beyond.

Martin Ehrlich is the Founder and Design Director of Ashfall Studio, a Prague-based creative and technology studio that has shaped brand identities and digital experiences for clients including Google, Microsoft, Meta, Airbnb, and Toyota. His work has earned over 50 international design awards, with back-to-back nominations for Awwwards Independent Designer of the Year in 2019 and 2021. Since 2018, he has served as an Awwwards jury member, bringing the same critical eye to evaluating the industry that has defined his own acclaimed practice.

Brazilian-born Designer and Creative Director with over 20 years of experience. Currently Group Creative Director at R/GA. Previously at Squarespace and Huge Inc.

Independent designer and developer crafting award-winning portfolio websites. Known for immersive, interactive experiences and high-end editorial design.

I'm the CEO and General Partner at Metalab, one of the world's top product design agencies, where we help companies build transformative digital products. I've spent over two decades in strategy, design, and business development, working with companies like Google, Slack, Instacart, and Coinbase. I also lead Metalab Ventures, a $15M fund investing in product-led startups.

Karri Saarinen is a Finnish designer and entrepreneur based in Del Mar, California, serving as Co-founder, CEO, and Lead Product Designer at Linear. With a distinguished career that includes roles as Principal Designer at Airbnb and Founding Designer at Coinbase, he brings deep expertise in product design and company building to his work crafting modern software tools for high-performance teams.