
it’s not about where you take an idea from, it’s about where you bring it to life.
Throughout my career, I’ve pushed boundaries and redefined what’s possible in product design. With Microsoft and Chase Bank, I led their design systems and enhanced digital experiences, creating the cohesive and intuitive interfaces used by millions. With Nike, I designed e-commerce experiences that blended brand identity with user-centric design, boosting engagement and sales. With the USPS, I lead the redesign of their tracking experience, yup the one you use today. With NPR I redesigned Pocket Casts, now consistently rated the best-designed podcasting app and recognized multiple times as Apple’s “App of the Day.” With MediaMath, I spearheaded the design of sophisticated SaaS platforms for programmatic advertising. With GameFly, I design a subscription service that was copied by Netflix, Hulu and Max.
In a past life, I was a professional skateboarder from age 17 to 20, and try to bring a DIY ethos and artistic aesthetic to my style of leadership; and my ankles are glad I'm no longer jumping down lots of stairs on a regular basis.
I’ve always believed that it’s not about where you take the idea from—it’s about where you bring it to life. This tenet has guided me since my teens, fueling my passion for creating simple, joyful experiences that genuinely impact people’s lives.
Starting in my teens, I’ve watched product design and UX evolve and innovate over the last 15 years, and in that time I’ve led design teams from startups to global enterprises. My educational background in philosophy gives me a unique lens to identify the core principles of an idea and use them to inspire and guide the design process.
Beyond my professional work, I’ve been dedicated to sharing my passion and expertise. I’ve taught experience design at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), inspiring the next generation of designers to think critically and creatively.





Let’s push boundaries together and create something extraordinary.
I’ve been extremely lucky to be recognized with multiple awards, including Cannes Lions and Webbys, and to empower my teams to the forefront of experience design; leveraging the best tools and methodologies—utilizing AI/ML for generative and data-driven design—with the goal of creating the most inclusive, human-centered outcomes.
key engagements











































SKILLS & EXPERTISE
Agile & Cross-Functional Collaboration
Proven success in leading cross-functional teams in Agile, Lean, and Waterfall environments with a focus on resourcing and P&L management.
Design Tools & Software Proficiency
Hands-on expertise with Figma, Lottie, Miro, Marvel, Adobe Creative Cloud, Sketch, MidJourney, DALL-E, GPT-3/4, UserTesting.com, UXCam, UXPin, and more.
Cross-Industry Experience
Proven track record in leading award-winning products across B2B, B2C, B2B2C, SaaS, e-commerce, media, subscription, financial services, nonprofit, and retail sectors.
Inclusive, Human-Centered Design
Thought leader in inclusive design practices, design systems, and voice user interface (VUI) design, including integration with AI/ML technologies.
UX/UI and Product Design Leadership
Expertise in defining Product and UX vision, driving design principles, improving process efficiency, and executing across all phases of design.
Roadmap Development & Goal Execution
Skilled in executive-level OKR definition, roadmap creation, resource forecasting, and aligning staff goals with business objectives.
User Research & Testing
Authority in user-centered research methodologies, A/B and multivariate testing, and developing robust measurement frameworks and analytics strategies to inform design decisions.
AI & Machine Learning (ML) Integration
Expert in Generative AI/ML design, data-driven decision making, and implementing advanced machine learning models for optimized user experiences.
Product Strategy & Brand Development
Strong leadership in social media, content strategy (including AI-generated content), creative direction, and experiential marketing.
Content Management & Personalization
Expert in CMS platforms (Adobe AEM, Magento, Salesforce Experience Manager, Shopify, Dynamic Yield, Optimizely) with a focus on personalization strategies and tools.
Design Thinking & Workshop Facilitation
Experienced instructor and lecturer in design thinking, journey mapping, service design, and persona development.
“Dan brings the insane strategic vision and a ‘0-to-1’ skillset with hands-on expertise to craft innovative, transformative, and seemingly impossible digital experiences. His diverse experience and background in product design and management, UX, product strategy, team leadership and emerging tech has made him a dangerous (in the good way) and valuable asset for anyone who wants to innovate and win in digital.”
-Paul Smurl
CCO, Publishers Clearing House
Head of Digital, NYT 2006-2014
experience
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Publisher’s Clearing House — EVP, Head of Product Design & UX
2021 – Present | New York, NY
Publishers Clearing House (PCH) is a direct marketing company known for its sweepstakes, prize-based promotions, and online games. It engages millions of customers through mail, digital platforms, and its famous surprise "prize patrol" that awards large cash prizes.
Customer experience transformation: Led end-to-end reimagining, design strategy and execution of PCH’s digital ecosystem, increasing overall customer acquisition by 1,000%, retention by 800%+, and improving overall engagement by 90% for over 10M+ users, including an increase of 300% in customer attribution data per user, .
User-centric design & testing: Directed iterative design process and user testing on a comprehensive, responsive design system, optimizing UX and increasing platform usability. Design system powers responsive site, email and apps.
Generative design & AI-driven assets: Developed AI-powered design processes using Generative Design to create unique assets for winnable prizes. Assets were data-driven in selecting the primary object, tailored based on placement, expiration, context, and audience, significantly enhancing design personalization.
Team management & leadership: Managed a cross-functional team of 22, including roles such as Design System Manager, UX Research Director, and Prototyping Engineering Lead. Fostered a culture based on consensus, collaboration, empowerment, structure, and mentorship, supporting both product and team growth.
Hands-on leadership: Utilized tools including Figma, Lottie, UserTesting.com, and Adobe CC to lead design strategy and execution. Developed AI-powered design processes, reducing asset creation time by 75%.
Agile design: Led Figma-based design and creation of a scalable design system and AI-generated digital assets across multiple channels, aligning with team agile methodologies for improved efficiency and impact.
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Stylitics — VP, Head of Product & UX Design
2020 – 2021 | New York, NY
Stylitics is the provider of ‘Shop the Look’ and ‘Shop the Room’ recommendation and personalization experiences for a majority of domestic apparel and home goods retailers. Solutions include designed and white-label modules, integrated experiences, and APIs / SaaS. AI powers recommendations at scale, identifying item relationships via asset images and data, and personalizing at a customer level. Notable brands include Nike, Williams Sonoma, Nordstrom, and CB2.
Client Reach & UX Innovation: Led UX design and customer experience innovation for personalized recommendation platforms used by major clients like Nike, Nordstrom, and Williams Sonoma, generating 100M weekly impressions. Developed customizable, white-label modules and AI-driven experiences, personalizing recommendations through asset image analysis and data-driven insights.
Generative Design & AI: Led the development of AI-based generative design processes for prize assets, driving recommendations based on data such as context, placement, and user profiles, improving asset creation efficiency and personalization.
Rapid Team Expansion & Leadership: Started as an IC, defined a comprehensive 24-month UX roadmap in 30 days, leading strategic workshops and securing board approval. Built the UX practice, scaled the UX team from scratch to 30 members, including product design, user research, and prototyping, while establishing processes, drafting initial deliverables, procuring and configuring key UX tools (Figma, Miro, UT.com, GPT-4 / DALL-E / Llama 3).
Agile Methodology: Introduced agile processes and UX methodologies, increasing release velocity by reducing product release cycles from 3 weeks to 1 week. Continuous user testing and insights further optimized customer engagement, increasing basket size by 1.2 additional items on average.
Strategic Series C Preparation: Played a critical role in securing Series C investment by rebranding Stylitics, crafting a visual language, producing go-to-market materials, and redesigning the corporate website. Built a product-centric culture, transitioning Stylitics into a future-focused organization.
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Girl Scouts of the USA — VP, Head of Product Design, UX & Digital Innovation
2018 – 2020 | New York, NY
The Girl Scouts of the USA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young girls through leadership development, outdoor activities, and community service. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I led the creation and launch of new digital experiences, successfully transitioning 111 councils and over 2 million users to virtual platforms. I led their $15M digital innovation portfolio, and modernized the Girl Scouts’ offering through mobile, AR, and VR technologies, helping them establish their first significant digital footprint.
Digital Engagement Expansion: Led the design and launch of new digital platforms, including AR, VR, and mobile experiences, increasing user engagement and satisfaction across 111 councils.
Virtual Platform Transition: Directed the transition of over 2 million users to virtual platforms during COVID-19, ensuring a seamless and engaging user experience for members and volunteers.
Partnership Innovation: Collaborated with Adobe and Salesforce to integrate cutting-edge UX tools, optimizing the user journey for all stakeholders.
UX Team Leadership: Built and led a cross-functional team of UX designers, researchers, and developers, ensuring the successful delivery of high-impact projects on time and within budget.
User Research Implementation: Led comprehensive user research initiatives that directly informed design decisions, increasing digital platform satisfaction by 60%.
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MediaMath. — VP, Head of Product Design, User Research & Innovation Lab
2017 – 2018 | New York, NY
MediaMath is a global technology company that provides digital marketing solutions, specializing in programmatic advertising and data-driven strategies to optimize campaign performance. During my time at MediaMath, I led the creation of a comprehensive design system, built a design lab, and modernized their SaaS experiences, significantly enhancing client satisfaction and engagement. My work streamlined the user experience and improved the platform’s efficiency, resulting in a more scalable and impactful offering for MediaMath’s clients.
Programmatic UX Optimization: Designed and optimized user interfaces for MediaMath’s programmatic ad platform, improving usability and engagement through data-driven design strategies.
Client-Centric UX Development: Enhanced UX for clients like IBM, Uber and P&G, using client user research, workshops and prototyping to drive higher user satisfaction and increased platform efficiency.
Scalable UX Solutions: Led cross-functional teams in the creation of a scalable design system and UX solutions that improved platform performance and client adoption.
Advanced Analytics Integration: Collaborated with data teams to integrate advanced analytics into the UX strategy, driving personalization, introducing data visualizations and improving client campaign performance by 30%.
Responsive Design Leadership: Developed responsive design frameworks for the platform, introduced mobile experiences and increasing overall client engagement by 25%.
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NPR (NYPR) — VP, Head of UX & Product Design (Consultant)
2016 – 2017 | New York, NY
NPR and NYPR, leading forces in podcasting with millions of listeners, engaged me to lead design for 2 podcasting apps across major platforms; PocketCasts and NPROne. At release, both were widely acclaimed, and maintain near perfect ratings in every app store. PocketCasts has also been featured as Apple’s ‘App of the Day’ 5x and is frequently recognized as the best designed podcasting experience.
Podcasting UX Design: Directed UX and design for NPR’s podcasting offerings, maintaining ~4.5m unique, active users per day across iOS, Android, Windows, Mac and browser optimized apps.
Voice & Automotive Integration: Led UX design for seamless cross-platform experiences, including voice and automotive platforms
User-Centered Design: Conducted nation-wide user research and usability testing to refine the PocketCasts and NPROne experiences, ensuring shared user-centric design patterns and vastly improving user workflows.
Content Discovery Optimization: Developed new content discovery mechanisms that improved user engagement and session duration by 35%.
Mobile-First Strategy: Led the development of a mobile-first strategy, redesigning the mobile app to increase user retention and enhance the overall listening experience.
Content Discovery Optimization: Developed new content discovery mechanisms that improved user engagement and session duration by 35%.
Mobile-First Strategy: Led the development of a mobile-first strategy, redesigning the mobile app to increase user retention and enhance the overall listening experience.
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McCann WorldGroup — Director, Global UX & Design Lead
2014 – 2017 | New York, NY
McCann is known for iconic campaigns like Coca-Cola’s “Hilltop,” Mastercard’s “Priceless,” and L’Oréal’s “Because You’re Worth It.” I played a key role in McCann’s work for Microsoft, leveraging technology to craft impactful campaigns like “Empowering Us All.” Additionally, I prominently contributed to the digital manifestations of campaigns like Mastercard’s “Priceless,” “Fearless Girl,” and L’Oréal, enhancing their global reach and impact.
Award-Winning Campaigns: Led UX and product design for Microsoft, USPS, US Army, Verizon and many more; earning multiple Cannes Lions and Webby Awards for clients and raising prominence of McCann in the digital space.
Cross-Platform Experiences: Developed intuitive, cross-platform user-centric experiences across e-commerce, mobile, and SaaS platforms, improving customer engagement and usability metrics for a vast array of clients and audiences.
Global Leadership: Directed global UX strategies that drove unilateral customer engagement and satisfaction for large-scale, cross-platform campaigns; grew UX from one designer to a 120+ member department, managing P&L, purchasing, contracts, and recruitment.
Design System Development: Created the unified design system for Microsoft (Fluent), across web, Xbox, and Windows; ensuring consistent user experience across regions and touchpoints. Additional design system clients include: USPS, Verizon, CVS, Bank of America, Cigna, General Motors, NY Lotto and more.
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Noise NY – Director, UX and Product Design
2013 – 2014 | New York, NY
Noise was a digital agency specializing in interactive experiences, blending creativity and technology to drive engagement and innovation for brands. While at Noise, I led the redesign of the Chase Ultimate Rewards platform, creating the point purchasing and travel booking processes, created the first responsive design system at a major financial institution, and enhancing Chase’s customer experiences through a seamless integration of various reward options.
Chase Marketplace Redesign: Led the design of Chase’s Sapphire and Freedom digital marketplaces, streamlining user flow for improved usability and engagement.
Data-Driven UX: Utilized A/B testing, analytics and journey mapping to inform design decisions, leading to a more intuitive user experience across web and mobile.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Worked closely with Chase’s development and marketing teams to align design decisions with business objectives, ensuring cohesive execution.
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Director of Product & UX - Eventful
2011 – 2013 | San Diego, CA
Event Discovery Optimization: Created user-friendly interfaces for the event platform, leveraging user research / usability testing, enhancing the overall user journey.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Worked closely with development to seamlessly integrate UX designs, significantly improving the platform’s user experience.
Design Systems Implementation: Developed and implemented scalable design systems for Eventful, ensuring consistency across the platform and enabling efficient collaboration between design and development teams.
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Principle Product Designer - GameFly
2007 – 2011 | Los Angeles, CA
Product & UX Strategy & Development: Led product design initiatives for GameFly’s subscription platform and apps (iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, WebOS, Facebook Apps / mobile, tablet, tv, desktop), driving user engagement by aligning business objectives with user needs through strategic and data-driven design.
User-Centered Design: Implemented a research-driven approach to improve and unify UX, introducing user testing and refining the browser, app and CTV interfaces to optimize navigation, activation and accessibility, resulting in higher retention and customer satisfaction.