About me

Hi, I’m Danny Ray Baker — great to meet you.

I’m a design executive, hands-on strategist, and lifelong mentor passionate about building great teams and even better experiences.

Design Leadership Across Industries

With over 20 years in UX, product, and visual design, I’ve led initiatives inside organizations like Walmart, SoFi, and Callisto Media — scaling teams, building systems, and launching inclusive, high-impact digital products. My experience spans fintech, eCommerce, health, and content, as well as creative partnerships with brands like Discover Home Loans, Audi, Tile, ARUP, Rakuten, and more.

Human-Centered and Hands-On

Whether supporting a founding team or guiding a 100+ person org, I balance vision with execution. I’ve helped launch AI-driven personalization, redesign core UX flows, and establish design systems that scale across platforms. I lead with empathy, collaborate cross-functionally, and deliver design that drives real outcomes for users and the business.

Mentorship, Curiosity, and a Bit of Fun

I’m a dedicated mentor, emerging tech enthusiast, and 9-time AIDS/LifeCycle cyclist (545 miles every year for a cause I care deeply about). I also have a stubborn dog who’s pretty sure AR glasses will revolutionize fetch — and honestly, he might be right.

Danny R. Baker
Click to download a PDF of my resume here

Download my CV here 

“Danny is that rare leader who is both strategic and tactical. He can take the long view in planning but will gladly roll up his sleeves and help you do the actual work.”
Michael Picon
Michael PiconCreative Director
“Danny is an empathetic leader with a wealth of design expertise and a keen understanding of consumer behavior...Any company in need of an innovative design leader would be lucky to hire Danny.”
Myryah Irby
Myryah IrbySenior Managing Editor
“Danny has the talent to set people up for success and working under his direction helped me grow as a designer. Anyone who puts Danny in charge of their design team, will get a dedicated, upright and humble head of design.”
Anna Heermann
Anna HeermannDirector of UX Research
“Danny was a great mentor to me at Walmart.com and contributed to my career and development in a huge way. He always came across as warm and approachable when I worked there...”
Bernardo Farah
Bernardo FarahCEO
“Part of the success of the team is because of the effort Danny made to build a team that worked together really well; what one designer may have lacked, another designer brought to the table; he encouraged the team to rely on each other...”
Angela Chavez-Luna
Angela Chavez-LunaFounding Designer
“Brilliant. Creative. Leader. These 3 words, paired together, are uncommon, but are used to describe Danny.…I am better at my job because Danny is there to ask the right questions, and provide insight to any problem.”
Greg Trevizo
Greg TravizoOwner-President
“Danny was instrumental in leading the design team through many strategic initiatives including a complete, responsive site redesign improving the overall UX.”
Jenn Harbin
Jenn HarbinLead Product Manager
“Danny's deep knowledge of how it all works allows him to confidently lead his team, collaborate with a plethora of business partners and thrive in an ever-changing, fast-paced, high stakes environment.”
Angela Williams
Angela WilliamsCreative Director
“One of my favorite things about Danny is his consistently thoughtful feedback on design. Danny truly is a wealth of knowledge in his field and has a positive upbeat attitude for anything that comes his way. I consider him a great mentor.’
Frank Lambetecchio
Frank LambetecchioSenior Art Director
Contact Me