A design leader shaped by craft, driven by people
I’ve spent my career evolving alongside design—from hands-on visual work to leading teams and shaping product experiences. Today, I focus on building environments where strong ideas, thoughtful execution, and collaborative teams can thrive.
Experience
Design Consultant
Jan 2023 – Present
- Provided strategic design leadership for startups and enterprises in fintech, eCommerce, health, and consumer tech.
- Advised C-suite and founders on design org structure, talent strategy, and product vision.
- Led UX and product design initiatives, integrating research and business strategy.
Chief Design Officer, Co-Founder
Magnus Idea LLC
Sep 2020 – Dec 2022
- Led user research, iterative design, and product development for SaaS, fintech, eCommerce, tech, and biotech industries.
- Developed scalable design systems and prototypes for Fortune 500 brands and startups.
- Provided executive-level design strategy and advisory for international clients.
Vice President Design
Callisto Media
May 2021 – Jul 2022
- Led a 120+ person design org across UX, product, research, content, and creative at Callisto Media.
- Scaled operations, optimized workflows, and embedded human-centered design into company-wide processes.
- Increased design output by 300% while reducing costs by 70% through automation and team optimization.
Vice President Global Design & Creative
Global Image Factory
Jun 2019 – Sep 2020
- Directed a global UX, design, and research team
- Developed data-driven design frameworks to enhance engagement and conversion rates.
- Standardized design systems and processes across global teams for efficiency.
UX Design Director
SoFi · Interim Contract
Feb 2019 – Jun 2019
- Led UX web design efforts and rebuilt SoFi’s design system during a key growth phase.
- Partnered with external agencies on homepage redesign and conversion optimization.
- Launched new fintech products (fractional shares, insurance) across web and app.
Head of Design, Digital
Walmart
Aug 2010 – Apr 2018
- Scaled and led a multidisciplinary team of UX designers, visual designers, and front-end engineers at Walmart in San Bruno.
- Revamped email design system, boosting creative output 7x and increasing conversions.
- Partnered with engineering on AI-driven personalization and dynamic content strategies.
- Led accessibility initiatives, embedding ADA-compliant design practices across teams.
Sr. UX Designer
Publicis Modem/Publicis Groupe
Mar 2010 – Jul 2010
- Led UX and product design for microsites, landing pages, email newsletters, and social media integrations at Publicis.
- Collaborated with engineering teams to create seamless, high-impact interactive campaigns for PayPal and LG.
- Developed user-centered digital experiences to enhance customer engagement and drive conversion rates.
Sr. UX and Visual Designer
Sephora – Contract
Jul 2008 – Feb 2010
- Led UX and inaugural social media design initiatives for Sephora’s eCommerce and marketing platforms.
- Designed and optimized web experiences, product pages, and digital campaigns to enhance engagement and customer journey.
- Developed POS/POP displays and interactive retail touchpoints to bridge the gap between online and in-store experiences.
Additional Experiences
2000 – 2008
- Diamond Meida/Rio MP3 Players
- McCann Worldwide – Design Contractor
- Gap Inc. – Sr. Designer
- Medion LLC – Art Director
- Deusche Bank – Design Contractor
- Bailey Gardiner – Jr. Art Director
- ARUP – Design Contractor
- Pottery Barn Kids – Design Contractor
Leadership & Strategy
- Product Vision, UX Strategy & Roadmapping
- SaaS & Fintech Platform Leadership
- Cross-Functional Partnership (Product, Engineering, Marketing)
- Design Org Scaling & Leadership Development
- Executive Stakeholder Alignment & OKR Translation
- Design Systems as Strategic Infrastructure
- Inclusive Design Culture & Accessibility Standards (WCAG)
- AI-Enhanced Workflow Innovation
UX Design & Research
- Human-Centered Design
(HCD) - End-to-End UX/UI & Interaction Architecture
- Web & Mobile Experience Design
- Qualitative & Quantitative Research
- A/B Testing & Experimentation Strategy
- Information Architecture & Prototyping
- Behavioral Insights & Usability
Testing - Scalable Component Libraries & System
- GovernanceAccessibility / WCAG Standards
- AI Agent Customization for UX/Product Design
Tools & Platforms
- Figma, Sketch, Adobe CC
(XD, Photoshop, Illustrator,
After Effects & Premiere Pro) - Google Analytics, Mixpanel
Miro, Maze, Loom Agile & Lean UX - HTML/CSS
- Claud, ChatGPT, Build custom GPT
agents including a GPT builder tool
Education & Training
Master’s Degree
UX & Product Design
Maryland Institute,
College of Art
Bachelor of Arts in Graphic
& Interactive Design
Portland State University
Executive Leadership
Training & Coaching
Walmart Inc.
Testimonials
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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...”
“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...”
“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.”
“Danny was instrumental in leading the design team through many strategic initiatives including a complete, responsive site redesign improving the overall UX.”
“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.”
“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.’
