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Alessandro Fard

@alessandrofard

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AI-first Staff Product Designer & Design Leader. 20+ years in AI, SaaS, EdTech and enterprise.

United States

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At Braintrust, I’m the sole senior designer across an AI-native talent marketplace and AI recruiting platform. I redesigned the talent journey, introduced AI resume extraction for registration, and designed recruiting analytics that turn pipeline data into prioritized actions.

At Edkey Inc., I set design strategy across QuickTakes, Zuno, and Aipica, creating systems and AI-first features for learning, career exploration, and video presentation. I also brought Claude Code, custom GPTs, Relume, and Pencil into the design workflow.

I built Create Ape into a 70-person UX agency serving Abbott, BCG, and Siemens, and sold a majority stake in 2024. Today, I continue as its founder while partnering with growth-stage companies on product vision, design systems, and AI-native experiences.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Staff Product Designer (Contract)

Current

Braintrust

Apr 2026 - Present (6 months)

Sole senior designer for an AI-native talent marketplace and AI recruiting platform, defining product vision and redesigning the end-to-end talent journey. Architected a five-layer design system on shadcn/Tailwind v4 and directed contract designers.

AI Product Design Design Systems Shadcn Ui Tailwind Figma UX Research Rapid Prototyping Interaction Design Accessibility WCAG 2.2 Adobe Creative Suite Miro

Current

Fractional Chief Experience Officer

Current

AMP Street

Mar 2025 - Present (1 year 7 months)

Partners with the executive team to shape product vision and go-to-market strategy, leading product design oversight, brand and experience strategy, and advisory on growth, positioning, and retention.

Product Vision Go To Market Strategy Brand Strategy Experience Strategy UI Systems Growth Advisory

Current

Fractional Design Leader

Current

alessandrofard.com

Jan 2023 - Present (3 years 9 months)

Provides strategic design leadership for growth-stage companies and agency partners, overseeing product design, brand and experience strategy, and scalable UI systems.

Product Design Strategy Design Systems UX Research Cross functional Leadership Figma Miro

Current

Founder & CEO

Current

Create Ape

Jan 2014 - Present (12 years 9 months)

Built and scaled a multi-million-dollar UX agency to 70 full-time employees, delivering UX and product design for major clients. Drove recurring revenue growth and led strategic repositioning into a healthcare-focused agency.

Agency Leadership UX Strategy Product Design Client Delivery Business Development A B Testing Conversion Rate Optimization

Fractional UX Director

Intandem Marketing

Jun 2025 - Sep 2026 (1 year 3 months)

Leads strategic design direction for agency clients, including Shifty Inc., delivering competitor analyses, brand positioning, stylescapes, and design systems.

Strategic Design Competitive Analysis Brand Positioning Stylescapes Design Systems

Fractional Product Designer

Everkind

Jun 2026 - Aug 2026 (2 months)

Delivered a full UX audit of sign-up, onboarding, and the core mobile wellness experience, triaged into quick wins and systemic recommendations. Designed and shipped a dark mode system and led the product design system foundation.

UX Audits Mobile Design Design Systems Token Architecture Figma

Lead Product Designer (Contract)

Edkey Inc.

Jan 2025 - Apr 2026 (1 year 3 months)

Sole senior designer for three AI-native products, setting product design strategy and establishing design systems used by engineering teams across multiple countries. Designed AI-first features and championed core AI interaction quality.

AI Product Design Design Systems Component Libraries Trust Architecture Claude Code Custom GPTs Relume Pencil

Lead UX Designer

lynda.com

Jan 2012 - Dec 2014 (2 years 11 months)

Led UX for Multiple Playlists, Catalog Visualization, Skill Maps, and Enterprise Solutions, increasing engagement across 1,000+ courses. Redesigned subscription registration, free trial, and cancel flows, increasing sign-ups and reducing churn.

UX Design Information Architecture Subscriptions Engagement Conversion Rate Optimization

Sr. UX Designer

TRUECar

Jan 2009 - Dec 2012 (3 years 11 months)

Led a platform redesign across TRUECar and 100+ partner platforms, boosting average conversions by 23% within 3 months of launch. Worked directly with the executive team through the company's IPO.

UX Design Redesign Conversion Rate Optimization Executive alignment IPO