Designer and Writer for agile times. Leading the design of complex product ecosystems. Scaled with intent. Powered by AI magic. Built for speed.
Say Hello ortegakristina@gmail.com
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(626) 673-0991
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Experience
Creative Director, UX
Deutsch inc ↗
August 2024 – Present
Los Angeles, CA
- Direct the strategic vision and craft execution for the UX platform, serving as the primary design lead embedded within the technology organization to ensure design integrity throughout the development lifecycle.
- AI & Innovation: Integrated emerging AI workflows and tools into the design process to accelerate prototyping and exploration, maintaining a forward-leaning approach to platform evolution.
Clients include: Dr Pepper, Walmart, BEHR, Pathway Sports and Entertainment, The Almond Board of CA
Experience Design Director
R/GA ↗
June 2023 - August 2024
Remote & San Francisoco, NY
- Led design and storytelling for the Google account, translating complex product requirements into intuitive digital experiences and narratives.
- Architected scalable Figma component libraries to ensure design consistency across multi-surface product ecosystems.
- Developed end-to-end product experiences, delivering everything from initial wireframes to production-ready, high-fidelity designs.
- Transformed complex client challenges into bespoke digital environments and actionable creative strategies.
- Partnered with cross-functional leads to ensure high-level strategy was successfully executed at the granular level.
- Mentored junior design talent, fostering a culture of excellence at the intersection of product design and storytelling.
Clients include: Google Ads, Google for Business, Google Marketing Web System, Enterprise
Senior Experience Designer
R/GA ↗
June 2021 - June 2023
Remote & San Francisoco, NY
- Directed the global redesign of Google Ads, utilizing user-centered design principles to transform complex utility into a premium, narrative-led digital experience.
- Architected a sophisticated design system that integrated brand identity with performance-driven commerce, ensuring scalability across the global platform.
- Leveraged deep technical knowledge of emerging technologies to deliver innovative, high-fidelity UX and motion behaviors.
- Maintained impeccable organization and analytical rigor while navigating high-pressure timelines and complex product requirements.
- Collaborated across technical and creative workstreams, acting as an expert communicator to bridge the gap between brand storytelling and functional product design.
Clients include: Google Ads, Google for Business, Nike
User Experience Designer
TEK Systems, Ebay ↗
Febuary 2021 - June 2021
Remote & San Francisoco, NY
- Redesign of eBay Stores’ filtering, sorting, and favoriting features, optimizing core e-commerce functionality to improve item discoverability and user retention.
- Partnered with UX Research to map and execute usability testing, translating data-driven insights into iterative design refinements for the global storefront ecosystem.
- Streamlined complex inventory navigation by designing intuitive filtering systems that balanced seller branding with a seamless buyer experience.
User Experience Designer
APEX Systems, Kaiser Permanete ↗
Febuary 2021 - June 2021
Remote & San Francisoco, NY
- Redesigned Kaiser Permanente’s "My Doctor Online" medical education sites for cold, flu, and COVID-19, prioritizing clarity and accessibility during high-traffic periods.
- Architected the vaccine appointment and site finder tools, streamlining complex clinical workflows into a frictionless patient experience.
- Achieved a record 18% bounce rate through strategic UX improvements, significantly increasing user engagement with critical health information and scheduling services.
eCommerce User Experience Designer
TEK Systems, Willams Sonoma, INC ↗
October 2017 - Feburary 2020
San Francisco, CA
- Served as a horizontal UX designer across the Williams-Sonoma Inc. portfolio, designing scalable product page optimizations for a diverse range of retail brands.
- Led UX for the internal performance team, architecting an A/B testing platform used to validate and deploy site-wide enhancements across the enterprise.
- Embedded within the technology organization to bridge technical constraints with high-end commerce design, ensuring consistent performance and brand integrity.
Designer in Residence
Adecco, Google X ( X,inc ) ↗
July 2017 - September 2017
Mountian View, CA
- Served as Designer in Residence at Google X, embedded within the design team to explore speculative design practices and their application to long-horizon tech innovation.
- Explored design principles for emerging technologies, utilizing speculative frameworks to stress-test the ethical and social implications of "moonshot" projects.
- Collaborated with cross-functional research and engineering teams to translate abstract future concepts into tangible prototypes and strategic design provocations.
- Got to try explore those Google lunches
Wearable User Experience Designer
Intel, Smart Device Innovation ↗
September 2015 - January 2017
Mountian View, CA
- UX Designer for Intel’s Smart Device Innovation group, exploring the intersection of IoT and human-centric design for wrist-worn wearables.
- Defined user experience frameworks for emerging hardware, translating sensor data and technical constraints into intuitive, glanceable interactions.
- Prototyped next-generation wearable interfaces, focusing on ergonomics and real-time feedback loops for the consumer electronics market.
Skills
Strategic & Creative Oversight
- Creative Vision & Governance
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Design Operations (DesignOps)
- Human-Centered Strategy
User Experience Design
- Systems Design
- Narrative-Led UX
- E-commerce Optimization
- Strategic and Data Driven