David

David

Product Design & Management in SF Bay Area

About

Over the past 7 years, I've partnered with founders to transform vision into approachable digital products. By combining product design expertise with customer discovery, I help crystallize complex ideas into experiences users love.

My mission is to bridge high IQ founders with high EQ, creating great products through an intuitive understanding of user needs w/ validated research.

I guide founders through the complete product journey - from customer discovery to launch - bringing a holistic approach that balances user needs with business goals across startups and innovation teams.

Contact

Projects

2024

Design + Dev of a sports betting platform with built-in responsible gaming safeguards, combining real-time behavior monitoring with personalized interventions to promote healthier betting habits while maintaining user engagement.

2024

Product design and design system development for a SaaS platform that helps companies systematize their innovation, customer discovery, and business modeling processes."

2024

Product Design and User Research for RAG-based conversational AI system that unlocks decades of clinical trial wisdom by combining real-time participant interview insights with historical trial data.

2024

Designed a conceptual VR operating system that visualizes digital relationships through cosmic metaphors, allowing users to navigate their digital universe through intuitive spatial interactions.

Work Experience

2018 — Now

Demian Design encompasses the last 6+ years of product design consulting across multiple industries. With a keen focus in 0-1 and 1-10 product leadership, I've delivered on projects on 12+ client engagements ranging from marketing websites, SaaS platforms, to internal tools, driving >95% client satisfaction while learning so much along the way.

2023 — Now
Co-founder / Board of Directors at Lionheart Arts & Entrepreneurship

501(c)3 non-profit for the development of Arts & Entrepreneurship afterschool programs for kids 5-12!

2023 — 2024
SF Bay Area

Innovation Within is a Customer Discovery platform that brings ideas to market-fit, with focus on Lab-to-market, deep tech, and universities.

I lead AI implementation into the core product, the design system, and overall user experience.

2021 — 2023

Santa Cruz Sky is a portfolio company engaged in creating and acquiring brands that deliver the highest quality hospitality and consumer products to our clients.

I built integrated digital systems including e-commerce platforms, internal analytics dashboards, POS/KDS & IT and great customer experiences across digital/physical touchpoints.

2018 — 2019
User Experience Lead at Karen Aitken & Associates

Karen Aitken & Associates is a boutique landscape architecture firm that works with clients across the SF Bay area. Highlights include SVP of Apple, VP HP, founder Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

2017 — 2018
Product Designer at DagM8

DagM8 is Series-A startup building a mobile and web platform to empower students to take control of their college experience and maximize opportunities for learning and connection.

Speaking

2024
Technology as Tool/Self at BI.DESIGN

Explores the modern age of human beings using technology as an attempt to explore themselves, at the risk of losing themselves completely.

2024
Design at the Intersection of Empathy & Shareholder Value at BI.DESIGN

Exploring design that blends business values and empathy, while avoiding corporate ambiguity in order to get to the heart of what really matters.

Certifications

2021
UX Design Certificate from Google
2021
Product Manager Certificate from Product School
2020
iOS 13 & Swift 5 Development Certification from London App Brewery
2020
Complete Web Development Certificate from London App Brewery

Volunteering