Alexander Barkin

About Me

An accomplished, hands-on Product and Design leader, hyper-attuned to where user and business needs delightfully intersect. I have built a successful career in technology by founding and managing a thriving enterprise, as well as working with renowned companies such as Yahoo, Verizon Media, FocusVision, and Genome. My experience includes inventing-designing-making products, and building and supporting User Experience, User Research, and Technical Writing teams in complex B2B and B2C spaces.
Through a structured and creative approach to innovative problem-solving, I am deeply committed to strengthening design culture and driving meaningful impact for users through design-led thinking. My expertise is in consumer and enterprise level product design, user research, design process frameworks, visual design, data visualization, illustration, UX, and end to end CX. I have extensive management experience specializing in leading design teams of scale within large technology organizations, ensuring their greatest investment is leveraged to its fullest potential. My unique combination of skills, experience, and passion makes me an ideal candidate for any organization looking to elevate product design and consistently deliver intuitive, useful, and delightful user experiences.

California innovation and New York drive!

"We rise by lifting others." - Robert Ingersoll

Expertise

Management

• Strategic thinking
• Problem-solving
• Team leadership & alignment
• Effective communication skills
• Collaboration with stakeholders
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Project management
• Continuous learning
• Up-to-date with industry trends

Design

• Figma
• Adobe CC
• Visual Studio
• Sketch
• Lucidchart

Prototyping

• Framer
• Figma
• Axure
• Blend
• XD

Data analytics

• Tableau
• Microsoft Excel
• Pendo

Coding

• JavaScript
• C#
• HTML
• XAML
• CSS

PRODUCTS

Consumer

Yahoo! Weather (iPad 2016 Best design award)
Yahoo! Finance (iOS, Android)
GDPR - Consent Management Platform (Implemented in EU and US)
Yahoo! Mail (redesign concept)
Yahoo! News (iOS, Android - concept to production)

Enterprise

Yahoo! Demand Side Platform: IA, UXR, Prototyping, UX, UI
DSP Features:
Data Insights
Bulk Editor
Targeting
Campaign and Line setup/management
Audience Suite: Explorer, Builder,
Insights (CES 2018 Best Design Award)
Inventory Storefront - programmatic premium advertising
Reporting

Yahoo! Supply Side Platform:
Premium Ad Server - complete platform redesign
Supply Explorer - attributes based machine learning platform
for programmatic guaranteed: IA, UXR, UX, UI, prototyping

RÉSUMÉ

Feb 2023
-
Present
Videoshops
formerly NOWwith Ventures

Head of Design & Product
- Partnered with co-CEOs and Engineering to define and execute the product vision, strategy, and roadmap, ensuring long-term, scalable growth and full alignment with business objectives from ideation to launch.
- Redefined the affiliate business model through unparalleled design thinking, creating a frictionless, user-centric ecosystem that empowers individuals—regardless of social media stature—to launch personalized, scalable marketplaces. Designed seamless product curation, instant transactions, and same-day commission payouts, eliminating traditional brand approval barriers and unlocking new revenue opportunities.
- Led the end-to-end design and development of the VideoShops platform, pioneering an innovative architecture, visual language, and user experience that doubled sales through strategic foresight and execution.
- Built, mentored, and scaled high-performing Design, Product, and UX Research teams, ensuring a successful and impactful market launch.
- Developed and standardized a reusable React component library, improving design consistency, efficiency, and scalability across the platform.
- Delivered high-impact executive presentations to the Board of Directors, securing stakeholder buy-in and aligning product strategy with broader business objectives.
Dec 2018
-
Feb 2023
Yahoo! Inc.

Product Design Team Lead
- Led UX design of Yahoo’s flagship products: Finance, Search, News, Weather, and a multi-billion dollar advertising and publishing product offering: DSP and SSP, audience-building tools, and reporting suites - delivering exceptional user experiences to over 900 million monthly users worldwide, and driving substantial gains in engagement, revenue growth, and user delight.
- Architected a scalable, company-wide design system, accelerating design-to-development workflows by 35%, improving UX quality by 18%, and achieving a 95% adoption rate ensuring consistent and cohesive user experiences across Yahoo’s vast product ecosystem.
- Spearheaded user research and targeted usability testing, optimizing critical user flows and increasing task completion rates by 30% for Yahoo Finance (mobile) and other core properties.
- Cultivated a high-performance design culture, mentoring 40+ designers, fostering innovation, and strengthening cross-functional collaboration.
- Championed UX excellence through company-wide seminars on design strategy, constructive feedback methodologies, and collaborative workflows, enhancing team synergy and design impact.
- Cultivated a high-performance design culture of innovation by mentoring over 40 designers, fostering collaboration within the teams, and leading company-wide seminars on UX strategy, collaborative product design, and constructive feedback methodologies.
- Streamlined the recruitment process for Design and UX Research roles, optimizing the candidate evaluation process and building a robust pipeline of top-tier creative and strategic talent.
Jun 2017
-
Dec 2018
Yahoo! Inc. formerly Verizon Media

Principal Product Designer
- Designed, prototyped, and led the development of a CES showcase project for Yahoo Flurry: The Power of Big Data. The project demonstrated the power of big data through immersive, real-time, interactive storytelling, earning the 2018 CES CGI Award for Best Data Visualization.
- Developed a comprehensive, reusable component library, enhancing accessibility, design consistency, and seamless developer collaboration across Yahoo’s ecosystem.
- Transformed complex business requirements and user insights into intuitive, high-impact experiences, elevating usability and reinforcing Yahoo brand.
- Mentored and coached emerging designers, fostering innovation, sharpening UX/UI skills, and strengthening the team’s creative and strategic capabilities.
Jun 2017
-
Dec 2018
YAHOO! INC.

Sr. UX/UI Designer & Data Visualization Specialist
- Crafted user-centric data-driven enterprise solutions, including Yahoo Audience & Campaign Insights Suites and the Premium Ad Server, enabling advertisers to effectively monitor and optimize campaigns through informed, strategic decisions.
- Designed impactful data visualizations, enhancing the user experience by translating complex datasets into actionable insights, and aligning UX initiatives with strategic business goals.
- Authored Yahoo’s monthly Design newsletter, fostering a culture of design excellence, transparency, design standardization, inspiring cross-functional collaboration, innovation, and UX leadership.
Mar 2010
-
Sep 2012
FocusVision Worldwide Inc.

Lead Interaction Designer & Applications Developer
- Designed and developed advanced market research software, including qualitative research and workflow management tools, video recording/editing platforms, and streaming solutions, delivering innovative, user-centric business solutions for high-profile clients in the technology, pharmaceutical, and financial sectors.
- Spearheaded the creation of FocusVision’s first design system by standardizing reusable UI components, ensuring consistency, accessibility, and efficiency across all product lines.
- Led the full redesign of FocusVision’s branding and marketing, including a new company website, elevating brand identity and market positioning.
- Developed a standalone communication platform for focus-group participants, improving engagement and streamlining research operations.
- Designed and implemented the Smart Help Center, reducing customer support inquiries and enhancing self-service capabilities.
- Championed rapid prototyping for all new projects, accelerating product development and validation.
- Refined hiring processes, interviewing and selecting top design and engineering talent in close collaboration with company leadership.
- Managed cross-functional teams of designers, product managers, and engineers across multiple global locations, fostering collaboration, innovation, and excellence.
Jul 1998
-
Aug 2009
LIMIT8 Design LLC.

Founder and Partner
- Founded and led a design, branding, and software development firm, delivering custom digital solutions for NYC small businesses and enterprise clients, including Procter & Gamble, and Cushman & Wakefield.
- Spearheaded end-to-end project execution, from client acquisition and strategic planning to UX design and full-stack development, ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery of high-impact web business solutions.
- Designed and developed digital experiences for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, impactfully increasing user engagement and strengthening brand awareness.
- Provided and implemented data-driven SEO and SEM strategies, improving client website traffic and conversion rates.
- Built and mentored high-performing design and engineering teams, scaling operations to support 10+ concurrent large-scale projects and driving incremental efficiency gains in development cycles.

2001
-
2003

Hunter University
of New York

BA - Computer Science; Psychology
1999
-
2001

Kingsborough College

AAS in Computer Science and Graphic Design, Honors

References

"Alexander is a true professional with a high EQ and integrity. If he tells you he will do it, then it will be done. Alexander can interpret complex, technical PRD's and scope documents and quickly get to the core of the product requirements. His visual design skills and creative mind enable him to visualize design potential and offer alternate solutions. He is extremely calm under pressure, considerate, and methodical in his approach to work and life."

CURT PLILER

- Director of Product Design, Yahoo

"At InterClick and Genome, we derived tremendous value from our data insight presentation and innovative audience UIs. Alexander was the key UI designer for our team. Very diligent, great teammate."

JASON LYNN

- Co-founder mParticle, CSO Interclick/Genome

"Alexander is a talented designer who cares deeply about creating beautiful experiences that work well. Alexander was a big contributor to our efforts for the consumerization of enterprise/complex products. He paid attention to the small details that can make or break a product while also helping to drive the big picture."

BRIAN CROWDER

- Head of User Experience, Yahoo B2B

"I had the opportunity to observe Alexander design significant changes for Yahoo!'s client-facing reporting UIs. His work made an already stellar tool miles ahead of anything provided by the competition, consistently representing complex data structures - as clear as possible. It was truly impressive work, done with skill and a pride in craftsmanship that makes for great design."

Eric Hanson

- Director of Revenue Products, Content IQ

"As a crucial role in any team, Alexander is able to fulfill and reach beyond expectations time and time again! He is a pleasure to work with and a great person. Very attentive to the details and requirements. Strives to push the work to the next level. Working closely with him on several large visibility projects, he has levitated these projects to great success."

Mihai Vespasian

- Sr. Software Engineer, Yahoo

"Alexander taught me a great deal when I was at Yahoo, the ins and outs of data viz. I miss him and his commitment to his craft and his curious spirit: always learning and willing to share."

Marcelo Marer

- VP Product Design, Yahoo

"Alexander always advocated for the customer and had great ideas about how to improve the customer experience with our advertising platforms. I enjoyed working with him and he was a trusted partner for my tech writing team. He is super smart, not afraid to offer recommendations, and is well respected by his peers."

Kelly File

- Director of Content Development, Yahoo

"It has been my pleasure working with Alexander on a wide range of projects focusing on data visualization for analytics. His unique taste in design is definitely on point, always striking the right balance between Art and Science."

Head of Experience& Product Design

Creative Director

Designer

Mentor