Ratna Desai

Head of Design

United States26 yrs 7 mos experience

Highly StableAI Enabled

Key Highlights

Led transformative design initiatives at Netflix.
Defined AI-first product vision at Google.
Expert in user-centered design and product innovation.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a B2C product design leader with expertise in AI-driven user experiences.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

User-centered DesignProduct InnovationUser Experience DesignGo-to-market Strategy

Other Skills

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Generative AIOrganizational CultureChange ManagementInteraction DesignExperience DesignDesign StrategyCreative DirectionVisual DesignDesign ThinkingMobile DevicesUser Interface DesignService DesignBranding & IdentityUser Interface

About

Design leader shaping product vision and leading high-performing teams through transformation at global scale. I bring a human-centered perspective to the intersection of business strategy, technology, and design, helping companies translate innovation into sustainable growth and measurable impact. I lead design and research organizations through hypergrowth, market shifts, and AI-driven transformation, partnering closely with executive teams to shape long-term vision, operating models, and investment priorities. Known for raising the bar for craft and clarity, I navigate complex platforms and ecosystems to ensure emerging technologies strengthen brand, differentiation, and customer trust, delivering world-class products that drive retention and long-term value creation.

Experience

26 yrs 7 mos

Total Experience

4 yrs 5 mos

Average Tenure

Current Experience

Netflix

4 roles

Head of Design, Core Member & Discovery Experience Platform

Promoted

Dec 2022 – Jan 2026 · 3 yrs 1 mo

Led design for the Core Member & Discovery platform, partnering closely with executive leadership to shape long-term product vision, platform strategy, and AI-driven experience evolution. Built and scaled high-performing teams while elevating craft, systems, and cross-functional operating models globally. Oversaw TV, Mobile, Web, Generative AI, Search, Personalization, and Messaging, serving millions of members worldwide.
Delivered transformative initiatives including the first TV home redesign in over a decade, AI-powered discovery (GenSearch), Mobile Feed, Mobile Moments, My Netflix, Double Thumbs Up, and Top 10, driving retention and long-term member value. Contributed to a 3× expansion in annual revenue (from ~$15B to ~$45B) through product innovation, platform evolution, and scaled design systems. Bridged enhanced AI models with user interactions, designing systems for personalization and proactive intelligence. Advanced responsible AI adoption while preserving design’s role in judgment, quality, and user experience.

User-centered DesignProduct InnovationArtificial Intelligence (AI)Generative AIGo-to-Market StrategyOrganizational Culture

Director of Product Design, Member Discovery & Platforms (TV, Mobile, Web)

Nov 2021 – Nov 2022 · 1 yr

Director of Product Design, TV, Search & Personalization

Nov 2019 – Oct 2021 · 1 yr 11 mos

Director of Product Design, TV

Mar 2018 – Oct 2019 · 1 yr 7 mos

Google

2 roles

UX Lead, Google Search, AI Innovation

Promoted

Jul 2016 – Mar 2018 · 1 yr 8 mos · Mountain View, CA

Led multidisciplinary teams across ~400 designers spanning Search, News, Maps, and Identity to define Google’s AI-first product vision and roadmaps, integrating frontier research from Google DeepMind (formerly Google Brain) into scaled consumer experiences and seeding innovations that unlocked new interaction paradigms. Aligned the organization around designing responsibly for AI by establishing principles, capabilities, and operating models to translate research breakthroughs into differentiated product experiences.

User Experience DesignProduct InnovationArtificial Intelligence (AI)Organizational CultureChange Management

Head of User Experience, Google Express Shopping

Jan 2014 – Jul 2016 · 2 yrs 6 mos · Mountain View, CA

Led a multidisciplinary design team to reinvent Google Express, Google’s retail marketplace offering delivery from major retailers including Target, Walmart, and Costco. Designed across consumer and merchant platforms, balancing a multi-sided ecosystem of shoppers, retail partners, and delivery providers within a pay-per-sale model. Scaled the service nationally from 0-to-1, driving growth in daily active users (DAU) and gross merchandise value (GMV). Partnered with product, engineering and business leadership to plan for the long-term integration of Google Express into Google Shopping, unifying commerce, comparison, and voice-enabled purchasing to strengthen Google’s broader retail strategy.

California college of the arts

Senior Lecturer, Interaction Design Program

Jan 2014 – Jan 2015 · 1 yr · San Francisco Bay Area

Taught course on the role of storytelling and narrative in product design.

Frog

Creative Director

Oct 2008 – Dec 2013 · 5 yrs 2 mos · San Francisco

Frog is a global leader in product design and organizational transformation.
Responsible for creative direction across key client accounts from digital transformation to best-in-class product design. Managed multidisciplinary teams leveraging user-centered design innovation. AT&T, Disney, Google Ventures, Chase, PayPal, Nike, Sony, Qualcomm and Verizon.

Product InnovationGo-to-Market Strategy

Gap inc./growth, innovation, digital (gid), a division of gap, inc.

Associate Art Director

Sep 2002 – Dec 2007 · 5 yrs 3 mos · San Francisco Bay Area

Led the creation of ecommerce seasonal concepts, campaigns, and email messaging for Gap.com and Product(RED), partnering across marketing, merchandising, and engineering, including art directing photoshoots, executive stakeholder management and launching new sub-brands like GapMaternity.

Korn ferry

Managing Art Director

Jun 1999 – Aug 2001 · 2 yrs 2 mos · San Francisco Bay Area

Led Ninth House Inc.'s Design org, a start-up acquired by Korn Ferry, delivering interactive, sitcom-style elearning experiences for Cisco, Gap, Lockheed Martin, Pfizer, and the Department of Justice.

The wall street journal

Marketing Associate

Feb 1997 – May 1999 · 2 yrs 3 mos · San Francisco Bay Area

Responsible for ad sales marketing strategy and brand campaign execution for The Wall Street Journal, managing consumer research, business development pitches, and executive events featuring journalists and Fortune 100 leaders across finance, tech, and travel.