# Acorn S. > Staff / Principal Product Designer | Platform & Systems UX | Defining Product Direction in AI, Biotech, and Technical Domains Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/acorn Staff / Principal Product Designer specializing in platform UX, product strategy, and systems design for AI, ML, and computational biology. I help teams define the right problems and build scalable, data-intensive products in high-risk, technically complex domains. I operate at the intersection of product strategy, technical UX, and systems thinking, translating deep scientific and engineering workflows into usable, scalable platforms where early decisions have long downstream impact. Core focus areas:
 – Product direction and problem definition in ambiguous technical spaces
 – Platform UX and workflow design for AI, ML, and scientific software
 – Information architecture and design systems that scale with complex products
 – Cross-functional leadership across research, engineering, product, and other stakeholders I’m open to conversations about Staff or Principal Product Design roles at AI, biotech, med-tech, or scientific software companies where design decisions shape the system itself and directly influence how knowledge is generated, validated, and trusted. ## Work Experience ### Staff Product Designer @ Unknown Jan 2024 – Present Stealth (Virtual Cell Lab Platform) * Leading AI product definition and system design for a virtual cell lab, translating complex biological workflows into scalable interaction models. Owning early problem framing, UX architecture, and validation strategy to de-risk core product decisions and shape engineering and research direction. Mantle Bio * Defined the foundational UX and workflow architecture for a next-generation computational biology platform, aligning engineering and leadership around user needs and establishing scalable UI patterns through rapid iteration and testing. Nimble Repair * Turned an ambiguous vision for an AI-powered, two-sided climate tech marketplace into a coherent product direction by defining the core information architecture and service blueprint, setting the foundation for future product and operational decisions. ### Co-Founder @ East Bay Mycoflora Project Jan 2024 – Present Leading the development of a community science initiative, designing the conceptual data model and validation framework for an open-source fungal DNA platform. Defining how raw sequencing outputs are transformed into confidence-based, explainable results: bridging wet-lab protocols, automated analysis, and human decision-making to support trustworthy and reproducible community mycology contributions. ### Senior User Experience Designer @ Splunk Jan 2020 – Jan 2024 Defined product direction and interaction models for AI-powered and other experiences spanning multiple teams and surfaces, influencing roadmap and prioritization decisions. Led design in ambiguous problem spaces, clarifying constraints early and reducing downstream rework for engineering. Shaped system-level UX patterns and frameworks adopted beyond immediate ownership, increasing consistency and scalability across the platform. Partnered with product, engineering, analytics, and leadership to align strategy, execution, and customer outcomes across initiatives. ### User Experience Designer @ Splunk Jan 2020 – Jan 2021 | San Francisco Bay Area Owned end-to-end UX for complex workflows within defined product areas, delivering from problem framing through execution. Collaborated closely with engineering and executive leadership to translate requirements into usable, technically grounded solutions. Built design system foundations and cross-team standards, expanding impact beyond individual features. ### Founder @ Lighten Jan 2016 – Jan 2018 | San Francisco, CA - Led a small cross-functional team to build a SaaS platform connecting social workers with service providers, creating user-centered solutions for complex service delivery challenges. - Defined product strategy through market research, stakeholder collaboration, and user testing, while forging strategic partnerships to drive product adoption. - Designed and implemented a data model and API integrations that ensured platform interoperability and scalability. ### Freelance UI/UX Designer @ Acorn Steed Jan 2012 – Jan 2018 | San Francisco, CA - Optimized user interactions by building intuitive UI designs and page flows, validated prototypes for mobile apps, enhanced usability and interactivity for target audiences. - Developed production-ready webpage mockups and brand assets for retail clients, ensuring alignment with brand guidelines and customer needs. - Collaborated closely with cross-functional teams and project managers to meet tight deadlines and address project challenges efficiently. ### Civic Innovation Fellow @ Microsoft Jan 2015 – Jan 2015 | San Francisco Bay Area - Drive product strategy for Open Referral for both local and national initiatives. - Represent Microsoft and Code for America values at conventions, hackathons, and online. ## Education ### Illustration California College of the Arts ### Associate's degree in General Studies Sacramento City College ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/acornsteed - Website: https://www.acornsteed.com --- Source: https://flows.cv/acorn JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/acorn/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-08