# Blake Gentry > Lead Product Designer Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/blakegentry I’m a 0-1 product designer specializing in high-stakes alignment, usually stepping in when a project is at its most ambiguous to build the roadmaps and team trust needed to move forward. I focus on bridging those subtle gaps in vocabulary and goals that often cause friction, ensuring Engineering, Product, and Design are talking about the same thing and pointed in the same direction. My work is about identifying the next notable experience a global user base is ready for and building the durable foundation a business needs to scale it. *Always open to mentorships for anyone at any career level. Feel free to reach out. ## Work Experience ### Lead Product Designer, Games @ Netflix Jan 2021 – Jan 2025 * Authored multi-year TV and Web roadmaps used to align engineering, studio, and product teams during high-ambiguity development phases. * Stepped in as the primary product lead during a vacuum in PM support: writing technical specs, leading cross-functional kickoffs, and defining the cohesive product architecture. * Led the first full-feature launch of next-gen, code-based UI animation and established mobile phone connection standards adopted across the Netflix Design System. * Envisioned the smartphone-as-controller ecosystem, managing technical constraints and ergonomic research to eliminate hardware friction for a global audience. * Provided career-pivot coaching for team members moving into Product Design roles, while also mentoring Netflix’s first product design intern and managing contract talent to scale the vertical. * Utilized AI-assisted workflows to rapidly prototype 0-1 concepts and accelerate cross-functional alignment on complex, interactive experiences. ### Lead Product Designer, Partnerships @ Netflix Jan 2019 – Jan 2021 Helped scale Netflix's product presence on devices through thoughtful partner collaboration, systems design, and global rollout strategies. This included a string of device partners that included Samsung, LG, Tesla, Stellantis, Free, Canal+, Google, Amazon, etc • Collaborated with Partner Engagement Managers to align external partners—including hardware manufacturers and service providers—with Netflix’s design, testing, and product standards. • Developed a flexible design framework and guidelines that became the standard for partner negotiations, approvals, and factory-level integration, reducing design team involvement in deals and enabling operational scale. • Guided partners through the adoption of A/B testing and personalized experiences, helping to modernize their platforms while aligning with Netflix's evolving capabilities. • Led the UI/UX standardization effort for white-label Android devices, delivering flows and patterns that were widely adopted by service providers and acted as a multiplier to our global efforts. • Worked closely with a global, cross-functional team to streamline process, improve efficiency, and ensure a consistent, high-quality product experience on platforms from Smart TVs to Automotive. ### Senior Product Designer, Originals @ Netflix Jan 2014 – Jan 2018 | Los Gatos, CA Collaborated with cross-functional Product and Content teams to shape the early visual and UX strategy for Netflix Originals, scaling creative experimentation into sustainable design systems and promotion playbooks. • Co-developed the visual identity and UX framework for Netflix Originals in product, including the earliest systems for box art personalization, film promotion, merchandising principles, and promotional content strategy. • Art directed key title campaigns for series such as Making a Murderer, Voltron, The Little Prince, Marvel, and Netflix’s first talk show, partnering with on-screen talent, internal creative, content producers, and external agencies to align on narrative and execution. • Worked across mobile, TV, and web platforms to concept and launch new discovery canvases, facilitating communication between platform design teams, brand stakeholders, and product leaders. • Partnered with PMs to test and roll out features tied to Originals content, including feature film debuts, post-season recaps, video postplay, character-first motion assets, and promotional asset suites for episodic content. • Supported team growth and experimentation by mentoring new designers, prototyping teaser trailers and motion design concepts, and even collaborating on offbeat creative initiatives like in-house toy design, Dreamworks art shows, and providing shot lists and writing scripts for talent-led promo assets. • Participated in qualitative research and prototyping efforts to explore future content discovery models, many of which influenced ongoing personalization strategies. ### Creative Director @ Milyoni, Inc. Jan 2013 – Jan 2014 | Pleasanton, CA Designed multiple cross-platform web applications specific to the film and music industries. Clients included Paramount, Universal Studios, Universal Music Group, and Sony Music. Led talent acquisition to build the first design team and establish proper product working models. Provided thought leadership and overall product strategy on overall company direction and annual planning. Introduced proximity-based mobile solutions for innovative new concert experiences supported by marketing insights. Led company-wide rebranding effort and established style guides for the business and all relevant products and services. ### Lead UI Designer @ Contract Jan 2011 – Jan 2013 | San Francisco, CA Providing UI design and wireframes for mobile apps and websites. Primarily focused on big-picture product direction, feature sets and overall team management. Established consistent UI for leading children's toy company. Revised social media campaigns and design assets, increasing fan base by +1900%. Restructured media buys to better target key demographic and save 1200% CPC. Expanded Post Foods media offerings to better integrate video marketing and social media. Designed solutions ranging from back-end B2B asset management to front-end B2C solutions in the entertainment, health, security and aerospace industries. ### Senior Art Director @ Ansira Jan 2007 – Jan 2010 | St. Louis, MO Designed UI/UX for international Coca-Cola digital asset management system while aligning with offshore development teams. Assisted in Acura / W Hotels co-marketing campaign with a twenty-seven location roll-out. Optimized production workflow and overall UI in regards to primary digital asset management software. Worked alongside New Business to conceive unique experiential marketing concepts for high-profile clients. Built the agency's first green screen and photography studio and led asset creation campaigns for The North Face and Mercedes Benz. ### Associate Creative Director @ IDP Group Jan 2006 – Jan 2007 | Columbia, MO Managed a small creative and development team of five designers, two developers, and one project manager. Worked alongside Account Management to introduce new services and offer strategic opportunities to existing clients. Facilitated client meetings and deal negotiations. Led quarterly planning and resource assessments. ### Senior Interactive Designer @ Onshore Outsourcing Jan 2004 – Jan 2006 | Burbank, CA Started as an engineer, earning Microsoft Certified Professional and Application Developer credentials. Saw the need for better design and UX, becoming the first designer and launching a proper design team. Scoped government and financial contracts, brought high-quality user experiences to traditionally underserved industries, and met strict accessibility standards. Established brand identity and scalable design systems to streamline onboarding and ensure consistency across projects. ## Education ### Film Production Full Sail University ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/blake-gentry --- Source: https://flows.cv/blakegentry JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/blakegentry/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13