# Gabe Alves > Principal Product Designer @ Instagram, ex Apple and Condé Nast Location: Brooklyn, New York, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/gabealves Originally from Rio de Janeiro, and Brooklyn-based since 2011, I've spent the last decade designing products used by billions of people — at Instagram, Apple, and Condé Nast. I care deeply about craft, simplicity of use, and helping shape culture. Currently a Principal Designer at Instagram's Design Systems. More at thinkgabe.com ## Work Experience ### Principal Product Designer — IGDS @ Instagram Jan 2025 – Present | New York, United States Product Design Lead at Instagram’s design system. I help drive interface architecture, cross-platform governance, and high-craft component standards that unify, guide and inspire experiences across iOS, Android, Web, iPadOS, and emerging platforms, while shaping new AI-powered tools, processes, and prototyping methods that unlock faster iteration and more ambitious experimentation. ### Principal Product Designer — Home @ Instagram Jan 2023 – Jan 2025 | New York, United States Product Design lead of Home. I help create experiences that touch the lives of billions of users — allowing for genuine connection between friends and family, inspiring content discovery and consumption, and supporting partners and creators on IG's most iconic surface. ### Product Design Lead — Reels @ Instagram Jan 2022 – Jan 2023 | New York, United States Product Design Lead of Destination, responsible for system governance, improvements and evolution of the Reels viewer and it’s ecosystem. ### Human Interface Designer @ Apple Jan 2019 – Jan 2022 | Cupertino, California DRI of high-profile features and initiatives on News and across Apple Services that meet user and business requirements and impact the lives of hundreds of millions of users monthly. As News Deputy responsibilities also include hiring support, stakeholder in XFN meetings, project sizing, prioritization and grooming, and serving as a stand-in for the manager. ### Senior Product Designer @ Condé Nast Jan 2019 – Jan 2019 | Greater New York City Area As Designer I work to deliver world-class digital experiences that help over 200+ millions users per year engage with our brands and digital products in more meaningful and qualitative way. I work closely with multi-faceted teams across the organization in order to meet performance goals, consolidate the brands vision and empower new business opportunities. Main responsibilities include: tackling all stages of the product development lifecycle by applying a user-centered design processes; running ideation sessions with stakeholders; collaborating with engineering and product partners on technical feasibility design, methodology and implementation; prototyping; writing requirements and technical specimens; user-facing digital and visual design, overseeing the development process and quality-assurance. ### Product Designer @ Condé Nast Jan 2017 – Jan 2019 | Greater New York City Area ### Art Director @ ThoughtLab Jan 2015 – Jan 2017 | Greater New York City Area Lead position on both design and strategy fronts, working with designers, artists, developers, copywriters, sales teams and marketers in order to create a coherent/efficient strategic vision for products/companies with various business objectives. Responsibilities include: helping create comprehensive, multifaceted brand platforms and rebranding strategies; developing and holding presentation/meetings; art direction; planning and managing complex production schedules and providing creative direction to staff. ### Designer @ Addison Jan 2014 – Jan 2015 | Greater New York City Area As a Graphic Designer I’ve helped Fortune’s 100+ companies meet goals by identifying approaches that satisfy their strategic and operational requirements and by creating visual concepts to communicate ideas that inspire, inform or captive users/viewers. Projects simultaneously include print and digital medias in various forms, and require the involvement of a big, complex and an energetic team-based effort to be accomplished within the given time and the company’s high-stardards. ### Teaching Assistant @ Pratt Institute Jan 2013 – Jan 2013 Helped with classes at Alisa Zamir’s Visual Communications 2, and Kevin Gatta’s Visual Communications 2. Experience responsibilities included lecturing classes, grading students, art directing academic projects, and helping sustain an collaborative and productive class environment. ### Digital Designer @ Stone Age Tech Jan 2009 – Jan 2011 | Rio de Janeiro Area, Brazil Stone Age tech is a big data analytics company based in Rio de Janeiro. As the lead graphic designer in their brilliant team, I was responsible for: Developing engaging and human-centered UI and UX; Branding internal and external products; Designing promotional material and stationary system internally and for products; and art directing an outside vendor responsible for designing the company's new website and internal managing tools. ### Intern @ Modulo8 Jan 2008 – Jan 2009 | Rio de Janeiro Area, Brazil Modulo8 was an small but promising advertisement agency based in Rio de Janeiro Brazil. Due to it's small size, I was able to be extremely hands-on and learn directly from Modulo8's experienced owners, Nilza Rezende and Lena Chave, while dealing with everyday graphic design problem-solving. Responsibilities included: Development all the identity for the social media project called "Dr. Murilo": web design, illustration and brand identity; Designing prints, advertisements, logos for various companies and marriage invitations. ## Education ### Masters in Communications Design Pratt Institute Jan 2011 – Jan 2013 ### Bachelor in Graphic Design Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro Jan 2006 – Jan 2010 ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/gabetalves - Portfolio: https://thinkgabe.com --- Source: https://flows.cv/gabealves JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/gabealves/resume.json Last updated: 2026-03-30