# Kiana Fathinezhad

> UX & Product Designer | shaping AI-driven learning experiences through Human-Centered Design | Stanford GSE

Location: United States, United States
Profile: https://flows.cv/kianafathinezhad

I’m a UX and Product Designer passionate about creating intuitive, human-centered systems that bridge creativity, research, and technology. My work sits at the intersection of design strategy, AI innovation, and user experience. Transforming complex challenges into clear, purposeful solutions.

At Stanford’s IDEAL Lab, I lead UX design and coordination for AI-driven learning and research projects, shaping how people interact with emerging tools and digital spaces. Previously, I’ve collaborated with startups and design centers to ship responsive products, reimagine web experiences, and build design systems that scale.

I’m most energized when building products that empower people; whether it’s rethinking workflows, designing with data, or turning research insights into engaging, accessible experiences.

## Work Experience
### Product Designer & Lab Coordinator @ Stanford University Graduate School of Education
Jan 2025 – Present | Stanford, California, United States
Lead UX strategy and qualitative research for AI Tutor (STEPS) learning platforms, translating insights into interface improvements.

Manage IDEAL Lab’s operations and cross-functional design workflow supporting AI-driven experiments and creative prototypes.

Enhance digital accessibility and usability through iterative redesigns of the IDEAL Lab website and knowledge-sharing resources.

### Lecturer @ University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Jan 2025 – Jan 2025
Designed and taught UI/UX and Visual Design courses, integrating creative practice with digital product design thinking.

Incorporated Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and AI tools into coursework to foster iterative ideation, visual storytelling, and data-driven design.

Mentored 70+ students through complete design processes, emphasizing accessibility, usability, and iterative critique.

Re-architected Canvas LMS course environments, applying UX principles to improve clarity, engagement, and navigation.

### Graduate Teaching Assistant @ University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Jan 2022 – Jan 2025 | Illinois, United States

### Instructor of Record @ University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Jan 2024 – Jan 2025

### Product Designer @ ReadyOn
Jan 2023 – Jan 2024 | San Francisco Bay Area
Designed and shipped production-ready web and mobile interfaces for a B2B SaaS platform, integrating AI features that simplified navigation and enhanced task efficiency.

Created wireframes, high-fidelity prototypes, and design system documentation to maintain consistency across multiple platforms.

Partnered with engineers, product owners, and data scientists to develop AI-augmented workflows aligned with business goals and user needs.

Conducted usability testing and iterative design reviews to advocate for user-centered solutions and improve experience quality.

Collaborated directly with product owners to design new features that supported both the business model and user workflows.

### User Experience Designer @ Siebel Center for Design
Jan 2022 – Jan 2023 | Illinois, United States
Redesigned the Center’s website and information architecture, improving navigation flow and user engagement by 15%.

Produced design assets and digital content supporting innovation initiatives across the university.

Collaborated with makers, scholars, and media teams to align design execution with strategic and educational goals.


## Education
### Master of Fine Arts - MFA in Design for Responsible Innovation
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

### Bachelor's degree in Architecture
Shiraz University


## Contact & Social
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kianafathinezhad
- Portfolio: https://kianafa.com/

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Source: https://flows.cv/kianafathinezhad
JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/kianafathinezhad/resume.json
Last updated: 2026-04-13