# Pegah Ahmadi > Design Systems Lead | Design at Scale • Strategy • AI Ethics Location: Seattle, Washington, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/pegahahmadi Hi, I’m Pegah Ahmadi, a Design Leader specializing in scalable design systems that drive efficiency, consistency, and accessibility at global organizations. With 12+ years in UX and product design, I’ve built and led design systems at Nike, Grubhub, and Front, ensuring seamless collaboration between design, engineering, and product teams. My expertise spans system architecture, design governance, multi-platform execution, and production excellence. Currently at Nike, I’m leading the next-generation of Podium Design System, consolidating three fragmented systems into a scalable, token-driven framework that enhances efficiency across teams. I thrive at the intersection of strategy and execution, ensuring that design systems not only scale but also enable innovation. Beyond execution, I’m passionate about mentorship and team growth. I’ve developed design education frameworks, run cross-functional workshops, and guided designers in adopting system thinking to enhance product consistency and efficiency. Let’s connect if you’re interested in design systems, strategy, and making design more efficient at scale. ## Work Experience ### Independent Consultant @ Enterprise Learning Platform (Confidential Client) Jan 2026 – Present Leading next-generation design system architecture and token governance for a large-scale educational platform serving millions of users. Engagement under NDA. ### Guest Lecturer | Design Systems Leadership & Governance @ Northwestern University Jan 2026 – Jan 2026 Invited guest lecturer for Northwestern’s Design Systems master class. Led a session on Design System Leadership, focusing on governance as infrastructure, including decision rights, accountability models, and how systems shape organizational behavior at scale. Explored the intersection of design systems, authority, and risk in AI-enabled environments. ### Lead Digital Product Designer | Podium Design System @ Nike Jan 2024 – Jan 2025 ### Lead UX Designer | Enterprise Design System @ Nike Jan 2023 – Jan 2024 As Lead UX Designer at Nike, my role is pivotal in driving strategic design system initiatives and enhancing the user experience across wide range of internal products. Key contributions include: • Strategic Design Leadership: Spearheading the development of Nike's Enterprise design system, aligning product design with business objectives and user insights, while fostering collaboration and innovation to enhance cross-team visibility and efficiency. • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partnering with Engineering and Product teams, I ensure seamless design implementation and high-quality standards, championing a unified vision and contributing significantly to a positive and productive workplace culture. • User-Centered Design: Applying advanced UX practices and innovative solutions to create consistent, intuitive user interfaces, underpinned by a steadfast commitment to Design Thinking, thorough research, and inclusion of diverse perspectives. • Process Excellence: Streamlining design processes, advocating best practices, and maintaining comprehensive design documentation, all while setting a stellar example in strategic design creation and driving the team's expansion into new capabilities. In this role, I blend strategic vision, technical expertise, and a profound influence on team dynamics to drive Nike's design innovation and contribute to its global impact. ### Guest Lecturer | Design Systems & Governance @ California College of the Arts Jan 2022 – Jan 2022 Invited guest lecture on design systems as organizational infrastructure and governance. Covered: • Design systems as product, people, and process • Governance models (solitary, centralized, federated) • Contribution and engagement frameworks • Authority and accountability in scaling systems Examined how authority, governance, and decision boundaries determine whether systems scale coherently or fragment. ### Lead Product Designer | Design Systems @ Front Jan 2022 – Jan 2022 | Remote At Front, as the inaugural product designer for the design system, I laid its foundation, focusing on: • System Audit and Improvement: Conducted thorough audits of the existing component library, identifying areas for enhancement. • Strategic Initiatives: Initiated a quarterly design system survey and defined core design principles, shaping the direction of the system. • Collaboration and Mentorship: Partnered with engineering to build a React library for core components and mentored designers through weekly office hours and workshops. This role was instrumental in developing my skills in systematizing design processes and fostering collaborative team environments. ### Product Designer | Cookbook Design System @ Grubhub Jan 2020 – Jan 2022 | Chicago, Illinois, United States As a key member of the design system team at Grubhub, I contributed to: • Design Excellence: Defined core patterns and guidelines, elevating the design quality and craftsmanship of Grubhub's products. • Innovative Solutions: Brought new ideas to mature the design system, enhancing Grubhub's competitive edge. • Cross-Platform Collaboration: Collaborated with Native and Web engineering teams, ensuring the design system's adaptability and usability across platforms. This experience solidified my expertise in creating reusable, accessible design patterns and driving cross-functional collaboration. ### Visual Designer | Signature Asset Library @ Morningstar Jan 2017 – Jan 2020 | Greater Chicago Area • Design System Ambassador: Actively contributed to the Morningstar Design System, ensuring consistent application across various platforms. • Redesign Leadership: Spearheaded the redesign of Morningstar’s web-based equity and managed investment signature reports, enhancing user engagement and comprehension. • Multi-Location Product Responsibility: Managed visual design for three distinct products, coordinating with teams in Chicago, Shenzhen, and Mumbai. • Data Visualization Expertise: Specialized in transforming complex financial data into user-friendly visual formats, aligning with Morningstar’s commitment to clarity and accessibility. • Responsive Design Implementation: Utilized responsive design principles to ensure a seamless user experience across devices for both internal and third-party clients. • User-Centric Approach: Employed a mix of quantitative and qualitative research to deeply understand user needs and behaviors. • Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Worked closely with developers, UX designers, product managers, researchers, and content strategists, using tools like Sketch, InVision, Illustrator, and Photoshop for effective communication and asset delivery. ### Visual Designer | Reports & Publishing @ Morningstar Jan 2014 – Jan 2017 | Greater Chicago Area • Publication Design Expertise: Delivered high-quality print and digital monthly publications under tight deadlines, catering to diverse subscriber investment needs. • Multimedia Responsibility: Oversaw the design of two monthly print publications, including their iPad and web versions, ensuring brand consistency and user engagement. • Innovative Redesigns: Successfully redesigned the publications and their related materials, improving aesthetics and readability. ### Interaction Designer | Mobile Solutions @ Morningstar Jan 2013 – Jan 2014 | Greater Chicago Area • Mobile UI/UX Design: Assisted in the design of Morningstar's iOS and Android applications, focusing on the overall user experience and visual appeal. • Standards Compliance: Created prototypes and visual specifications, adhering to Morningstar's design standards, ensuring brand consistency and user-friendly interfaces. ### Adjunct Assistant Professor | Digital Media @ University of Illinois at Chicago Jan 2018 – Jan 2019 | Greater Chicago Area Introduces students to the fundamentals of design in digital media. ### Adjunct Professor | Graphic Design @ University of Applied Science and Technology Jan 2011 – Jan 2012 | Tehran, Iran Layout and Typography, Poster Design, Design Research, Drawing Courses ### User Interface Designer @ ParsAds Jan 2011 – Jan 2012 | Tehran, Iran • Digital Marketing Design: Executed a wide range of online marketing collateral, including digital display ads, landing pages, website graphics, and photo assets, overseeing projects from initial concept to completion. • Persuasive Design Expertise: Utilized psychological techniques such as social proofing, scarcity, and reciprocity in design to effectively persuade users to engage and take desired actions, enhancing campaign effectiveness and user experience. ### Adjunct Professor | Graphic Design @ University of Applied Science and Technology Jan 2005 – Jan 2006 | Tehran, Iran Perspective Drafting, Drawing Courses ## Education ### Master of Advanced Studies in Graphic Design University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW ### Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Graphic Design University of Illinois Chicago ### Master of Arts (M.A.) in Industrial Design University of Art ### Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Industrial Design Alzahra University ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/pegah-ahmadi - Portfolio: http://www.pegah-ahmadi.com --- Source: https://flows.cv/pegahahmadi JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/pegahahmadi/resume.json Last updated: 2026-03-31