# Samantha Kraesig > Empowers high-performing teams | Champions growth design | Mentor | Inclusive queer leader Location: Santa Rosa, California, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/samanthakraesig I’m a seasoned product design leader passionate about building intuitive, high-impact digital experiences that align business goals with user needs. With deep expertise in UX, research, and visual design—especially in eCommerce—I’ve led teams that deliver measurable results through data-informed creativity. Certified in Human-Centered Design and AI, I bring a growth designer mindset to every challenge: simplifying processes, experimenting with intention, and scaling what works. As a queer multiracial woman, I lead with empathy, openness, and a drive for inclusion. I draw strength from a lineage rooted in discipline, communication, kindness, and generosity—from a sales-driven father to matriarchs who taught me financial intelligence and compassion. I blend this perspective with a love for psychology, data, and design to create thoughtful, effective work that resonates. ## Work Experience ### Director of Product Design @ Zenni Optical Jan 2025 – Present ### Senior Product Design Manager @ Zenni Optical Jan 2024 – Jan 2025 | Santa Rosa, California, United States Championed a user-centered design culture, fostering collaboration with cross-functional partners to propose innovative ideas and strategies. Mentored and coached product designers, emphasizing skill development and leadership growth, resulting in the elevation of lead ICs and the nurturing of leadership capability. Implemented design guidelines, best practices, and processes to enhance operational efficiency and accountability across the organization. Collaborated closely with cross-functional partners, including Directors of Product and Development, Head of Merchandising, and Creative Directors, to deliver end-to-end product experiences and features. Led hiring efforts for national and international teams, contributing to the expansion and diversification of the design organization. Collaborated with and played a key role in leading a combined team of UX researchers and Product Designers. Accomplishments: • Received the first 2022 Founders Award for "Strive for Excellence" at the company • Scaled team from 7 to 12 (helped build Shanghai team) • Promoted 4x in 3 years (Sr. Product Designer, Lead Product Designer, Manager, Sr. Manager) • Achieved 1.0 OKR scores on 8 of 9 company-level OKRs: including a $17.6M annual projection from the launch of Guest Checkout and a 29.1% increase in conversion (projected $5 revenue) from Search Bar Optimizations. ### User Experience Manager @ Zenni Optical Jan 2022 – Jan 2024 Owned end-to-end product experiences across B2C desktop, iOS/Android mobile apps, and the design system, ensuring usability and consistency. Achieved company-level OKRs by driving measurable product impact through design leadership—delivering $17.6M annual revenue from Guest Checkout and a 29.1% conversion lift from Search Bar optimization. Scaled design team from 7 to 12 across US and Shanghai, leading hiring, onboarding, and mentorship programs. Embedded user research into the design process through usability tests, qual/quant analysis, and data synthesis, building confidence in design directions. Mentored 3 high-performing designers, eventually grew my management to 6 designers. Advocated for and established the Design System, driving operational efficiency and cross-team consistency. Key Impact: Demonstrated design’s business impact with multimillion-dollar revenue growth, while scaling and professionalizing a high-performing international UX team. ### Product Design Manager @ Zenni Optical Jan 2022 – Jan 2024 ### Senior Product Designer @ Zenni Optical Jan 2021 – Jan 2022 ### Senior User Experience Designer @ Zenni Optical Jan 2021 – Jan 2022 Led homepage redesign, balancing user needs with business goals to deliver a modernized, high-converting experience. Conducted usability testing, data analysis, and research to inform design decisions. Mentored junior and mid-level designers, raising quality through feedback and guidance. Facilitated workshops and design sprints to drive innovation and collaboration. Contributed to and maintained the design system, ensuring scalability across product lines. Key Impact: Delivered a refreshed homepage that improved usability and business outcomes, while elevating design standards across the team. ### Director of Product Design @ Zenni USA Jan 2025 – Present Leading innovation across design and product development, integrating AI-driven prototyping (Figma Make, Co-Pilot) to accelerate experimentation and bring first-to-market experiences to life, including Zenni’s Virtual Optician Agent. Partnering with executive leadership and finance to model how design shapes company strategy, ensuring design is embedded as a driver of growth and competitive advantage. Leading optimization of PDP experiences, driving a +4.75% increase in lens selection, +3.38% lift in add-to-cart, and +1.91% boost in purchase conversion. Strengthening cross-functional collaboration with PMs, engineering, brand, product marketing, and research, building shared accountability for customer experience and business outcomes. Auditing workflows, design systems, and user experiences to raise quality and consistency standards across platforms, identifying and addressing gaps in process and execution. Championing design’s role in emerging technologies—thriving in ambiguity, storytelling through prototypes, and turning new opportunities into business impact. Redefining the team to include design ops and mentoring lead designers into managerial roles. Key Impact: Elevating design’s influence at the executive level, established AI as a design accelerator, and setting the foundation for scalable innovation across Zenni’s digital ecosystem. ### Product Design Manager @ Zenni USA Jan 2024 – Jan 2025 Led product design teams, driving career development, performance reviews, and mentorship to raise the bar for craft and impact. Influenced company roadmap by framing customer insights as strategic opportunities, directly shaping priorities and initiatives. Led the optimization of the Lens Customization experience, driving an estimated $3.9M in incremental annual revenue. This was achieved by a 5% lift in purchase conversion rate and a 1.5% lift in revenue per visitor. Championed the Design System Initiative, ensuring speed and consistency across the mobile app and website. Built efficient workflows, tools, and a UX handbook of standards that scaled across the organization. Collaborated with executives and department leaders to align UX strategy with business outcomes. Started by mentoring 6 high-performing designers, eventually grew my management to 12 designers. Key Impact: Positioned design as a strategic lever in company planning; introduced self-service experiences and design system initiatives that improved scalability and execution speed. ### Principal Product Designer @ Flight Jan 2013 – Jan 2021 | Santa Rosa, California, United States Led the discovery, concept design, and launch phases of multiple projects, managing timelines and expectations effectively. Solicited and integrated feedback on design work, contributing constructively to design reviews and ensure alignment with business goals. Demonstrated a business-minded approach to design, finding win-win solutions for consumers and the business. Accomplishments: • Doubling the revenue from $1M to $2M • 2018 Community Philanthropy Award North Bay Business Journal • 2018 BEQ LGBTQ Leaders under 40 ### Product Designer @ Flight Jan 2013 – Jan 2021 Co-founded and grew a design agency, overseeing business strategy, client acquisition, and operations while leading end-to-end design for web and product launches. Directed discovery, concept, and launch phases for diverse clients, delivering user-centered solutions that balanced business and consumer needs. Built and managed design teams, establishing workflows, mentoring talent, and driving creative excellence across projects. Facilitated workshops, critiques, and alignment sessions with stakeholders to ensure clarity and collaboration. Positioned the agency as a trusted partner by cultivating long-term client relationships and consistently delivering high-quality outcomes. Key Impact: Designed and launched 30+ websites and digital products over 10 years, growing the agency into a recognized player in eCommerce, SaaS, and brand experiences. ### Product Designer @ Unknown Jan 2009 – Jan 2013 | Santa Rosa, California, United States • Responsible for end-to-end product experiences and features across various platforms, demonstrating excellent communication and time management skills. • Collaborated closely with team members to brainstorm and develop innovative ideas, contributing to a fast-paced agency environment. • Developed strong feedback loops and communication channels to ensure the successful execution of design projects. ## Education ### Bachelor of Arts - BA in Graphic Design Academy of Art University ### General Education in General Studies Santa Rosa Junior College ### GA in Deans list Santa Rosa Junior College ### Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design and Visual Communications, General Academy Of Art ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/samantha-kraesig-12aa0b5b - Portfolio: https://www.samkraesig.com/about --- Source: https://flows.cv/samanthakraesig JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/samanthakraesig/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13