# Sunny Babbar > User Experience Designer at IBM | Former User Experience Designer at Apple Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/sunnybabbar Make | Test | Destroy | Repeat The world's hardest problems are not solved in a linear fashion. Through discovery, staying curious, humanized user research, generating iterative wild ideas, and teaming up with creatives of all backgrounds together we can make a difference. My diverse background in interaction design, user experience, XR | AR | VR | MR, interior architecture, fashion, and industrial design fuels my passion to not only think or solve in one discipline. Innovation happens when minds and disciplines combine. Let us collaborate on meaningful experiences that create human impact beyond an App. Design Portfolio: www.sunnybabbardesign.com Email: sbabbar001@gmail.com ## Work Experience ### User Experience Designer | Carbon Design System @ IBM Jan 2025 – Present | San Francisco Bay Area Carbon Design System | System Squad | Carbon Core Team | Carbon for IBM Products Team We are a group of designers and front-end developers who focus on improving the Design System for IBM by providing teams with universal assets—elements, components, patterns, and code—and the guidance for how to design and build with them. The Carbon System Squad is the core squad that maintains and enhance the core Carbon assets. ### User Experience Designer-Product Led Growth | IBM Design & Research | PLG Innovation Team @ IBM Jan 2023 – Present | San Francisco Bay Area Product Led Growth | IBM Design & Research | Product Led Growth Innovation Team Focus areas: "Product Led Experience" & "Digital Sales" PLG Overview: The business strategy to drive revenue growth by placing the product at the center of customer journey. PLG innovation aims to establish a strong partnership with PLG growth teams across all segments to gain valuable insights into how they are enhancing their digital journey for their customers. Awards: • IBM Entrepreneur Award 2023 - IBM Patterns incubator project (Patterns team open sourcerer & Carbon contribution experience) • IBM Patterns incubator program 2023, 6-week intensive incubator project on how to improve the Carbon open source contribution process utilizing IBM Enterprise Design Thinking ### User Experience Designer-Artificial Intelligence | IBM Automation | IBM Software @ IBM Jan 2021 – Jan 2023 | San Francisco Bay Area API Connect & Aspera Awards: • Indigo Design Award 2024 Gold winning team in UX, Interface & Navigation • Red Dot 2023 winning team IBM API Connect • European Product Design Awards 2023 winning team of the Interface Design: Product User Interface Design category • W3 Gold Award 2023 winning team IBM API Connect • Stratus Award 2023 winning team IBM API Connect for cloud computing • watsonx challenge 2023 winning team • IBM Entrepreneur Award 2023 - IBM Patterns incubator project (Patterns team open sourcerer & Carbon contribution experience) • IBM Patterns incubator program 2023, 6-week intensive incubator project on how to improve the Carbon open source contribution process utilizing IBM Enterprise Design Thinking ### Adjunct Professor @ California College of the Arts Jan 2024 – Present | San Francisco, California, United States I teach communication by design in the MDes Graduate Interaction Design Program. World class CCA California College of the Arts is one of the most prestigious art and design schools in the United States. Teaching in the prestigious MDes Interaction Design Program at California College of the Arts (CCA), one of the top design schools globally. I teach the “Communication by Design” course, focusing on design communication, collaboration, and storytelling to help students develop essential skills for leadership in the design field. • Collaborated with faculty to develop and refine course materials, aligning with the program’s goals and industry trends. • Mentored 10 master’s-level students through individual and group projects, enhancing their communication, teamwork, and design skills. • Delivered lectures on topics such as team dynamics, psychological safety, radical candor, emotional intelligence, cross-cultural communication, and presentation design. • Facilitated discussions, critiques, and classroom activities to enhance students’ design thinking and interpersonal skills. • Provided detailed feedback and personalized mentorship to support both personal and professional growth. Key Topics Covered: • Team Dynamics & Collaboration: Psychological safety, team charters, radical candor. • Personal Growth: Growth mindset, emotional intelligence, self-awareness. • Communication: Cross-cultural communication, body language, and linguistic relativity. • Critique & Feedback: Constructive feedback and ethical critique methods. • Storytelling & Presentation: The hero’s journey, rhetorical analysis, and audience engagement. • Ethics & Power: Privilege, power dynamics, and ethics in design. ### Member of VR AR Association @ VR AR Association Jan 2021 – Present | San Francisco, California, United States ### NYU Tandon School of Engineering + Unity Immersive Design Certificate VR | AR | Immersive Design @ NYU Tandon School of Engineering: Graduate School Jan 2021 – Jan 2021 | San Francisco, California, United States NYU Tandon School of Engineering + Unity Immersive Design Certificate Program ### User Experience Designer | Contractor @ Apple Jan 2019 – Jan 2019 | Cupertino, California •Developed additional features and filtering options to Apple’s App Store Search Ads platform improving overall user experience. •Conceptualized visual direction and created wireframes with engineering teams to improve the new features, usability, and consistency of the platform. ### Masters MDes Interaction Design | Human Computer Interaction @ California College of the Arts Jan 2018 – Jan 2019 | San Francisco, California ### LinkedIn Hackathon for Economic Opportunity @ LinkedIn Jan 2019 – Jan 2019 | San Francisco Bay Area •Collaborated for 4 days alongside designers from California College of the Arts and engineers from General Assembly on a design challenge prompt provided by LinkedIn. •Delivered fast ideation and prototyping to come up with a solution and build a functioning prototype. ### User Experience Design Lead | Creative Lead @ LoopedLife Jan 2018 – Jan 2019 | San Francisco, California •Designed iterations of UX flows, wireframe solutions, and specifications of mobile application for developer handoff. •Collaborated with engineers, research, and brand strategy teams to enhance and validate user-facing deliverables. ### Team Captain | Lead Designer | Creative Director @ OTTR | Team OTTR Jan 2015 – Jan 2019 | San Francisco, California •Founded and designed cycling team and bike product brand for male cyclists supporting AIDS/HIV charity. •Prototyped t-shirts, jackets, bike products, business cards under OTTR brand. •Designed team cycling kits and camp outfits. •Recruiting and leading bikers to safely participate in AIDS/LifeCycle. ### Lead Designer | Recruiter | Project Manager @ Residential Interior Design Project Jan 2015 – Jan 2018 | Danville, California •Designed home, including floor plan, landscaping, paint scheme, interior and exterior lighting, furniture, window treatments, etc. •Preserved history of home while focusing on functional-based design traits, using technology to modernize and promote ease of use. •Hired and managed contractors on scheduling and performance, as well as design strategy. •Sourced furniture, lighting, and appliances. I have been designing my parents house over the past year. Since my brother passed aways recently in 2014 from serious health issues. (a reason why I do the AIDS Lifecycle in his honor) It began with redesigning his bed room that escalated for me to take on making changes to the entire home to make it have a new life, as a result of my brothers loss my mother had a heart attack with a triple bypass. With that in mind I redesigned the home not only to have a new look I started with the bathrooms to become walk in showers that were handicap accessible for her without looking like it is meant for a disability. That soon became an entire home refacing as I designed and managed the contractors in the entire process. New landscape, exterior look, bathrooms, kitchen, new stair construction, custom entry door, furnishing and window treatments. -a nest thermostat so my mom can access temperature with out climbing up and down the stairs controlled on an iPad. -a nest protect in case of a fire it would immediately contact the fire department -motorized window shades that would work on a hub that automatically will open and close in the morning and night on a timer I programed so they would not have to go around pulling chords -water features out side that turn on and off to give the sound of peace on a timer as well -every morning I programed sonos speakers to play indian flute music at 7 am as a peaceful way to wake up. -the kitchen I opened up a area on the counter to function as a sitting area so my mom can sit and chop and prepare food so she wouldn't have to stand. ### User Experience Research Consultant @ bud.com Jan 2018 – Jan 2018 | San Francisco, California •Segmented target user types based on insights from in-person interview sessions and qualitative survey data. •Provided actionable interface recommendations based on contextual inquiry findings, best practices, and heuristic analysis. •Delivered content strategy recommendations to be implemented on bud.com's responsive website. ### Contract Designer @ LMNOP Design Inc. Jan 2013 – Jan 2016 | San Francisco, California •Planned and locally built components of a 50’ geodesic dome intended for assembly on-site for a Burning Man camp design "Caravancicle". •Designed company brand identity, including logo, business cards, and website. ### Workshop Facilitator | Product Designer | Event Coordinator @ KIDmob Jan 2012 – Jan 2016 | San Francisco, California •Developed products for online store and branding of KID Mob. •Taught workshops for a non-profit dedicated to educating and empowering young people to improve their environment using design tools. •Educated trainings on design process, creative engagement, community empowerment, teamwork, brainstorming, and methods of learning and doing. •Directed expression of ideas through rapid prototyping and presentations. •Coordinated fundraising events to help raise $10,000 and build staging for themed venues. ### Head of Design | Product Designer @ Wove Jan 2012 – Jan 2013 | San Francisco, California •Developed research and design for a line of 9 household products using solely American-made cotton. •Implemented prototype construction insuring durability and functionality leading to an innovative, eco-friendly, and re-latching reusable-cotton “paper towel”. •Collaborated with business strategists to formulate a brand and packaging design. ### Industrial Design Intern | Prototype Builder @ fuseproject Jan 2011 – Jan 2013 | San Francisco, California •Acted as lead prototype builder for 5 different clients throughout the professional design process including Herman Miller furniture, SodaStream, and Jawbone electronics. •Developed internal organization and archival system for all projects, sketches. •Maintained an on-site model-making shop. •Acquired an expertise in purchasing materials as well as prototype research and assembly. •Worked in a variety of model-making materials; textile, foam core, metal, wood, and plastic (PLA). •Created product prototypes for the Nike Foundation sponsored non-profit The Girl Effect. ### Masters of Design | Industrial Design @ California College of the Arts Jan 2010 – Jan 2012 | San Francisco, California, United States ### Graphics | Marketing Assistant @ ATI Architects + Engineers Jan 2008 – Jan 2011 | Danville, California •Conceptualized and designed marketing brochures, mailers and email blasts expanding and improving former materials. •Designed and developed new templates for project portfolio cut sheets. •Shaped and organized a new system for project portfolio cut sheets, computer files, directories, and images. •Developed and created presentation boards and submissions for national award competitions. •Improved and polished projects photos, renderings, and floor plans in photoshop. ### Visual Display Artist | Sales Associate @ Diesel Jan 2008 – Jan 2011 | San Francisco, California •Crafted fashion outfits for mannequins according to current collections. •Produced color stories and displays with product merchandise and visual props. •Developed floor sets to achieve collection sale and evoke visual interest. •Provided effective selling techniques using product knowledge. ### Interior Design Intern @ Alamosa Design Jan 2007 – Jan 2008 | San Francisco, California •Organized and maintained materials in the resource library. •Created and expanded inspiration binders for design records and resourcing. •Managed materials, fabric, and carpet samples. •Accounted for and recorded important documentation. •Updated AutoCAD red line drawings. ### Bachelors of Interior Architecture | Interior Design @ California College of the Arts Jan 2004 – Jan 2008 ### Design Studio Furniture Sales Associate @ Pottery Barn Jan 2005 – Jan 2006 | Walnut Creek, California •Advised clients with furniture selection, color matching, dimensions, care, and material quality for residential and commercial needs. •Compiled furniture cards with product information, dimensions, prices, and textile samples. •Provided effective selling techniques using product knowledge. ## Education ### Masters MDes in Interaction Design | Human Computer Interaction California College of the Arts ### Certificate in User Experience Design Immersive (10-week full-time) General Assembly ### Certificate in Javascript General Assembly ### Certificate in User Experience Design (8-week part-time) General Assembly ### Masters of Fine Arts in Design (Industrial Design Focus) California College of the Arts ### Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture | Fashion Minor California College of the Arts ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sunnybabbar001 - Website: https://sunnybabbardesign.com - Website: https://sunnybabbar.com - Website: https://vimeo.com/252627880 --- Source: https://flows.cv/sunnybabbar JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/sunnybabbar/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-08