# Will Abbott > Principal Designer at Genentech · Product Design Leader with 14+ Years Experience in UX, UI, Strategy, and Research Location: San Francisco, California, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/willabbott 14 years of B2C experience as a leader and contributor in UX, UI, strategy, design systems, and research. Passionate about discovering unexpected patterns and turning them into product opportunities. Thrives in ambiguity, unafraid to experiment, and driven to explore outliers. Experienced designing solutions that balance user needs, business goals, and technical capabilities. Let's chat if you want to make something happen and need some UX, UI, research, and design strategy. Recent live releases include the mobile home screen for the Ulta Beauty app and multiple product features for DIRECTV on 10ft, mobile, tablet, and web. Resume available on request. Portfolio, www.willabbott.com. ## Work Experience ### Principal Experience Designer @ Genentech Jan 2026 – Present ### Founder, Owner, and Contributor @ Will Abbott Design Jan 2005 – Present | San Francisco • www.willabbott.com • UX . UI . Research . Strategy . Human-Centered Design . Interaction Design Select Clients: • Sephora (2025) - Principal designer for new company initiatives. • Traction (2025) - Breakpoint layout and design system for external client. • Mantissa Live (2020) - Concept art for new product and user interaction. • frog (2018) - UX design and discovery for new TIAA E&F website. • Sony (2018) - Designed an internal build program's panels, inspector, and toolbar • Sunrun (2018) - Industrial Design for Home Depot's aisle end-caps. ### Principal Customer Experience Designer @ Meta Jan 2025 – Jan 2026 | San Francisco, California, United States • Sitting across multiple verticals, I lead research and design strategy that informs product direction and the omnichannel retail design experience. • Translating insights into actionable design strategies that drive sales for Meta’s smart glasses and VR devices. • Defining success metrics and presenting findings to stakeholders to ensure alignment and buy-in. ### Lead User Experience Designer @ DIRECTV Jan 2021 – Jan 2024 | Los Angeles • Launched 50+ features across 10ft, mobile, tablet, web, satellite, and third-party devices. • Designed, documented, and QA’d large-scale initiatives in fast-paced Agile/Scrum environments. • Collaborated with Product Owners to align design output with business goals. *Achievements, metrics, and KPI's available upon resume request. ### Senior User Experience Designer @ Ulta Beauty Jan 2021 – Jan 2021 | Chicago • Led research, UX design, and user testing for the mobile app redesign. • Authored the mobile app’s strategic vision, focusing on product personalization and loyalty program incentives. • Partnered with directors and the VP of ECOMM to lead the redesign strategy, aligning business goals with research insights to improve the mobile app homepage. *Achievements, metrics, and KPI's available upon resume request. ### Senior User Experience Designer, Store Experience and Innovation @ Gap Inc. Jan 2018 – Jan 2020 | San Francisco • Strategist and designer for Gap’s in-store QR code price checking, online personalized styling service, and e-gift card personalization initiatives. • Conducted research on customer behavior and market trends, uncovering key customer needs and business opportunities. • Collaborated with third-party vendors to test new in-store technology. • Coordinated with department heads and store general managers to conduct in-store testing and interviews. *Achievements, metrics, and KPI's available upon resume request. ### Senior Experience Designer @ Zynga Jan 2016 – Jan 2018 | San Francisco • UX/UI Designer for two new 4X-MMO IPs and one existing title. • Created new design systems and front-end prefabs in Unity for mobile and tablet platforms. *Achievements, metrics, and KPI's available upon resume request. ### UI/UX Designer and R&D Specialist @ Sony Network Entertainment Int'l (SNEI) Jan 2012 – Jan 2015 | San Francisco ∘ Tokyo ∘ London • Led the UX/UI design and launch of Sony’s Music Unlimited app. • Senior UX Designer and Researcher for PlayStation Vue, a first-of-its-kind streaming service. • Incorporated AR, wearables, IoT, and secondary screen interactions, leading design for a unified “Sony Lifestyle” experience. • Collaborated with innovation teams in Tokyo, leading UX design for next-generation in-home devices. - Integrated Tech: hand gesture recognition, voice control, and eye tracking. *Achievements, metrics, and KPI's available upon resume request. ### Support Specialist @ IDEO Jan 2009 – Jan 2012 | San Francisco ∘ Palo Alto ### Industrial Designer @ Chronicle Books Jan 2007 – Jan 2008 | San Francisco ## Education ### Bachelor of Arts - BA in Industrial and Product Design University of San Francisco ### Bachelor of Arts - BA in Industrial and Product Design California College of the Arts ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/willabbott - Portfolio: https://www.willabbott.com/ --- Source: https://flows.cv/willabbott JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/willabbott/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13