Phoebe Ng
Thoughtful, Delightful and Good Lookin’ UX + ID

SUMMARY
For over two decades, I have provided innovative design solutions to numerous US and international companies, consistently reaching their goals and achieving excellent returns on investment. My extensive experience in both design and leadership enables me to deliver effective design solutions that serve user needs and positively impact the lives of millions. I possess a combination of strong hands-on design and leadership skills, with a focus on user-centered design and crafting exceptional user experiences by seamlessly integrating hardware, user interface, usability, technology, and other creative elements. My expertise spans a wide range of industries, including Internet of Things (IoT), commerce, social networking, productivity tools, edutainment, consumer electronics, creator platforms, fashion, and lifestyle.

EXPERIENCE

UX Design Manager, Google; Mountain View, CA. Jan 2022 - March 2023.
Led two global Android UX teams: Input and Platform Communication, serving as a key partner to cross-platform executive leadership. My strategic direction shaped the text input experiences for Android phones, tablets, and smartwatches across the flagship Pixel 7 line.

• Launched 12 Gboard features in 2022, supporting global audiences with 500 languages and 900 layouts.
• Led the design direction and managed the successful launches of Expression features for Gboard, including Dynatext, Emoji Kitchen, Emojify in 2022, and Generative-AI Expression in 2023.
• Led the Voice Experience design direction and launched Multilingual Voice Typing for Pixel 7 in 2022.

VP of Product Design, Endeavor; Remote and NY, CA. Dec 2020 - Jan 2022.
I was a founding member of the Endeavor Digital Group. I led a dynamic team of product designers, motion designers, instructional designers, marketing creatives, user researchers, and content strategists. My team and I pioneered 0-1 product initiatives to reimagine the business of Education & Entertainment and directed four D2C verticals: Education, Speaker Performance, Books & Authors, and Creator Platform.

• Increased velocity by creating the digital business lifecycle process and implementing a cross-functional work model, transforming WME Talent Agency into Endeavor Digital.
• Directed design initiatives and drove the successful launches of the Shelf Book Club in March 2021, Harry Walker Agency's OpenStage Speakers product in June 2021, Creator Collective and Studiocast creator monetization platforms in Dec 2021, and Versity Learning in April 2023 as a joint venture between Endeavor and Harvard University.
• Emerged as one of the few accomplished executives chosen for McKinsey's preeminent Executive Leadership Program, a transformative experience that propels senior-level talents toward pinnacle C-suite appointments.

Product Design Manager, Facebook; Menlo Park, CA. Oct 2018 - Dec 2020.
Built and led a high-performing team that grew to 12 talented designers, user researchers, and content strategists. Together, we pioneered the future of AR/VR for digital commerce by crafting fourteen 0-1 consumer and enterprise product experiences across five key areas: Digital Stores, Customer Care, Fulfillment Logistics, Manufacturing Data Systems, and Marketing & Sales.

• Shaped design vision, influenced the roadmap, and successfully launched the 2nd generation of Oculus.com, Portal.facebook.com, and commerce tools in 2019.
• Achieved a remarkable 157% YoY sales increase by up-leveling UX of the Portal 2.0 online store, and contributed to the successful expansion of the Shop Platform to 8 countries in September 2019.
• Achieved an outstanding 167% year-over-year sales growth by spearheading the design solutions for the Shop Platform e-commerce of Oculus Quest and its accessories in 2020. Effectively expanded Oculus' market presence to 23 countries.
• Boosted internal efficiency by 25% and improved customer satisfaction by overhauling enterprise tools AR/VR Commerce, including the Manufacturing Data System, Customer Support, Warranty System, and Prospect360 Sales CRM in 2020.
• Forged strategic partnerships with Facebook Reality Labs and Family of Apps, leading successful launches of Portal and Oculus Hubs. I spearheaded the design of the Oculus Referral Program that drove significant user engagement and revenue growth in 2020.
• Led the design direction and launched the Oculus Help Center and Support Bot in March 2021. Slashed 33% of the time required for support agents to resolve and close tickets.
• Championed Diversity & Inclusion and Team & People initiatives within my organization.

Director of Design (UX, Industrial Design, User Research), SmartThings; Mountain View, CA. Jan 2016 - Aug 2018.
Established the in-house design practice and led UX, Industrial Design, and User Research at SmartThings. I spearheaded the transformation of the user experience within a connected ecosystem of over 3,000 IoT products. I served as a trusted advisor to the Executive Team, shaping product strategy, fostering a culture of design within SmartThings, and championing human-centered design as our core principle.

• Built and managed a multi-disciplinary design team to develop end-to-end IoT solutions, transforming complex technologies, applying AI & Machine Learning to create intuitive smart home experiences, and connecting thousands of physical products to the digital world as a unified system.
• Led the design efforts for the successful launches of two generations of SmartThings mobile app and accompanying hardware products in 2017 and 2018.
• Championed the innovative IoT design solution for the first Samsung SmartTV app.
• Led the design efforts and successfully launched the NVIDIA Shield SmartThings experience across both mobile and TV platforms in 2017.
• Strategically influenced the design and business direction through partnership with ADT and successfully launch the ADT SmartThings Home Security System in 2018.
• Spearheaded the design efforts for the SmartThings mobile apps on Android and iOS, unifying three disparate Samsung connected home applications into a single cohesive IoT user experience.
• Consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership capabilities, earning the highest level of recognition in four consecutive performance reviews.
• Honored as a Strong Women Leader in 2018 by Samsung Research America, a prestigious accolade that recognized my exceptional leadership prowess and invaluable contributions to the organization.

Senior Interaction Designer, Apple; Cupertino, CA. Nov 2013 - Nov 2015.
Spearheaded the strategic end-to-end design of collaboration features integrated across Apple's productivity applications for MacOS, iOS, and iCloud platforms. Revolutionized the way users collaborate and interact with content, fostering enhanced productivity and enabling seamless cross-device experiences.

• Pioneered the future of collaborative work – co-editing, change & conflict tracking, and version control.
• Led the design and development of 3 major productivity app features: Cloud Documents, platform-agnostic file syncing, and Document Managers.

User Experience Design Manager, Amazon; Seattle, WA. Feb 2012 - Oct 2013.
As a UX leader for the Amazon Independent Publishing team, I designed and shaped the future of publishing by designing the next-gen authoring sites and tools that empower self-publishing authors to produce professional-grade books.

• Spearheaded the development of the Cover Creator tool, empowering self-publishing authors to design professional-quality book covers. The tool saw a remarkable surge in usage, growing from 25,000 to 75,000 users within its first month of launch. Its impressive 4.7 out of 5.0 customer satisfaction rating makes it the highest-rated tool among all Amazon KDP offerings.
• Redesigned the entire end-to-end workflow for book publishing platform including manuscript ingestion, book formatting, distribution, and monetization.
• Designed and launched products for business units, including Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, Enterprise KDP, CreateSpace, and Kindle Worlds (Amazon Fan Fiction).

Principal, Owner, Entrepreneur, Objx Studio; Seattle, WA. Sep 2009 - Nov 2013.
At Objx, I blended my design thinking and entrepreneurial skills by working with startups and companies globally, including Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Iceland, Hong Kong, and the US. I created innovative hardware and user experiences for consumer electronics, healthcare, and lifestyle products and successfully launched them internationally through effective collaboration with overseas manufacturers.

• Designed and shipped products internationally for Dreamcom Computing, Telefunken Elektroakustik, Yamaha Audio & Visual, Franke Group, Bayer Heart Rate Monitors, Arcadia Health Monitors, Intel Interactive Kiosk, FÖT Fashion Accessories, and many others.

Design Manager, HP; Cupertino, Seattle, WA. Feb 2008 - Sep 2009.
I led UX and Industrial Design responsibilities within multidisciplinary project teams for global customers across many HP divisions. I was instrumental in building key relationships with internal and external clients including the Consumer PC, Notebook and Voodoo groups, in creating brand orientated accessory products for HP.

• Improved design cycle time and reduced the development budget by establishing an effective design practice in-house. As a result, I helped increase the revenue for the computer accessory business, and it became one of the most profitable businesses in HP.

Principal Designer, Frog Design; Palo Alto, CA.  Feb 2002 - Feb 2008.
I led large scale Industrial Design and UX Design projects for various clients including Disney Consumer Electronics, Maxtor, Seagate, Google, Leapfrog, HP, Logitech, Abbott, nVidia, Ralph Lauren, Hitachi, Dreamcom, Arcadia, Clorox, Kimberly Clark and Motorola.

• Maintained full design leadership, strategic vision and innovation in Industrial Design, Convergent Design, Product Development by creating fresh ideas or reinventing established categories for various frog design clients.
• I was a protégé of the world's most influential design legend and founder of Frog Design Hartmut Esslinger. During my tenure, I was Hartmut’s most utilized and trusted designer.

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science in Design, Illinois Institute of Technology; Chicago, IL. I emerged as the 1st place winner in a prestigious design competition by the Hong Kong Designers Association, earning a coveted full 4-year academic scholarship to pursue studies in the United States.

• Visual Communication Design and Industrial Design – Dual Majors
• Winner of a full 4-year academic scholarship

McKinsey Executive Leadership; San Francisco, CA.

• Asian Executive Leadership Program 2021
• Nominated, selected, and sponsored by Endeavor Co.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Professional Skills
Design Vision & Strategy, Storytelling, Design Sprint, Strategic Planning, Mentoring & Coaching, Executive Influence & Collaboration, Cross-Functional Team Leadership, Stakeholder Management

Technical Skills
Interaction Design, Visual Design, UX/UI, Design Systems, Information Architecture, Systems Thinking, User Research, Accessibility, Prototyping, Localization, UX Writing

2D / 3D Design Tools
Figma, Sketch, Photoshop, Illustrator, Principle, ProtoPie, Unity, Blender 3D, Maya, Keyshot, Alias Studio, PTC Creo

Programming Language Knowledge
HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Swift, Python

VOLUNTEERING

• VolunteerMatch.org. Feb 2010 - present
• Reading Partners Volunteer. Apr 2015 - present
• Operation HOPE, Banking On Our Future Volunteer. Oct 2015 - 2017

LANGUAGES

• English — Fluent in speaking, reading, and writing
• Cantonese (Chinese) — Fluent in speaking, reading, and writing
• Mandarin (Chinese) — Competent in speaking, reading, and writing
• German — Competent in speaking and reading