Mark Barilla — UX Design Lead · Product Designer

Systems thinker.
Surface shipper.

Hi, I'm Mark Barilla, UX Design Leader, builder & creative technologist. I've spent 15 years building systems behind products used by billions — for Google Lens, Google News, and CNN. I'm currently focused on the intersection of large-scale platforms and AI-assisted craft, and am open to Staff and Principal roles for 2026. Let's connect.

See the work

§02 · What I'm Looking For

The work I do best lies at the intersection of design leadership, Staff/Principal IC execution, and AI-native craft.

1 / Design leadership & team management. I've built and led cross-functional design teams at Google and CNN — driving roadmaps, coaching ICs, shaping org structure, and navigating stakeholder complexity at scale. If you're building or growing a design org, I'd love to learn more.

2 / Staff / Principal IC & AI-native craft. I think in systems first and pixels second. Zero-to-one ownership, hands-on execution, setting the design standard others build from. I'm actively fluent in AI-assisted workflows — and genuinely excited about what AI means for the next generation of product design. I also know where AI falls short and when to lean on my years of design experience and human craft.

3 / The honest version. While some might see 15 years and assume management-only, others may see design technologist and skip me for leadership roles. I can actually do (and love!) both, and the overlap is where I find I do my best work. I love building collaborative energy between team players regardless of the discipline or level.

Roles that fit

Leadership / Build and grow design teams at scale. Design Lead · Product Design Lead · UX Design Lead · Design Director · Head of Design

Staff / Principal IC / Zero-to-one systems thinking and hands-on execution. Staff Designer · Principal UX Designer · Principal Product Designer · 0-to-1 Product Designer

AI & Specialization / Fluent in AI-assisted workflows, excited about what's next. AI UX Designer · AI Product Designer · Design Technologist · Creative Technologist

Systems & Platform / Design systems for products used by billions. Design Systems Lead · Platform Designer · Systems Designer · Cross-functional Design Lead

Systems thinker.
Surface shipper.

A portfolio of systems, surfaces and shipped products powering experiences still in use by millions.

Lens integrations across three billion-user products.

Google News, reimagined for large screens.

News Showcase: a $1B investment in journalism.

Designed, built, and shipped entirely with AI.

Mobile-first live coverage, built for simultaneous breaking news.

CNN Politics — a dedicated destination for U.S. political coverage.

Defining the UX of a defining night.

CNN Politics App.

CNN on Apple News.

CNN.com, redesigned.

Tweaks · Typography×

Systems thinker.Surface shipper.

A portfolio of systems, surfaces and shipped products powering experiences still in use by millions.

Lens integrations across three billion-user products.

Google News, reimagined for large screens.

News Showcase: a $1B investment in journalism.

Designed, built, and shipped entirely with AI.

Mobile-first live coverage, built for simultaneous breaking news.

CNN Politics — a dedicated destination for U.S. political coverage.

Defining the UX of a defining night.

CNN Politics App.

CNN on Apple News.

CNN.com, redesigned.

Systems thinker.
Surface shipper.