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Product design leadership rooted in people-first teams, strategic clarity, and end–to–end design excellence.

A Bit About Me

I’m a design leader driven by curiosity and a love for solving complex problems.

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I started out fascinated by how things work, taking apart cars, understanding systems, and fixing what was broken, which shaped how I think about design today.

That curiosity carried me from mechanical systems into technology, where I’ve built a career designing and scaling products that empower people and organizations. I’ve led design teams across B2B SaaS, e-commerce, enterprise UX, and security/compliance, guiding multi-squad teams in high-stakes environments.

Today, I focus on building high-performing, values-driven teams and products people trust, mentoring designers into confident leaders and creating work that thrives in complex domains.

End–to–End Design Excellence

Built on a strong design foundation, I lead with people-first values and strategic clarity, guiding products from research to launch through strong craft, scalable systems, and practical processes that drive impact for users and the business.

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Design Leadership​

10+ years

Building, leading and growing design teams 

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Design Foundations

11 years

Sharpening my UX skills

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People-First Teams

I mentor, empower, and create a culture of trust, collaboration, and honest feedback so teams can do their best work.

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Trust

I foster an environment of mutual trust by promoting transparency, reliability, and accountability. The goal is to build confidence in individuals and the team, empowering ownership and collaboration to drive shared success and meaningful outcomes.

Empathy

I lead with understanding by valuing diverse perspectives and recognizing the unique strengths and challenges of each team member. By cultivating a culture of care, I support both personal and professional growth, ensuring that everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute their best.

Accountability

I set clear expectations and hold myself and my team accountable for delivering results. By celebrating successes and addressing challenges constructively, I foster a culture of ownership, ensuring that everyone takes responsibility for their contributions and strives for continuous improvement.

Mentorship

I actively guide and develop team members by sharing knowledge, offering constructive feedback, and supporting their growth. By inspiring others to realize their full potential, I create a collaborative culture that encourages learning, fosters innovation, and drives both individual and team success.

Strategic Clarity

I turn early ambiguity into clear, actionable strategy by bringing structure to the design process. I help teams blend creativity with rigor to deliver solutions that are visionary, validated, and scalable.
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Discovery

I start by aligning stakeholders and defining goals, then conduct generative research to uncover user needs and business priorities.  Insights are deepened through data analysis, domain expertise, and business impact assessments, clarifying opportunities and risks.

Solution

From there, I prioritize use cases and map user journeys to craft a compelling vision and product strategy. Experiments are designed with clear success metrics, evaluative research, and change management planning to ensure solutions are practical and adaptable.

Validation

Early proof-of-concepts validate core functionality and capture authentic feedback. Iterative experiments, including A/B testing, refine the experience, while scalable and accessible technical architecture ensures solutions are built the right way.

Evolution

Finally, I focus on scaling and sustaining impact. This includes embedding learnings into design systems, fostering cross-functional adoption, and continuously iterating to keep pace with evolving user needs and business goals.

Isabelle Zhang
Senior Product Designer, Sprout Social

"For two years, I had the opportunity to be on the team that Alex was a director of. During that time, Alex was deeply committed to the growth and success of our team, leading with empathy and support. He led the team through major product changes and always kept a positive outlook despite any challenges. He made deep connections with our cross-discipline partners, and consistently fostered a collaborative environment so that we could all reach our goals. I have no doubt that any organization he is a part of will benefit greatly from his skill and dedication."

© Copyright 2025 - Alex Thanasenaris - All rights reserved. 

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