Leadership in Design
Pathways and Perspectives

Peter is a design leader specializing in digital product and experience design, currently serving as Director of Product Design at OkCupid and Archer in New York City. With years in the online dating industry, Peter emphasizes diverse and empathetic design solutions to cultivate meaningful human connections. He has previously worked and launched successful products at Warner Brothers Digital Lab with DC Universe, Paramount (Viacom) with Events platform for MTV VMAs and EMAs, and also served well-known clients such as Uniqlo, Bloomingdales in the omni-channel creative agency, The Science Project.

Liz Danzico (she/her) is part designer, part educator, and full-time dog owner. She traces the roots of her craft back to her parents. According to Liz, she was raised in Pennsylvania where her mother and father managed her responsibilities on refrigerator spreadsheets. It was early on that she was taught that organization is a virtue. She hasn’t looked back since. These days, she is VP of Design with Microsoft AI Design and Research. She helps direct design, research, and writing for its Copilot, search, and content experiences teams while inspiring discovery and fostering new innovations. Prior to Microsoft, she was SVP of Digital and VP of Design for NPR, responsible for leading human-centered product design and helped lead the Public Radio Incubation Lab, a new path to bringing transformative ideas to life. She’s the Founding Chair of the MFA Interaction Design program at SVA (School of Visual Arts). She strives to be at the intersection of design, product, education, strategy, and the genesis of new ideas. Ask her about vizslas.

Rob (he/him) is an accomplished leader, designer, and educator with over two decades of experience in the tech industry. As Partner Design Director at Microsoft, he heads the Edge Browser team within Microsoft AI Design and Research, where he also helps drive studio operations and culture. His career at Microsoft includes leading design and research for projects like Bing Image Creator, Windows Copilot, Windows Search, various AI-driven experiences, consumer and enterprise search experiences, ads platform and tools, and he led design for the award-winning Seeing AI app. For about a decade before Microsoft he worked in startups and founded a creative agency. He holds a BA in Art – Graphic Design from California State University, demonstrating his longstanding commitment to integrating design excellence with innovation.

Diamond (she/her) is a Design Director at Microsoft AI Design and Research in New York. Originally from Hong Kong, she leads a team of multidisciplinary designers focused on Web AI. Previously, she directed the Wrist AR design team at Meta Reality Labs, working on neural interface platforms for Meta’s wrist products and leading efforts to enhance News Feed integrity through machine learning at Facebook. Early in her career, Diamond was a founding member of Logitech’s UX team, helping to establish their initial design system and contributing to launches like the Logi Circle, Harmony Remote, Ultimate Ears speakers, and Logitech G products. Diamond also teaches at the School of Visual Arts in their MFA Interaction Design program. She remains dedicated to integrating design and technology to create meaningful user experiences.

Gary (he/him) is a Principal Design Manager at Microsoft AI Design and Research. Throughout his years in this industry, Gary has had the opportunity to play many different roles (Designer, Researcher, UX Program Manager, Product Manager) and utilizes this broad experience to help others understand and execute human-centered design effectively. Gary holds a B.S. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Montana State University-Bozeman, an M.B.A. from Boise State University, and an M.S. in Human Centered Design and Engineering from the University of Washington. Gary also teaches Applied UX Design for the University of Washington Continuum Education program. As a human, Gary loves gaming, running, pets, and the beautiful Pacific Northwest.