Meet
“
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Design is problem-solving you can see — turning complexity into something clear, usable, and meaningful.
A Brief
Dara Thomas.
Co-founder and Product Experience Strategist
Dara is a senior product designer and visual storyteller focused on helping teams make complex digital products easier to understand and use. She works across the full product lifecycle — from discovery through delivery — shaping experiences that bring clarity to workflows, onboarding, and core product interactions. She’s led design for both startups and established B2B products, guiding teams through everything from early-stage concepts to large-scale platforms. Her strength lies in combining strategic thinking with visual execution — creating interfaces and systems that communicate clearly while still leaving room for moments of delight. Outside of client work, Dara is a multidisciplinary artist, creating detailed portraits from paper and confetti, and a developing bass guitarist with a growing vinyl collection.
Desk
A
Q
Where are you from?
A few places. I was born in Montreal, spent several years in Trinidad and Tobago where my family is from, later moved to San Diego, and now split my time between Atlanta and San Miguel de Allende.
How does your background influence your approach to design?
I started as a visual artist before moving into product design, so I’ve always been drawn to how visuals communicate meaning. My background in sociology and research methodology shapes how I approach UX — I look beyond surface-level interactions to understand user behavior, patterns, and context more deeply. That foundation helps me analyze complex problems with rigor and design solutions that feel clear, intuitive, and grounded in how people actually think and act.
What are you reading or listening to these days?
I recently revisited Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. Musically, I spend a lot of time with vinyl — artists like John Coltrane, Erykah Badu, Moonchild, and Hiatus Kaiyote are in regular rotation.
What do you usually do in your spare time?
I split my time between visual art and music — working on large-scale paper portraits or practicing bass. I also spend a lot of time crate digging at local record shops.
How do you collaborate as a team, and what makes your partnership unique?
We’re both comfortable across multiple areas of design, which makes us flexible in how we take on work. Being partners in life as well gives us a level of trust, speed, and alignment that’s hard to replicate in traditional teams.
Favorite foods/drinks?
French fries, Ethiopian food, pizza — all equally important. Passionfruit juice and lemonade are always in rotation.
Any guilty pleasures?
Rewatching early 2000s reality TV.
What kind of projects excite you the most?
The complex ones — where there’s a real challenge to break down, structure, and solve. I enjoy taking something that feels overwhelming and turning it into a clear, workable system.
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