Christian Young

Product Design Executive

I help multi-product software companies ship one coherent, accessible experience with a leaner team, by rebuilding how design works, not just what it produces.

Most recently VP of Product Design at Operative (AdTech SaaS, $150M ARR). Before that: DigitalOcean and Kaiser Permanente.

Open to: Senior Director / Head of Product Design roles · Remote (US), hybrid or relocation.

Operative: $150M ARR · 5 products · 20-person org (6 direct reports).
DigitalOcean: 25+ person org through 3 UX managers.
Kaiser: 60+ person org co-led, 12M+ members.
Results: led the design-language and design-system workstream of a modernization that cut platform development costs 23% and raised release velocity 18% (Operative); 3.8 → 4.5 app rating (Kaiser).
AI design-system plug-in (OPAL): used by 100+ engineers and 10+ product managers.

Let’s Talk

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Stronger Teams. Better Experiences. Smarter Delivery.

Icon: converging interfaces around human-centered design

Icon: connected workflow with human review

Give Teams the Structure to Succeed.

Make Complex Products Work Better for People.

Change How Work Gets Done.

I connect people, priorities, and decision-making so multidisciplinary teams can work toward shared outcomes. My leadership combines manager development, clear operating models, and close partnership with Product and Engineering.
Experience: Led a 20-person global organization at Operative, led DigitalOcean’s 25+ person design and UX organization through 3 UX managers, and co-led Kaiser Permanente’s 60+ person Product Design and Experience organization.

I use customer evidence to decide what to simplify, modernize, or rebuild. That has meant unifying five enterprise products at Operative and resetting a stalled diabetes pilot around patients’ highest-value needs at Kaiser Permanente.
Customer impact: The redesigned diabetes pilot helped improve treatment adherence by 20%+ among app participants.

I redesign operating models to improve how teams deliver. At Operative, I shifted embedded design support toward an AI-first Center of Excellence, connecting reusable standards, AI-assisted workflows and OPAL, our AI design-system plug-in, with human review where judgment mattered most.
Delivery impact: Helped a smaller team preserve delivery momentum following a 20% workforce reduction.

View Case Studies

From Embedded Designers to an AI-First Center of Excellence

Unifying a Fragmented Five-Product Experience

Before and after: embedded designers versus an AI-first Design Center of Excellence

Analytics dashboard before and after: legacy reporting dashboard versus the redesigned dashboard on the unified design language (client data blurred)

Operative: Vice President, Product Design

Decision: Following a 20% workforce reduction, I shifted embedded design support toward an AI-first Center of Excellence with shared standards and human checkpoints.

Outcome: A smaller team kept all five product lines covered, while Operative’s broader modernization lifted release velocity 18%. Its OPAL design-system plug-in, covering design language, accessibility and microcopy, was adopted by 100+ engineers and 10+ product managers; with the shared design system, it contributed to 20–30% faster design/engineering cycles.

View AI-first design case study →

Operative: Vice President, Product Design

Decision: I prioritized a shared design language and accessibility foundation across five products as the first phase of a broader modernization.

Outcome: Record client retention, and the first phase of a modernization that cut platform development costs 23% and raised release velocity 18%; I led its design-language and design-system workstream.

View enterprise modernization case study →

Turning Around a Stalled Diabetes Management Pilot

Turning Accessibility into an Executive Operating System

The diabetes app home screen across three stages: original, pilot, and future

Executive Accessibility Operating System: governance, KPIs, design systems, procurement and AI readiness, with an accessibility score, VPAT checklist and enterprise RFP panels

Kaiser Permanente: Director, Mobile Design & UX

Decision: I recommended rebuilding a stalled vendor pilot as a focused MVP around patients’ highest-value needs

Outcome: Treatment adherence improved by 20%+ among app participants after the redesigned pilot launched.

View healthcare turnaround case study →

Operative & Kaiser Permanente: VP, Product Design · Director, Mobile Design & UX

Decision: I moved accessibility out of late-stage QA and into the design system, procurement, and role-level ownership, with a WCAG AA baseline leaders could govern.

Outcome: Operative’s first public Accessibility Conformance Report for enterprise RFPs, and 400+ Kaiser Permanente employees trained in WCAG and inclusive design.

View accessibility case study →

Selected Recognition

Webby People’s Voice

Contributed to healthcare mobile experiences recognized for member value and digital experience quality

Design Company of the Year 2022

Though this distinction has never gone to a healthcare company before, the impact of Kaiser Permanente’s design-forward approach to improving patient care–particularly in an industry that has not historically prioritized user experience–made it worthy of the recognition.

NAB Best of Show

Award recognition for AI-enabled product work across broadcast, media, and advertising technology.

Highly Commended, CSI Awards — Operative Adeline AI

Highly Commended in the CSI Awards’ Best Use of AI or Machine Learning in Video category (2024), recognizing AI applications that advance video technology, workflows, and audience experiences.

What Leaders Say

Christian was instrumental in changing the design direction for an organization with true need for a leader. His contributions - reimagining of legacy workflows, core design guides, and centralized component library - will transcend his time at Operative. I learned a great deal from Christian during our time together. I highly recommend Christian for any organization looking for strong design acumen, leadership skills, and a strategic mindset.

Steve Paoletti

CPO, Operative

Christian spearheaded the adoption of AI across solutions with a UX guide and template that significantly reduced the cycle time of design and development... Christian would be a great asset as a leader who gets and drives the strategic vision and also as a person who can get into the details as needed to drive the delivery on that vision.

Christian spearheaded the adoption of AI across solutions with a UX guide and template that significantly reduced the cycle time of design and development… Christian would be a great asset as a leader who gets and drives the strategic vision and also as a person who can get into the details as needed to drive the delivery on that vision.

Christian is a fantastic UX leader and partner. He and I lead the UX team at Kaiser. He was my go-to, confidant and rock. I would pick him as my partner in leadership any day. Not only is he an expert digital leader, he has a huge heart and deeply cares about the growth and recognition of his team and those he works with.

Naren Rajappa

SVP / CTO, Operative

Photo of Kylie Emers, Head of User Experience, Kaiser Permanente

Kylie Emers

Head of User Experience, Kaiser Permanente

Steve Paoletti
CPO, Operative

Naren Rajappa

SVP / CTO, Operative

Kylie Emers

Head of User Experience, Kaiser Permanente

Companies I've had the opportunity to work with

I connect people, priorities, and decision-making so multidisciplinary teams can work toward shared outcomes. My leadership combines manager development, clear operating models, and close partnership with Product and Engineering.
Experience: Led a 20-person global organization at Operative, led DigitalOcean’s 25+ person design and UX organization through 3 UX managers, and co-led Kaiser Permanente’s 60+ person Product Design and Experience organization.

Give Teams the Structure to Succeed.

Make Complex Products Work Better for People.

I use customer evidence to decide what to simplify, modernize, or rebuild. That has meant unifying five enterprise products at Operative and resetting a stalled diabetes pilot around patients’ highest-value needs at Kaiser Permanente.
Customer impact: The redesigned diabetes pilot helped improve treatment adherence by 20%+ among app participants.

Change How Work Gets Done.

I redesign operating models to improve how teams deliver. At Operative, I shifted embedded design support toward an AI-first Center of Excellence, connecting reusable standards, AI-assisted workflows and OPAL, our AI design-system plug-in, with human review where judgment mattered most.
Delivery impact: Helped a smaller team preserve delivery momentum following a 20% workforce reduction.

Operative: Vice President, Product Design

Decision: Following a 20% workforce reduction, I shifted embedded design support toward an AI-first Center of Excellence with shared standards and human checkpoints.

Outcome: A smaller team kept all five product lines covered, while Operative’s broader modernization lifted release velocity 18% and cut design/engineering cycle time 20–30%. Its OPAL design-system plug-in, covering design language, accessibility and microcopy, was adopted by 100+ engineers and 10+ product managers.

View AI-first design case study →

From Embedded Designers to an AI-First Center of Excellence

Unifying a Fragmented Five-Product Experience

Operative: Vice President, Product Design

Decision: I prioritized a shared design language and accessibility foundation across five products as the first phase of a broader modernization.

View enterprise modernization case study →

Kaiser Permanente: Director, Mobile Design & UX

Decision: I recommended rebuilding a stalled vendor pilot as a focused MVP around patients’ highest-value needs

Outcome: Treatment adherence improved by 20%+ among app participants after the redesigned pilot launched.

View healthcare turnaround case study →

Turning Around a Stalled Diabetes Management Pilot

Operative & Kaiser Permanente: VP, Product Design · Director, Mobile Design & UX

Decision: I moved accessibility out of late-stage QA and into the design system, procurement, and role-level ownership, with a WCAG AA baseline leaders could govern.

Outcome: Operative’s first public Accessibility Conformance Report for enterprise RFPs, and 400+ Kaiser Permanente employees trained in WCAG and inclusive design.

View accessibility case study →

Christian Young

Christian Young

Product Design Executive

Stronger Teams. Better Experiences. Smarter Delivery.

Give Teams the Structure to Succeed.

Make Complex Products Work Better for People.

Change How Work Gets Done.

View Case Studies

From Embedded Designers to an AI-First Center of Excellence

Unifying a Fragmented Five-Product Experience

Turning Around a Stalled Diabetes Management Pilot

Turning Accessibility into an Executive Operating System

Selected Recognition

What Leaders Say

Steve Paoletti

CPO, Operative

Naren Rajappa

SVP / CTO, Operative

Kylie Emers

Head of User Experience, Kaiser Permanente

Steve PaolettiCPO, Operative

Naren Rajappa

SVP / CTO, Operative

Kylie Emers

Head of User Experience, Kaiser Permanente

Companies I've had the opportunity to work with

Give Teams the Structure to Succeed.

Make Complex Products Work Better for People.

Change How Work Gets Done.

From Embedded Designers to an AI-First Center of Excellence

Unifying a Fragmented Five-Product Experience

Turning Around a Stalled Diabetes Management Pilot

Turning Accessibility into an Executive Operating System

Steve Paoletti
CPO, Operative