Derek Bender

Derek Bender

Home

About

Contact

CV ↓

Derek Bender

Derek Bender

With 15 years of experience in product design, I've crafted cross-platform systems, 0→1 experiences, and impactful, metrics-driven features.

Balancing hands-on IC work with design leadership, I've contributed to products used by millions and collaborated with companies at all stages of scale and maturity. I create designs that drive results and enhance user experiences, from initial concept to final execution, always aiming for measurable impact.

Outside of work, I enjoy crafting cocktails, baking desserts, and exploring the outdoors. Originally from Michigan, I've lived in San Francisco and now call Amsterdam home with my wife and young daughter.

With 15 years of experience in product design, I've crafted cross-platform systems, 0→1 experiences, and impactful, metrics-driven features.

Balancing hands-on IC work with design leadership, I've contributed to products used by millions and collaborated with companies at all stages of scale and maturity. I create designs that drive results and enhance user experiences, from initial concept to final execution, always aiming for measurable impact.

Outside of work, I enjoy crafting cocktails, baking desserts, and exploring the outdoors. Originally from Michigan, I've lived in San Francisco and now call Amsterdam home with my wife and young daughter.

With 15 years of experience in product design, I've crafted cross-platform systems, 0→1 experiences, and impactful, metrics-driven features.

Balancing hands-on IC work with design leadership, I've contributed to products used by millions and collaborated with companies at all stages of scale and maturity. I create designs that drive results and enhance user experiences, from initial concept to final execution, always aiming for measurable impact.

Outside of work, I enjoy crafting cocktails, baking desserts, and exploring the outdoors. Originally from Michigan, I've lived in San Francisco and now call Amsterdam home with my wife and young daughter.

Experience

Lead Product Designer

Global HR, fintech, scale-up | 2023 - 2024

Led the Fintech vertical—encompassing mature and 0-to-1 products

Oversaw growth of team from 2 to 5 highly-skilled designers

Increased efficiency, collaboration & quality by introducing new processes

Senior Product Designer

Global shipping & logistics, internal tooling, enterprise | 2022 - 2023

Designed key feature unlocking enterprise-level client business
Designed tools that opened a significant alternate revenue stream
Ran user testing research & full design workstreams

Senior Product Designer

Micromobility, internal tooling, scale-up | 2021 - 2022

Shipped 16+ high impact projects across web & mobile
Launched in strategic 7 cities
Designed tools which improved fleet availability +10% and reduced vehicle onboarding time -34%

Senior Product Designer

Grocery delivery, growth & onboarding, scale-up | 2019 - 2021

Shipped features that decreased late deliveries by 7% and improved shopper activations by 15%
Implemented new design system across onboarding experience
Redesigned key areas of the Shopper work acceptance experience

Also, previously @ Uber, Pinterest, Handshake & more. Visit me on LinkedIn.

Testimonials

[He] seamlessly collaborated and effectively communicated with the product, engineering, and business stakeholders throughout the project. The new feature Derek designed will enable us to grow by signing on new clients and reduce our cost to serve by making the process more efficient for our operators.

Design Manager

[He] excels in interaction design and is able to take complex requirements and distill them into simple, easy-to-use solutions.

Design Manager

For those seeking a mentor who blends expertise with a genuine interest in personal development, Derek is the top choice. Derek's mentoring has had a significant impact in just two sessions. His positive attitude, constructive feedback, and attention to detail helped me better demonstrate my professional experience and overall perspective.

Product Designer, Mentee

Derek's dedication to good design shines through in everything he does, and he's incredibly responsive to his team's needs. He has the talent for tailoring his management style to fit each person, creating a supportive environment where everyone can thrive.

Product Designer, Direct Report

Derek was super helpful in offering valuable suggestions on stakeholders' expectation management and collaboration across teams as a designer.

Product Designer, Mentee

Derek was super great and helpful to speak with. He provided me with insight into the best approach to designing B2B Saas products, and how to collaborate cross-functionally with engineers, stakeholders, and fellow designers.

Product Designer, Mentee

Having Derek as a manager was full of learnings, not only on the technical side but also in the way managers should treat people. Derek was always kind, supportive, and there to provide feedback on the direction of different projects.

Product Designer, Direct Report

Derek onboarded quickly into a complex domain and was able to lead the design of a new feature within our product in his first few weeks. Derek excels in interaction design and is able to take complex requirements and distill them into simple, easy-to-use solutions.

Design Manager