Mark Barilla
User Experience Design Executive • Staff Interaction Designer
Global Product Strategist • Billion-Dollar Initiative Leadership
Global Product Strategist • Billion-Dollar Initiative Leadership
mbarilla@gmail.com • mbarilla.com • linkedin.com/in/mbarilla
Professional Summary
Transformational design executive with 15+ years orchestrating user-centered experiences for world-class technology and media companies. Proven architect of billion-dollar initiatives, design systems, and complex cross-product launches serving billions of users globally.
- Led $1B News Showcase program design, establishing new revenue stream for journalism industry
- Created front-end design systems and content frameworks still in production 5+ years post-launch at Google and CNN
- Directed teams across multiple time zones for 1B+ DAU products (Google App, Chrome, YouTube)
- Transformed CNN.com into a responsive, revenue-optimized platform as Creative Director, led digital design efforts for 2016 Election, CNN Politics, and CNN on Apple News
Core Competencies
Leadership & Strategy
- Cross-organizational strategy with complex stakeholder orchestration
- Executive-level product visioning for billion-dollar initiatives
- International market expansion and multi-cultural content strategy
- Crisis management and global response coordination
Product Innovation & Technical Excellence
- Enterprise-scale design systems supporting millions of concurrent users
- Advanced experimentation and data-driven iteration methodologies
- Multi-platform design (iOS, Android, web)
- Search technology advancement and AI integration
- Emerging interaction paradigm definition
Industry Expertise
- Next-generation news and content platform development
- Publisher partnership strategy and content monetization frameworks
- Regulatory navigation and compliance-driven product development
Technical Skills
Figma • User Research & Testing • Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, XD) • Prototyping Tools (InVision, Principle, ProtoPie) • Design Systems & Component Libraries • Responsive Web Design • Accessibility Standards (WCAG 2.1) • HTML/CSS • Interaction Design Patterns • A/B Testing & Experimentation • Agile/Scrum Methodologies • Information Architecture • Wireframing & User Flows • Usability Testing • Design Thinking Methodologies
Professional Experience
Google
Cambridge, MA | 2019 - 2025
UX Design Lead | Google Lens Integrations and Contextual Search | 2024–2025
- Led design strategy for Google Lens integrations on 1B+ DAU products (Google App, Chrome, YouTube)
- Directed 7 designers across multiple time zones, innovating AI-powered search experiences
- Drove stakeholder input and approvals across multiple product and UX organizations to assure seamless launch integration
- Facilitated external UX partnerships with TikTok and WhatsApp for experimental in-app search
UX Design Lead | Google News | 2022–2024
- Spearheaded news.google.com relaunch serving millions across 140+ international content editions
- Directed team of 5 multi-disciplinary UX designers delivering holistic experiences across iOS, Android, and web
- Developed personalization features including topic following and feed customization
- Managed crisis response design during major news events (Russia-Ukraine conflict)
Senior Interaction Designer & UX Design Manager | Google News Showcase | 2020–2022
- Designed dual-sided publishing ecosystem: CMS and consumer news panels across multiple platforms
- Collaborated with legal, partnerships, and business development teams to create tools for hundreds of international publisher partners
- Developed visual language and interaction patterns still in production 4+ years post-launch
- Led UX launches for each additional market, establishing new $1B revenue stream for news industry
Interaction Designer | Google News - Context Everywhere Initiative | 2019
- Designed information literacy tools helping users evaluate content credibility
- Created Android messenger integration concepts for content verification and fact-checking
- Developed foundation for current source information features with Search teams
CNN Digital
Atlanta, GA | 2011 - 2019
Creative Director | CNN.com, CNN Politics | 2014–2019
- Transformed CNN.com into a revenue-optimized, engagement-driven digital platform while maintaining editorial integrity as the nation's leading news destination
- Evangelized adaptive layout system adopted as foundation for all site programming
- Established user-centric design methodology adopted as organizational standard
- Architected scalable design systems supporting rapid deployment during breaking news and major global events, still in use today
- Led strategic and visual design for tentpole initiatives, including 2016 Election results, CNN Politics, and CNN on Apple News
Senior Designer | 2012–2014
- Led multi-year responsive redesign of CNN.com dramatically expanding mobile engagement and revenue opportunities
- Codified editorial programming standards and CMS workflows for entire CNN Digital organization
- Orchestrated homepage evolution through data-driven iterative improvements
Designer | 2011–2012
- Designed comprehensive digital content ecosystem including microsites and internal campaigns
- Produced CNN Digital's annual retrospective publication
Early Career Experience
Jacksonville, FL | 2008 - 2011
Interactive Designer & Front-End Developer | Pippin Design, Burdette Ketchum, Home Depot | 2008–2011
- Led web design and front-end development for websites, email campaigns, and digital advertising
- Led art direction for advertisements, logos, print collateral, and client presentations for range of B2C and B2B clients
- Optimized checkout and payment processes for major e-commerce platform
Education
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Bachelor of Science in Advertising | 2004–2008
Awards & Recognition
- News Showcase launch featured in The Verge, TechCrunch, and Google Blog
- Multiple Google internal awards for design excellence and impact