The Short Version
I’m Zania, a Design leader based in London. I lead design teams in complex, high-scale environments, partnering with leaders across product, engineering, data, and policy to drive decisions. My work spans 0→1 product development, iterative improvement, and organizational leadership—building teams, shaping product direction, and scaling how products evolve over time. I focus on creating clarity in ambiguous spaces, designing systems that scale, maintaining high standards of quality, and using experimentation to guide decisions—especially in areas where the stakes are high and the problems aren’t visible until something goes wrong.
Philosophy
How I Lead
I use design to shape business outcomes
I focus teams on the highest-impact problems across growth, risk, and product performance.
I bring clarity to complex, ambiguous systems
I align teams around what matters and make tradeoffs that move the business forward.
I use experimentation to guide decisions
I validate direction, reduce risk, and continuously improve products through structured learning.
I define direction, not just execution
I move teams from exploration to clear direction, ensuring decisions are grounded in insight, not opinion.
I raise the bar for how design shows up
I set clear expectations for quality and hold teams accountable, ensuring design is a credible partner in product decisions.
I integrate AI into how teams operate
I use AI to increase speed and quality, while keeping human judgment central to decisions.
I build trust within teams
I create environments where people are direct, move quickly, and stay aligned under pressure.
I see people, not just roles
I take the time to understand what drives individuals so I can support them effectively and get the best out of them.
Career
Timeline
Meta
Product Design Manager, Central Integrity
Leading design for Account Access, Reporting, and Appeals across Meta’s Integrity org, managing 10 product designers across 9 cross-functional teams and partnering at the org leadership level.
See case studyMeta
Product Design Manager, Ads & Commerce Integrity
Managed product designers building end-to-end experiences for advertising and commerce policy enforcement across Meta’s family of apps.
Booking.com
Team Lead → Design Manager, Flights
Founding product designer and team lead for Flights, responsible for designing the end-to-end experience and shaping the MVP in partnership with engineering. Led the team through launch, then evolved into leading design for the Flights business—shaping product direction, embedding design in cross-functional decision-making, and building the design function as the organization scaled.
See case studyBooking.com
Graduate Designer → Senior Designer
Joined through the graduate program and progressed through four levels in four years. Worked on new product development including a ground transportation product that influenced Booking Holdings' decision to integrate RentalCars.com into Booking.com
GrowthCloud
UI/UX Designer
Defined the brand identity and designed the website and product application for a 0→1 product that helped businesses define and validate their business models.
George Mason University
BA, Graphic Design
Four-year collegiate athlete; captained the women’s soccer team for three years.
Community
Speaking & Community
Speaking
Flux Convergence(2025)
Spoke about non-promotable work—the high-impact work that often goes unrecognized—and how individuals can identify it and redirect their time toward work that actually advances their careers.
Caribbean in Tech(2026)
Panelist discussing the role of personalization in developing products.
Code in the Schools(2024)
Spoke to students about what it’s like to work in tech, including how cross-functional teams collaborate and how products are built from idea to launch.
Designers.fm Podcast(2020)
Guest episode covering the transition from craft to management in big tech.
Community
Design Leaders(2020 – 2024)
Co-owned and managed a global community of 1,100+ design leaders. A space where practitioners shared knowledge and collectively advanced the design discipline through meaningful discussion.
Pro Bono Mentor(2022 - Present)
I mentor designers and managers outside of my day job.
Big Brothers Big Sisters(2019)
Mentored a young person through one-on-one support and guidance.