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MC Dean

VP of Product Design and Research at Trustpilot; ex-Google Maps and Atlassian; PhD in AI + HCI

ExecutiveLeads from the frontNew schoolAIProductResearch
She is a hands-on practitioner building with AI and an executive moving design through the transition while arguing, credibly, that judgment and craft are the human contribution AI can't replace.

Signature win. Built and open-sourced Designpowers, a 10-agent AI design team that keeps the human as creative director with accessibility woven through every handoff.

The case

editorial · CCBEI · with sources
CraftExplicit craft-and-judgment thesis ("You Still Need to Know How to Design"); PhD in AI+HCI plus design leadership across Google Maps/Shopping and Atlassian products used by millions.9
CommunicationWeekly essayist on AI/design/leadership (UX Collective, Medium, Substack 'MC Dean percolates') with clear, widely-read framing of the clarity-and-judgment argument.9
BusinessVP of Product Design and Research at Trustpilot since 2023; prior Head of Design roles at Google and Head of Product at The Mintable — design tied to product outcomes at scale.8
Education[Education recalibrated toward editorial baseline] Built design teams from the ground up at Atlassian; bridges research-to-practice and ships open-source frameworks others can learn from; people-protection is central to her AI stance.7
InnovationBuilt and open-sourced Designpowers (10 collaborating design agents, MIT-licensed, Claude/Gemini/Cursor-compatible) framed to amplify the human as creative director with accessibility woven in — elevate, not hollow.9

Endorsed by peers

illustrative · opens with verified accounts
OverallI'd work for them87
CraftRaised my craft bar95
CommunicationMade the case for design95
BusinessMade design matter to the business84
EducationTaught me something I still use74
InnovationShowed me a new way to work95

Verified peers only — one tap with LinkedIn. Names stay private; we show role and industry. Bars are illustrative until the participation backend is live.

Stories

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