A lil about me

Gianni Clifford – Dublin, Ireland
Results-driven Design Leader recognized for transforming complex user needs into beautifully simple, scalable SaaS and consumer products. Combines a passion for design craft with high-level strategy. Fosters a dynamic and positive team culture - unifying product, engineering, and design to solve hard problems through deep collaboration.

MIRO

Head of Design, Canvas Modes | JAN 2025 - SEP 2026

  • Strategic Portfolio Leadership: Directs the product design vision for Miro's 'Canvas Modes' stream, overseeing the company's #1 strategic priority. 'Prototypes', taking it to GA and securing $1M+ ARR within the first quarter. Also leads the #2 priority 'Engage' - directly influencing the company's shift toward a multi-SKU monetization model. And leads two other teams Slides, and Diagramming, Miro's most-utilized format, and its biggest MAU driver.
  • Al-Driven Transformation: Spearheads the integration of Generative Al into Miro's products. Transforming the business from a whiteboarding tool into a multi-product, intelligent agentic system that empowers users from ideation through the development lifecycle.
  • Leadership & Culture: Acts as a trusted thought partner to Product.Engineering and leadership teams, co-steering strategy, while cultivating a high-performing, happy design team, that balances delivery velocity with craft that delights.

ZENDESK

Director, Product Design | SEP 2022 - DEC 2025

  • Commercial Leadership: Directs Product Design for Reporting & Analytics, Voice, and Omnichannel Services, owning design strategy for a portfolio exceeding $200M ARR.
  • Organizational Scaling: Scaled the EMEA design organization from 5 to 30+ designers (6x growth), establishing the hiring strategy, cultural rituals, and career development frameworks.
  • Product Growth: Steered Zendesk Explore from closed Beta to General Availability, scaling adoption to over 100k accounts across three SKUS.
  • Transformation: Led the modernization of Zendesk Voice from a legacy tool to an integrated, digital-first VoIP solution supporting +20M monthly calls.
  • Global Operations: Architected and implemented Zendesk's global Design Brief and Critique processes, standardizing quality and velocity across globally distributed teams.
  • Strategic Alignment: Partners with Heads of Product to define long-term roadmaps, utilizing data-backed insights to champion accessibility and customer-centricity in the C-suite.
  • Employer Branding: Elevated the EMEA HQ as a primary design hub by launching a quarterly external event series, driving a ~25% increase in high-quality engineering and product applications.
  • Design Ops: Orchestrates operational scoping and resource planning while facilitating high-level design thinking workshops to solve retention and macro-strategic challenges.
  • Thought Leadership: Represents Zendesk as a keynote speaker and panelist at major industry conferences, including UXDX and SaaStock.

FILLIT

Co-Founder & CPO | JUNE 2015 - JUNE 2018

  • Commercial Success & Exit: Founded and scaled a SaaS product from zero to ~€2M revenue, resulting in a successful exit.
  • 0-to-1 Leadership: Directed the full product lifecycle from concept to launch, leading a cross-functional organization across design, product, engineering. sales, marketing, CX and brand.
  • Industry Recognition: Validated product-market fit and design quality by winning awards for Best Entrepreneur and Best UX.

BACKUP

Head of Creative | JUNE 2015 - JUNE 2018

  • Building: Established the agency's first in-house creative studio, recruiting and leading a multi-disciplinary team across design, technology, and video production.
  • Strategic Growth: Orchestrated a complete agency repositioning and rebrand, directly securing ~€800K in new business contracts, in the first year.
  • Major Accounts: Spearheaded the agency's expansion into mass-media advertising by delivering a debut above-the-line campaign for global client Mondelez.

Additional Experience & Projects

  • Dublin Bricks: Founder & Brickmaster | NOV 2019 - PRESENT
  • Dynamo: Senior Digital Design Lead | APRIL 2014 - JUNE 2015
  • Thinkhouse: Design Manager | MARCH 2011 - MARCH 2014
  • The Gentlemen's Academy: Creative & Events Director | APR 2013 - DEC 2019
  • Dolcemerda: Founder & Creative Director | SEP 2006 - MAY 2018