Vic de Aranzeta is a  designer based in San Francisco, blending vision, strategy, and craft to build meaningful product experiences that shape our future.
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Vic de Aranzeta, designer and anthropologist blending strategy, research, and craft — designing good things that do good.


Design has been part of my life for 10+ years, from posters as a graphic designer to book covers as an illustrator. 

For the past 5 years, I've worked as a product designer and 2x founding designer with global teams at big tech companies and tight-knit teams at Seed through Series B startups across climate, health, AI/ML, and civic-tech, building consumer, B2B, and SaaS product experiences.

Now, I’m helping social impact organizations build lasting digital solutions at design agency, Exygy.

I draw inspiration from architecture, nature, film, history, vintage ads, and travel. When not designing, you’ll find me making short films, high-fiving bees, playing video games, and looking for the perfect cannoli.





    Design philosophy


    I've always believed that the most meaningful work happens when creativity serves a larger purpose. Here’s my approach to design:
    Keep it simpleComplexity and ambiguity demands flexibility, simplicity, and clarity. Think big and design small to create the right thing at the right time.
    Context is everythingDesign for the real world –– noisy spaces, quiet moments, dim light, and small screens. Consider the context of people, place and time to craft moments and experiences that meet people where they are, but take them somewhere they never imagined. 
    Trust your gut Great design is shaped by what we know and what we feel. Balancing observation with emotion elevates our design craft and helps us create memorable, impactful, and purposeful things that we love.
    Stuff the cannoliThoughtfully crafted content is the vital filling that brings clarity and meaning to design. Without a content first approach –– much like cannoli without the filling –– you’re left with an empty shell.
    Design withInvite people into the process early and often to create memorable experiences. Design with others to try new things, get lost in the creative process, and discover innovative solutions together.

    Selected experience


    ExygySenior Product Designer IIAs Senior Product Designer at Exygy, I lead design vision and strategy for the consulting team. My work includes developing our strategic design approach, identifying business opportunities in partnership with Growth and Product, and designing accessible and interactive experiences for clients across civic, health, climate, and other impact-driven industriesMay 2024 - Present
    NCXFounding Product Designer
    Previously, as Founding Product Designer at NCX, I spent two years building 0 to 1 product experiences and leading design strategy across many high-impact projects and features—from leading product market fit research to designing a new platform from concept to launch that empowers landowners to manage their natural capital.
     May 2022 - May 2024
    Spora HealthFounding Product Designer
    Prior to that, at Spora Health, I redesigned the Spora Health app MVP into a culture-centered, intuitive, and joyful experience. Partnering directly with the CEO and agency partners like Leadoff Studio, I helped shape the vision and strategy for the award-winning Spora Mommas kit and its companion app. 
     Apr 2021 - Apr 2022 
    Google (contract)UX Designer
    At Google, I designed tasks for the Crowdsource app, training ML/AI systems through gamified experiences for 20+ million global users.
    Dec 2020 - Apr 2021


    Skills


    UX/UI Design
    Design Strategy & Art Direction
    Workshop Creation & Facilitation
    Content Writing & Strategy
    Graphic Design & IllustrationInteraction & Motion Design
    Information ArchitectureProof of Concept & Prototyping
    Research Print & Editorial Design
    Photography & VideoDesign Systems


    Awards


    Core77, Health & Wellness Runner Up, Spora Mommas
    MIT, Hacking Racism in Healthcare, 2nd Place


    Kind words





    “...Vic brings extensive experience as a partner to every function of the company. Pair that with her background in anthropology and you've got the magic formula. Vic was an astounding partner to me, as a product manager, and we wouldn't have been remotely successful without her contributions.”

    — Product Manager, Spora Health

    “When designing, she (Vic) uses her strong research to make our users her priority, and ensures she gets feedback from every stakeholder, even when it slows things down or requires more work from her.”

    — Senior Software Engineer, NCX





    “What set her (Vic) apart from the very beginning was her genuine interest in end users and their lives. Her ability to internalize the user perspective was consistently demonstrated in her design outputs. As her manager, I not only trusted and knew Vic would deliver on her work, but that her work would incorporate elements from her collaboration across the team at every step of the way.”

    — Chief Product Officer, NCX




    “Vic understands at a deep level how to translate business requirements into human centric interfaces that can engage users.”

    — VP of Engineering, Spora Health











    Extra, Extra! Read (and listen) all about it.


    Shared my journey from art school to anthropology, on the Anthro to UX podcast.
    Chaired the San Francisco chapter of IGDA, building an online and in-person community of 100+ video game creators, animators, testers, artists, and more.
    Invited to be a guest on The Early Team podcast, digging into what it’s like being a founding designer at startups. 
    Was interviewed for BuiltIn’s article on decolonizing design.  
    Wrote an article for Spora Health on how the team approaches designing equitable healthcare. 



    designing good things that do good




    © 2025 Victoria de Aranzeta