Director of Product Design

Yext

At Yext, I split my time between designing AI-driven user experiences and leading design team operations as a hybrid player-coach. My scope included shipping key product features, implementing systems that supported scalability, and maturing the internal design practice through career development and process optimization.

Building Tools for AI Experimentation

Building Tools for AI Experimentation

As we explored how to integrate large language models into the platform, I led design on the AI Prompt Playground, a tool to help internal teams and enterprise users prototype and test AI prompts quickly.


Result: The playground became a go-to internal tool for AI prototyping and influenced the direction of customer-facing AI features in Yext's Answers product line.

Simplifying the Product & Redesigning Core Components

Simplifying the Product & Redesigning Core Components

Across all my projects, I made it a priority to simplify the user experience, especially for new users entering a complex, enterprise-grade product.


I led efforts to:

  • Reduce redundant UI patterns and rework onboarding pathways to be more forgiving.

  • Audit and rebuild the core component library in Figma and code, with better documentation and logic for edge cases.

  • Push the design system toward more opinionated defaults to reduce inconsistency across teams.

Leading and Mentoring

Leading and Mentoring

As a design manager, I supported other designers through mentorship, career development, and process improvements. I helped define leveling criteria, ran weekly critiques, and created cross-functional rituals for better collaboration between design, product, and engineering.

What I Learned

What I Learned

My time at Yext sharpened my skills in simplifying complexity, designing for scale, and navigating organizational challenges. I learned how to advocate for users while staying grounded in technical feasibility and how to push for cleaner, more elegant experiences even when it meant saying “no” to over-complication

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Ben Pepin | Product Design Leader

ben.a.pepin@gmail.com

Ben Pepin | Product Design Leader

ben.a.pepin@gmail.com