Mahdi Farra

Design leader with 17 years scaling teams, building systems, and shipping products.

I've grown design teams from 1→6, led cross-functional orgs of 25+, and I code. My teams ship faster. Currently designing monetization at Meta (Facebook Plus & Meta AI subscriptions). Previously founded DesignQA, an AI tool that turns UI bugs into code fixes.

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Open to senior design and leadership roles

Based in Bay Area, CA

Where I've worked

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Selected work

  1. DesignQA

    Built AI devtool from 0→1 through rigorous user research (50+ interviews). Secured paying customers pre-launch.

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  2. Ava

    Led cross-platform design (iOS, Android, Mac, Windows) for AI-powered accessibility platform serving the deaf and hard of hearing community. Increased session duration 3x.

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  3. Ronday

    Scaled design team 1→6 while growing 25-person cross-functional org. Achieved 4x engagement increase and 83% performance improvement. Helped secure $7M seed funding.

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  4. Airtime

    Designed and prototyped a social video calling app that brings people together through shared experiences. Led interaction design for reactions, chat, and real-time video features.

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  5. Rakuten Restaurants

    Designed B2B tools serving 100M+ users globally. Built design system for 5 designers and 15 engineers. 50% staff efficiency improvement, 40% sales increase per location.

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What I bring to senior design roles

  1. Team scaling

    Grew design teams from 1→6 designers at Ronday. Hired, mentored, and built high-performing design orgs.

  2. Design Systems at Scale

    Built design systems at 5 companies including Rakuten (100M+ users). Reduced implementation time 50%.

  3. Technical Fluency

    Designer who codes in React, Next.js, and Vue.js. Bridges design vision with engineering constraints.

  4. Cross-Functional Leadership

    Managed 25-person cross-functional org as Acting CEO. Led product, design, and engineering teams.

  5. 0→1 Product Development

    Built products from scratch at DesignQA, Ronday, and earlier startups. Strong validation and iteration skills.

  6. AI & Devtools Expertise

    Deep experience with AI products (Ava, DesignQA) and tools for technical users. Understand developer workflows.

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Recent writing

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Mahdi Farra

Beyond the work

I've lived across five countries, built products in four languages, and I'm still learning. Outside work, I'm a dad, photographer, and maker — always building something, whether it's DesignQA or a new recipe in the kitchen.

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Let's talk

Open to interesting conversations, especially about product, design leadership, and building teams.

[email protected]