cv - Derek Arrington

Derek Arrington

Senior Design Director & XD Strategist

about me

A visionary design-thinker with the ability to lead human-centered strategies, delivering exceptional digital product designs, and creating compelling narratives to generate intuitive customer-centric experiences. I excel in fostering collaboration, inspiring teams, and standardizing design processes to lead successful organizational transformations. I aim to apply my expertise to drive impactful and positive change within your organization.

experience

ORION INNOVATION // SENIOR XD DIRECTOR & STRATEGIST
DECEMBER 2021 - JUNE 2023 // NEW YORK, NY

Championed the Orion Design Maturity Initiative, implementing a comprehensive, organizational design-first framework that unified cross-functional teams and enhanced collaboration throughout the XD group.
Spearheaded a comprehensive redesign of a major financial advisor SaaS platform, achieving 100% user satisfaction across all metrics and reducing project lifecycle by 50%.
Conceptualized and directed the Orion XD Sales Hub development, resulting in a 15% increase in successful client engagements through enhanced sales tools and educational XD resources.
Implemented agile methodologies and rapid workshopping techniques, boosting team efficiency by 30% and establishing robust design operations aligned with strategic business outcomes.
Served as key XD liaison between C-suite stakeholders, sales channels, and clients, crafting and executing comprehensive CX/XD strategies with clear OKRs and KPIs.
Facilitated high-impact strategic design-thinking workshops and led strategic discussions, ensuring quality control and adherence to client brand guidelines while driving innovation across departments.

MCKINSEY & COMPANY // SENIOR DESIGN & STRATEGY LEAD
MAY 2019 - SEPTEMBER 2021 // NEW YORK, NY

Directed the Professional Development Platform (PDP), implementing change programs and launching three new service lines to modernize McKinsey’s talent processes.
Led a global design team of 10+, overseeing vision-setting, product ideation, and change management to digitally transform talent diversification and development.
Unified three disjointed design teams into a cohesive group, improving collaboration and streamlining workflows.
Co-created McKinsey’s internal design system, increasing team efficiency by 40% and overall organizational productivity by 15% through governance and methodology.
Championed customer-centricity by designing a change program and a design maturity model to energize the organization around customer-led strategies.
Coached designers and researchers to maximize their impact on day-to-day design activities and contributed to bi-annual global design chapter reviews.

PRUDENTIAL // SENIOR DESIGN DIRECTOR
DECEMBER 2013 - MARCH 2019 // NEW YORK, NY

Expanded the internal design team from 6 to 30+ members, unifying five business verticals to foster collaboration, drive innovation, and align design strategies with business growth opportunities.
Created Prudential’s internal, on-site user research and user testing lab, streamlining data-driven decision-making and improving product usability.
Design lead for the “Prudential Playbook” design system, increasing overall cross-functional team efficiency by 25% and reducing production timelines by 30%.
Directed the creation of Prudential’s first native iOS and Android apps for the retirement business unit, boosting user engagement by 45%.
Introduced design sprints and workshops, cutting project delivery time by 30% and enhancing cross-functional alignment.
Led design and strategy of multiple B2B/B2C tools, increasing user satisfaction and engagement by 35%.

LIBERTY TAX // DESIGN DIRECTOR & FED
MARCH 2013 - OCTOBER 2013 // REMOTE

Led the vision, strategy, and UI/UX design for Liberty’s online DIY tax tool, delivering the full, finished product within eight months.
Defined and implemented front-end development processes, design standards, and quality assurance frameworks, ensuring consistent and scalable results.
Transformed a failing project into a successful product, achieving operational stability and long-term viability.

EQUINOX FITNESS // DIGITAL ADVERTISING DESIGN DIRECTOR
SEPTEMBER 2012 - APRIL 2013 // NEW YORK, NY

Led a small team of designers for all internal and external digital advertising and marketing assets.
Ensured adherence to established branding campaigns and collaborated with marketing team and sales.