I’m a hands-on product UX design leader with over 15 years of experience guiding cross-functional teams from ideation to execution. I’ve led design efforts for AI-powered platforms, ecommerce experiences, and large-scale educational systems, always focusing on delivering meaningful, measurable outcomes. I thrive in environments where design has a voice at the table and I’m passionate about building modern, accessible products. I love mentoring, shaping design culture, and turning complex problems into intuitive experiences people love to use.…

Tony Bland

I’m a hands-on product UX design leader with over 15 years of experience guiding cross-functional teams from ideation to execution. I’ve led design efforts for AI-powered platforms, ecommerce experiences, and large-scale educational systems, always focusing on delivering meaningful, measurable outcomes. I thrive in environments where design has a voice at the table and I’m passionate about building modern, accessible products. I love mentoring, shaping design culture, and turning complex problems into intuitive experiences people love to use.…

Available to hire

I’m a hands-on product UX design leader with over 15 years of experience guiding cross-functional teams from ideation to execution. I’ve led design efforts for AI-powered platforms, ecommerce experiences, and large-scale educational systems, always focusing on delivering meaningful, measurable outcomes. I thrive in environments where design has a voice at the table and I’m passionate about building modern, accessible products. I love mentoring, shaping design culture, and turning complex problems into intuitive experiences people love to use.

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Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Senior UX/UI Designer at AmeriCorps
June 2, 2024 - September 7, 2025
• Led UX/UI design for an AI-powered 0-1 Learning Management System, integrating ML/NLP enabled features such as smart search and personalization that increased user engagement by 18%. • Designed and scaled Figma design system with documentation and governance, reducing development time and rework by 12%. • Conducted qualitative and quantitative UX research initiatives (user personas, journey maps, audits). • Served as strategic design partner to product/engineering, owning UX decisions and guiding trade offs across research, design, and delivery.
Senior Manager, UX/UI - Atrium Professional Brands at Nestle'
January 2, 2022 - June 2, 2024
• Defined and executed Product UX/UI strategy for multiple eCommerce and digital product initiatives, resolving experience gaps, improving conversion rates and optimizing user flows. • Partnered with product, engineering, and business stakeholders to ensure user needs such as usability and efficiency align with business impact such as conversion, engagement, and adoption. • Navigated tight timelines, budgets and accessibility requirements while maintaining consistent design quality and usability standards. • Led, mentored, and performance-managed a distributed Product UX/UI team, aligning UX outcomes to business goals via OKRs and KPIs.
Senior User Interface Designer at Landstar
December 4, 2016 - January 2, 2022
• Owned UX decisions across discovery, prioritization, and delivery, balancing user needs, technical constraints, and organizational goals. • Mentored internal designers and coordinated with external partners to maintain quality and alignment across digital initiatives.
Manager, UX/UI at Duval County Public Schools
November 3, 2013 - June 5, 2016
• Led UX strategy and delivery for digital products supporting 183 schools and 125,000+ users within the school district.
Director, User Experience at XCEL Testing Solutions
July 2, 2012 - November 4, 2013
• Built and led a UX team responsible for Learning Management System and enterprise design system, establishing patterns and standards for long-term scalability.
Senior UX/UI Designer at AmeriCorps
July 1, 2012 - November 1, 2013
Led UX/UI design for an AI-powered 0-1 Learning Management System, integrating ML/NLP-enabled features such as smart search and personalization that increased user engagement. Designed and scaled a Figma design system with documentation and governance, reducing development time and rework. Conducted qualitative and quantitative UX research (personas, journey maps, audits) and served as strategic design partner to product/engineering, guiding trade-offs across research, design, and delivery.
Senior Manager, UX/UI at Nestlé
November 1, 2013 - June 1, 2016
Defined and executed product UX/UI strategy for multiple eCommerce and digital product initiatives, resolving experience gaps, improving conversion rates, and optimizing user flows. Partnered with HCPs, product, engineering, and business stakeholders to ensure usability and efficiency aligned with business impact such as conversion, engagement, and adoption. Navigated tight timelines, budgets and accessibility requirements while maintaining consistent design quality and usability standards. Led, mentored, and performance-managed a distributed Product UX/UI team, aligning UX outcomes to business goals via OKRs and KPIs.
Manager, UX/UI at Duval County Public Schools
January 1, 2022 - June 1, 2024
Led UX strategy and delivery for digital products supporting 183 schools and 125,000+ users within the school district.
Director, User Experience at Xcel Testing Solutions
June 1, 2024 - September 1, 2025
Built and led a UX team responsible for Learning Management System and enterprise design system, establishing patterns and standards for long-term scalability.

Education

B.S. Computer Science at Jacksonville University
August 5, 2002 - June 5, 2006
B.S. Computer Science at Jacksonville University
August 1, 2006 - January 1, 2026
Angular Certificate at Intertech
May 1, 2018 - January 1, 2026
UX Design Professional Certificate at Google/Coursera
January 1, 2022 - January 1, 2026
Active Public Trust Clearance at US Government
July 1, 2024 - January 1, 2026

Qualifications

Angular Certificate
January 11, 2030 - May 1, 2018
UX Design Professional Certificate
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2022
Public Trust Clearance
January 11, 2030 - July 1, 2024
Angular Certificate
May 1, 2018 - January 1, 2026
UX Design Professional Certificate
January 1, 2022 - January 1, 2026
Active Public Trust Clearance
July 1, 2024 - January 1, 2026

Industry Experience

Education, Consumer Goods, Government, Software & Internet, Professional Services, Retail, Transportation & Logistics, Media & Entertainment
    uniE621 Available Loads Enterprise Software Solution
    The Problem The current Landstar ʻAvailable Loadsʼ system is a legacy application and does not provide users with the features and functionality of Landstarʼs primary competitors. Additionally, the UX is not user friendly, or aesthetically pleasing, and lacks modern front-end technologies for responsiveness on mobile devices. The Solution Create a modern design solution for owner operators to perform their job more safely and efficiently. An assistant tool helps plan their work, find loads, connect with other drivers, and alert them about safety, weather, and traffic conditions. Improve the UX with the use of modern web technologies and a more aesthetically pleasing user interface. Defining the audience Generally, transport vehicles are driven by the most experienced people. For the scope of this project, I focused on the owner operators aspect of transportation and hauling. The owner operators I investigated drive from one place to another to drop and hook the loads. Also, we need to identify the problems and pain points they are facing as part of their duties. We were able to gather information through the use of surveys and an opportunity to talk directly to owner operators at Landstarʼs BCO (Business Capacity Owner) Appreciation Event. designer illustrator branding webdesigner…
    paper Available Loads Enterprise Application

    The Problem
    The current Landstar ʻAvailable Loadsʼ system is a legacy application and does not provide users with the features and functionality of Landstarʼs primary competitors. Additionally, the UX is not user friendly, or aesthetically pleasing, and lacks modern front-end technologies for responsiveness on mobile devices.

    The Solution
    Create a modern design solution for owner operators to perform their job more safely and efficiently. An assistant tool helps plan their work, find loads, connect with other drivers, and alert them about safety, weather, and traffic conditions. Improve the UX with the use of modern web technologies and a more aesthetically pleasing user interface.

    Defining the audience
    Generally, transport vehicles are driven by the most experienced people. For the scope of this project, I focused on the owner operators aspect of transportation and hauling. The owner operators I investigated drive from one place to another to drop and hook the loads. Also, we need to identify the problems and pain points they are facing as part of their duties. We were able to gather information through the use of surveys and an opportunity to talk directly to owner operators at Landstarʼs BCO (Business Capacity Owner) Appreciation Event.