Hello 👋
I’m Sam Pede, a Staff‑level product designer with 10+ years’ experience at companies like Shopify and Dribbble. I help startups and enterprises design intuitive, scalable products that solve real problems for real people.
At Shopify, I led the design of a CEO‑sponsored initiative — collaborating with senior leadership to reimagine how merchants fulfill orders at scale.
What can I bring to the table for you?
Strategic leadership from discovery to launch
Complex problem‑solving for high‑stakes products
User‑centered design grounded in research and data
Hands‑on execution that keeps teams moving fast
I take on a select number of projects at a time, so every partnership gets thoughtful, strategic design that drives impact.
How Can I Help You?
User Research
A key part of the design process is understanding who we’re designing for. I love learning about your users and making sure we keep their needs at the forefront of decision-making. This ensures we’re building the right thing and not wasting time.
UX Design
From creating new user interfaces to evaluating and improving existing ones, I’ll create pathways and systems of understanding to make the complex simple and usable before we focus on visuals. That way we can make sure we’re building the right thing.
UI Design
Whether it’s time to bring a new app to life or refresh an existing one, I’ll make sure we’re not only communicating the right message through the visuals and creating interactions your users will be familiar with, but we’re also creating something your users will love.
Adding value for your users is just good business.
What do others have to say?
Sam is a self-starter with great instincts for what is needed to move a decision forward. Her pace, fast problem solving, and breadth of problem solving is extraordinary.”
–Emily Rucker, Senior UX Manager at Shopify
“Sam tackles very broad, ambiguous problems and produces coherent designs that make the seemingly impossible doable. Very few UXers can do the same.”
–Rachelyn Collins, Senior Product Manager at Shopify
“I can’t say enough good things about Sam. Not only is she a seriously talented and professional UX designer and researcher, but she’s just a tremendous joy to be around and work with. She radiates empathy for users’ experiences and she truly cares about her work. I hope that my path crosses with Sam’s in the future. I’d gladly welcome the opportunity to work with her again.”
–Zack Onisko, Former CEO at Dribbble
“I've worked with Sam on multiple products in various industries from healthcare, to B2C mobile apps, to enterprise software. Her passion for her work combined with her undeniable talent makes her an asset to any team. Don't miss an opportunity to work with her.”
–Jenn Dearth, Senior Manager, Product Management (ML/AI) at Workday
“I've got this short list of people that I’ve worked with in the past that I’d leap at the opportunity to work with again. Sam is absolutely on that list.”
–Adam Darowski, Executive Director of Design at Sports Reference
“Sam is an incredible UX designer/researcher who I had the privilege of having on my team at Dribbble. She is thoughtful, thorough, communicates well, is an exemplary teammate and a great UX designer to boot. I would highly recommend Sam and hope to work with her one day again.”
–Noah Stokes, Head of Talent @ Iverson
