Top Talent like Faz are on Pangea

Pangea, a YC company, connects companies with fractional talent. Fractional hiring allows companies to move faster and work with more specialized talent, while giving talent more flexibility and independence. If you are talent open to fractional work, apply here. If you’re a company looking for high-quality fractional talent, learn more here.
Recently Active

Faz Besharatian

Design Research
Management
Service design
User Interface Design
Information Architecture
Rapid Prototyping
Digital Design
Journey Mapping
Participatory design
UX research
Product Design
Product Strategy
Design Thinking
UX
UX Strategy
Design
Design Systems
Customer Experience
Available for hire fromNegotiable
Contracts
Product Strategy & Design | Scalable Innovation | User Experience Leader, Strategic Thinker and Sometimes Instructor
Faz calls Washington, DC home, where he enjoys exploring the outdoors, traveling with his wife, and keeping up with Bruno the dog. When he’s not talking about himself in the third person, he’s diving into creative challenges, mentoring design teams, or geeking out with friends. Known for his approachable leadership style and knack for innovation, Faz thrives on building high-performing teams and delivering customer-focused solutions that drive business impact. For more than two decades, Faz has been at the forefront of design, helping organizations navigate change and leverage creativity to achieve meaningful outcomes. As a design leader, he blends strategic vision with deep expertise in design execution, making him uniquely suited to tackle challenges across industries like healthcare, financial services, and technology. His career spans iconic organizations like Kaiser Permanente, Fannie Mae, Fjord (Accenture), AOL, and AARP, where he’s led large-scale redesigns, built design capabilities from the ground up, and partnered across disciplines to solve intricate problems. Along the way, he’s remained committed to teaching design, sharing his expertise with students and peers since 2004. Faz’s approach is rooted in collaboration, empathy, and a relentless curiosity about what’s next. Whether transforming patient experiences, reimagining financial tools, or driving strategy for growth-stage products, he brings a unique mix of creative vision and operational excellence to every opportunity. If you’re looking for a leader who can shape the future of design while inspiring teams to reach their full potential, Faz is eager to connect.

Work History

K

Design Director

Kaiser PermanenteJan 2022 - Jan 2023 • 1 yr 1 moPartnership with product management and development teams to create exceptional customer experiences. Led design transformation initiatives within healthcare sector, driving equitable awareness and access to education and care for patients. Mentored design teams and collaborated across disciplines to solve complex problems. Focused on optimizing product design from discovery to delivery, emphasizing accessibility and cross-functional decision-making.
F

Fannie Mae

Fannie MaeJan 2018 - Jan 2022 • 4 yrs 1 moDrove innovation and supported the transformation of the enterprise by designing valuable experiences for consumers, industry stakeholders, and employees. Provided leadership and talent development to design and optimize business products, focusing on elevating maturity of the practice and expanding through enterprise-wide impact. Led efforts to advance company purpose and improve capabilities for reaching customers and consumers with flexible solutions.
F

Senior Experience Designer

Fjord (Accenture Federal)Jan 2014 - Jan 2016 • 2 yrs 1 moLed design teams in hybrid solutions that solve the tough challenges of service and experience design. Supported innovative approaches to design, using creative facilitation techniques and client engagement strategies. Focused on successful transformation efforts with a focus on government agencies and winning contracts.
G

General Assembly User Experience Instructor

General AssemblyJan 2010 - Jan 2014 • 4 yrs 1 moTaught core UX principles and design methodologies to aspiring designers. Conducted workshops and mentored students, focusing on practical skills and industry readiness.
W

Sr Product Manager

WelocalizeJan 2011 - Jan 2013 • 2 yrs 1 moLed efforts in translation and localization technology, focusing on workflow and efficiency improvements. Managed cross-functional teams and product development to enhance user experience and operational effectiveness.
A

Design Director

AARPJan 2007 - Jan 2011 • 4 yrs 1 moDirected digital strategy and user experience for a large organization. Managed the expansion of online engagement and collaborated with cross-disciplinary teams to enhance member experience.
C

Design Lead

Corcoran College of Art + DesignJan 2006 - Jan 2007 • 1 yr 1 moLed design projects and curricula development for the college's digital and print media programs.
A

Principal Designer

AOLJan 2005 - Jan 2006 • 1 yr 1 moLed design efforts for flagship digital products, focusing on user engagement and interface improvements.
U

Design Manager

US AirwaysJan 2004 - Jan 2005 • 1 yr 1 moManaged design team for airline branding and digital presence, improving customer experience.
T

Web Designer

Terrapin SystemsJan 2003 - Jan 2004 • 1 yr 1 moDeveloped websites and web applications, focusing on usability and visual design.
M

Art Director

marchFIRSTJan 2001 - Jan 2003 • 2 yrs 1 moDirected creative projects for clients across various industries, leading teams in branding and digital campaigns.

Education

U

University of Maryland

BA, Graphic/Advertising Design1990 - 1994
Y

Yale School of Management

Certificate, Business Perspectives for Creative Leaders2018

How Pangea Works

Effortlessly discover top talent

We’ve distilled the candidate search from endless hours down to just a few minutes. Using Pangea’s AI-powered search tools, you can find top fractional talent able to take on your next project. Our system looks at your company’s niche and your needs to find the perfect match faster than any traditional hiring platform.

Start working with talent today

The top talent on Pangea is ready to get started with you right now. You can message or hire a candidate right from their profile page and start assigning work as soon as they respond. And the best part? Pangea’s fractional contract structure lets you start small and ramp up as your needs change, keeping your costs manageable and your team’s capabliities flexible.

Track work and invoices in one place

Assign tasks, track progress, and complete invoices all on Pangea. We’ve combined every part of the hiring process into one platform to eliminate the miscommunication that’s unavoidable on other freelance platforms. We even send out 1099s to your contractors at the end of the year!

Talk with a Talent Expert

Members of our team are available to help you speed through the hiring process.
Available Now
Book a Call
Recently Active
Product Strategy & Design | Scalable Innovation | User Experience Leader, Strategic Thinker and Sometimes Instructor
Faz calls Washington, DC home, where he enjoys exploring the outdoors, traveling with his wife, and keeping up with Bruno the dog. When he’s not talking about himself in the third person, he’s diving into creative challenges, mentoring design teams, or geeking out with friends. Known for his approachable leadership style and knack for innovation, Faz thrives on building high-performing teams and delivering customer-focused solutions that drive business impact. For more than two decades, Faz has been at the forefront of design, helping organizations navigate change and leverage creativity to achieve meaningful outcomes. As a design leader, he blends strategic vision with deep expertise in design execution, making him uniquely suited to tackle challenges across industries like healthcare, financial services, and technology. His career spans iconic organizations like Kaiser Permanente, Fannie Mae, Fjord (Accenture), AOL, and AARP, where he’s led large-scale redesigns, built design capabilities from the ground up, and partnered across disciplines to solve intricate problems. Along the way, he’s remained committed to teaching design, sharing his expertise with students and peers since 2004. Faz’s approach is rooted in collaboration, empathy, and a relentless curiosity about what’s next. Whether transforming patient experiences, reimagining financial tools, or driving strategy for growth-stage products, he brings a unique mix of creative vision and operational excellence to every opportunity. If you’re looking for a leader who can shape the future of design while inspiring teams to reach their full potential, Faz is eager to connect.

Talk with a Talent Expert

Members of our team are available to help you speed through the hiring process.
Available Now
Book a Call

Top Talent like Faz are on Pangea

Pangea, a YC company, connects companies with fractional talent. Fractional hiring allows companies to move faster and work with more specialized talent, while giving talent more flexibility and independence. If you are talent open to fractional work, apply here. If you’re a company looking for high-quality fractional talent, learn more here.

Faz Besharatian

Design Research
Management
Service design
User Interface Design
Information Architecture
Rapid Prototyping
Digital Design
Journey Mapping
Participatory design
UX research
Product Design
Product Strategy
Design Thinking
UX
UX Strategy
Design
Design Systems
Customer Experience
Available for hire fromNegotiable
Contracts

Work History

K

Design Director

Kaiser PermanenteJan 2022 - Jan 2023 • 1 yr 1 moPartnership with product management and development teams to create exceptional customer experiences. Led design transformation initiatives within healthcare sector, driving equitable awareness and access to education and care for patients. Mentored design teams and collaborated across disciplines to solve complex problems. Focused on optimizing product design from discovery to delivery, emphasizing accessibility and cross-functional decision-making.
F

Fannie Mae

Fannie MaeJan 2018 - Jan 2022 • 4 yrs 1 moDrove innovation and supported the transformation of the enterprise by designing valuable experiences for consumers, industry stakeholders, and employees. Provided leadership and talent development to design and optimize business products, focusing on elevating maturity of the practice and expanding through enterprise-wide impact. Led efforts to advance company purpose and improve capabilities for reaching customers and consumers with flexible solutions.
F

Senior Experience Designer

Fjord (Accenture Federal)Jan 2014 - Jan 2016 • 2 yrs 1 moLed design teams in hybrid solutions that solve the tough challenges of service and experience design. Supported innovative approaches to design, using creative facilitation techniques and client engagement strategies. Focused on successful transformation efforts with a focus on government agencies and winning contracts.
G

General Assembly User Experience Instructor

General AssemblyJan 2010 - Jan 2014 • 4 yrs 1 moTaught core UX principles and design methodologies to aspiring designers. Conducted workshops and mentored students, focusing on practical skills and industry readiness.
W

Sr Product Manager

WelocalizeJan 2011 - Jan 2013 • 2 yrs 1 moLed efforts in translation and localization technology, focusing on workflow and efficiency improvements. Managed cross-functional teams and product development to enhance user experience and operational effectiveness.
A

Design Director

AARPJan 2007 - Jan 2011 • 4 yrs 1 moDirected digital strategy and user experience for a large organization. Managed the expansion of online engagement and collaborated with cross-disciplinary teams to enhance member experience.
C

Design Lead

Corcoran College of Art + DesignJan 2006 - Jan 2007 • 1 yr 1 moLed design projects and curricula development for the college's digital and print media programs.
A

Principal Designer

AOLJan 2005 - Jan 2006 • 1 yr 1 moLed design efforts for flagship digital products, focusing on user engagement and interface improvements.
U

Design Manager

US AirwaysJan 2004 - Jan 2005 • 1 yr 1 moManaged design team for airline branding and digital presence, improving customer experience.
T

Web Designer

Terrapin SystemsJan 2003 - Jan 2004 • 1 yr 1 moDeveloped websites and web applications, focusing on usability and visual design.
M

Art Director

marchFIRSTJan 2001 - Jan 2003 • 2 yrs 1 moDirected creative projects for clients across various industries, leading teams in branding and digital campaigns.

Education

U

University of Maryland

BA, Graphic/Advertising Design1990 - 1994
Y

Yale School of Management

Certificate, Business Perspectives for Creative Leaders2018

How Pangea Works

Effortlessly discover top talent

We’ve distilled the candidate search from endless hours down to just a few minutes. Using Pangea’s AI-powered search tools, you can find top fractional talent able to take on your next project. Our system looks at your company’s niche and your needs to find the perfect match faster than any traditional hiring platform.

Start working with talent today

The top talent on Pangea is ready to get started with you right now. You can message or hire a candidate right from their profile page and start assigning work as soon as they respond. And the best part? Pangea’s fractional contract structure lets you start small and ramp up as your needs change, keeping your costs manageable and your team’s capabliities flexible.

Track work and invoices in one place

Assign tasks, track progress, and complete invoices all on Pangea. We’ve combined every part of the hiring process into one platform to eliminate the miscommunication that’s unavoidable on other freelance platforms. We even send out 1099s to your contractors at the end of the year!

Talk with a Talent Expert

Members of our team are available to help you speed through the hiring process.
Available Now
Book a Call
Pangea empowers fractional work across the world for marketing and design roles.