UX Design Consultants in San Francisco to Watch for in 2025
San Francisco UX Experts to Know in 2025
There’s something electric about San Francisco — the fog curling around the Golden Gate Bridge, the cable cars rattling past colorful Victorian homes, and the unmistakable hum of design innovation in every corner of the city. From startups nestled in SoMa lofts to major design agencies housed in sleek downtown towers, UX design consultants in San Francisco are helping to shape how the world experiences technology.
At Digital Reference, we understand that great UX doesn’t happen by accident. It takes thoughtful research, intentional design, and the creative minds of UX consultants who know how to marry function with empathy. Our curated list of San Francisco-based UX experts represents the most forward-thinking, user-centered minds in the industry today. Whether they operate solo, lead boutique firms, or work at the helm of design agencies, these consultants bring something unique to the table in 2025.
How We Chose These UX Leaders
Our team at Digital Reference spent months researching and vetting UX professionals across San Francisco. We prioritized consultants based on:
- Expertise in user experience design and evidence of work that solves real-world business and user problems
- Thought leadership through speaking, teaching, or publishing
- Clear UX methodologies and philosophies that reflect innovation, accessibility, and ethical design
- Client testimonials, portfolio depth, and professional recognition
Now, let’s meet the standout UX consultants redefining design in San Francisco this year.
Grace Xiong
Grace Xiong is a visionary product designer and AI strategist whose career bridges wearable technology, human-centered AI, and global mentorship. With over a decade of design leadership in Silicon Valley and beyond, Grace is reshaping what it means to lead with empathy in the tech world.
💡 What makes Grace stand out:
- 🤖 Founder of an AI-powered wearable startup: Leading a 10-member team from ideation to launch, Grace's product debuted at Maker Fair 2024 and is in acquisition talks with a $27M startup. It also earned a Silver Medal at INNOX Startup Incubator among 100+ global ventures.
- 👩🏫 Education + mentorship powerhouse: Grace lectures and mentors students across institutions like Harvard GSD, MIT Media Lab, Stanford, and Cornell. She has run design boot camps in iconic spaces like Geekhouse and WeWork.
- 🌍 Truly global lens: Her experience spans Europe, Asia, America, and Africa, enriching her perspective on design and cultural nuance.
- 🤵 Supporter of women in tech: She actively partners with Stanford University and the Miss Universe Organization to empower women entrepreneurs.
Grace describes herself as a founder driven by impact and empathy. Her professional journey — from product launches to global education — reveals a design leader who blends cutting-edge technology with deeply human values.
Elizabeth Alli
LinkedIn | DesignerUp | YouTube
Elizabeth Alli is the founder of DesignerUp, the first Mindful Product Design School and one of the most forward-thinking platforms for learning UX/UI in today’s market. As a designer, educator, and serial entrepreneur, Elizabeth blends deep industry expertise with a powerful message: design is an extension of how we live, learn, and show up in the world.
🌿 Why Elizabeth deserves your attention:
- ✨ Mindful design education pioneer: With 16 years of product design experience, Elizabeth created DesignerUp to help UX/UI students develop not only technical mastery but also self-awareness, intention, and empathy.
- 🧘 Holistic design thought leader: Her work has been featured by Google’s UX Design Certificate Program, TedMed, and CNN. Through her YouTube channel and blog, she teaches thousands about ethical design, systems thinking, and mindful practice.
- 💼 Proven design consultant and entrepreneur: Elizabeth’s design work has helped SaaS startups secure over $4 million in seed and Series A funding. She has led product and UX efforts for both B2B and B2C platforms, co-founded multiple startups, and is currently Chief Creative Officer at Siimple, a website builder for non-technical users.
- 📚 Community builder and author: With a following of over 100K designers, Elizabeth is creating a global movement around meaningful, conscious design.
Elizabeth’s philosophy is clear: good design isn’t just about visuals or usability — it’s about creating experiences that are deeply aligned with who we are and what we value. She’s redefining UX education and helping a new generation of designers build products — and careers — with purpose.
Ario Jafarzadeh
Ario Jafarzadeh has designed products at Apple and Google, where he helped ship some of the most recognizable UX flows in the world. Today, Ario applies his product design acumen as a design coach and independent consultant, helping startups scale their design maturity and product strategy.
🌟 What makes Ario exceptional:
- 🔧 Deep product design experience: Ario's fingerprints are on everything from Google Maps UX to core iOS flows.
- ⚡ Startup accelerator: He partners with early-stage companies and platforms like LaunchDarkly and Mosaic AI to establish their design foundation and create intuitive product-market fit.
- 🤗 Systems thinker: Ario is known for crafting design frameworks that help teams move from chaos to clarity.
Ario brings a rare mix of corporate UX discipline and startup scrappiness, making him an invaluable guide for teams navigating fast-growth environments.
Anton Zykin
Anton Zykin is the CEO and Head of Strategy at Clay, a UI/UX design and development agency in San Francisco. With clients like Google, Facebook, Slack, Coinbase, and Credit Karma, Anton leads a team that builds modern digital products, clean enterprise software, and beautifully branded websites.
📊 Why Anton is on our radar:
- 🎨 Crafts digital products used by millions: From slick web experiences to enterprise platforms, Anton’s team consistently creates digital work that is as effective as it is visually striking.
- ⚖️ Product strategist and design director: Anton combines UX design with brand identity, interaction design, user testing, motion, and front/backend development, offering end-to-end product execution.
- 🧠 Client-focused leadership: At Clay, Anton manages everything from business partnerships to operations and creative direction. His team is known for turning complex requirements into intuitive and delightful digital experiences.
Anton’s philosophy is simple: “Enterprise software doesn’t have to suck.” And with Clay’s portfolio of high-impact clients and pixel-perfect products, he proves this mantra every day.
Dennis Pakhaliuk
Dennis Pakhaliuk is the President and CEO of Ramotion, a design agency that helps Silicon Valley startups and Fortune 1000 companies shape their brand and digital experiences. From Salesforce and Netflix to Bitmoji and Adobe, Dennis has helped guide design and marketing for some of the most iconic names in tech.
🔄 What sets Dennis apart:
- 💼 Business development and marketing expert: Dennis drives strategic accounts and brand positioning for Ramotion, combining design thinking with tangible business outcomes.
- 🧭 Design strategy across verticals: His team works across branding, UX, product design, and visual identity — serving clients like Xero, NBCUniversal, and Opera with tailored design systems.
- 🌍 Founder with a global portfolio: Under his leadership, Ramotion has built a name as a versatile and reliable partner for early-stage ventures and large enterprises alike.
Dennis is more than an agency leader — he’s a strategist who understands how great design directly powers growth. Ramotion’s impact is rooted in Dennis’s clear focus on aligning branding, UX, and user needs at every stage.
Ryan Matthew
Ryan Matthew is the Managing Director and a Founding Partner of Neuron, a UX/UI design and digital strategy agency in San Francisco. Ryan and his team specialize in creating complex workplace software and B2B platforms that deliver clarity, usability, and measurable results.
🎉 Why Ryan deserves your attention:
- 🧠 High-impact UX for serious systems: Neuron has designed for Hootsuite, LinkedIn, Flo Health, and Palo Alto Networks—tackling big data interfaces, enterprise dashboards, and AI-driven tools.
- 📈 Design with business outcomes: Ryan believes UX is about aligning user needs with company goals. His team’s “design with impact” approach consistently drives real-world growth.
- 🤝 True collaborative leadership: Ryan is hands-on with every engagement. Neuron’s small, senior-led team works closely with clients from concept to execution, functioning as an extension of their team.
- 🏆 Award-winning execution: Under Ryan’s leadership, Neuron has been recognized by Clutch, Goodfirms, dotCOMM, and UX Design Awards, and continues to earn praise from clients and peers alike.
Whether it’s high-stakes enterprise software or fast-evolving AI products, Ryan and Neuron show up for the “hard stuff.” Their rigorous design practice and partnership mentality set them apart in the UX consulting world.
Kelly Goto
Kelly Goto is a pioneer in UX research and design strategy with a legacy of helping organizations connect meaningfully with their users. As CEO and Founder of gotoresearch, she leads a globally respected team that blends ethnographic research with service design to uncover how products fit into real people’s lives.
🔍 Why Kelly belongs on your radar:
- 🎯 Design ethnography at its core: With more than 20 years of experience, Kelly specializes in contextual research — studying how people live, work, and interact with technology. This approach brings a deep, human-centered lens to UX design.
- 🌐 Global impact: Her clients include some of the world’s most recognizable brands — from Samsung and Hyundai to Verizon and Target — all of whom rely on Kelly's team to surface unspoken needs and translate them into meaningful experiences.
- 📘 UX author and thought leader: Kelly’s influential book Web Redesign 2.0: Workflow That Works has been translated into 22 languages and remains a staple in design education around the world.
- 🏢 Two decades of leadership: She founded gotomedia in 2001 and later launched gotoresearch in 2015 to focus more deeply on customer-centered strategy. Based in the Bay Area, both entities continue to shape how enterprises understand — and serve — their users.
Kelly’s work isn’t about assumptions; it’s about listening. Her unique blend of research, strategy, and empathy-driven design makes her one of the most respected and trusted UX consultants in the industry.
What Makes San Francisco a UX Hub
San Francisco has long been a magnet for creative and technical talent, but its UX community is uniquely collaborative, diverse, and visionary. Whether it's through public talks, design mentorships, or community organizations, these consultants are not just shaping products — they’re shaping the fabric of the city’s design culture.
Curious how these consultants think about team structure and hiring? Explore our popular guide on how UX hiring is evolving in 2025.
Final Thoughts: The Digital Reference POV
At Digital Reference, our mission is to amplify the people who are shaping design for the better. This list reflects a cross-section of excellence, from solo consultants and educators to boutique agency founders and enterprise veterans. These are the people who will continue to define how users interact with technology in 2025.
We hope you use this list as a springboard — whether you're building your design team, looking for UX mentorship, or just trying to stay inspired. And if you're serious about building design maturity inside your organization, we’d love to help. Learn more about Digital Reference and our mission.
Until then, keep designing with purpose.
Subscribe to our newsletter
We'd love to have you follow our journey, learn about to new features and functionality, and get access to talent ecosystem news.
