RD Wilk
Principal Product Designer · Builder · AI-Native
"The output is working software,
not design files."
The Builder Role
After 20+ years leading UX, I made a deliberate shift. I stopped handing off designs and started shipping them directly — using AI as a core capability, not a side tool.
Why It Matters
Traditional UX ends at the spec. Builder UX ends at the shipped product. Owning the experience all the way to production changes the quality, speed, and honesty of every decision.
The Workflow
Replacing: Research → Figma → Handoff → Build → Rework
UX Thinking
Interaction design, information architecture, and usability — applied in the context of real implementation constraints, not idealized specs.
Front-End Engineering
Building production-ready UI in React. Component architecture, responsive design, and accessible interfaces that ship.
AI Fluency
Using AI as a collaborator, not a shortcut. Prompt design, workflow chaining, and critical evaluation of every output.
Selected Work
Redesigned the enterprise intranet experience for thousands of employees, establishing a new design system foundation.
Rebuilt the core routing workflow, reducing task completion time and eliminating key friction points in the sales flow.
Designed and shipped AI-native features using a Builder workflow, demonstrating the model of designing directly in production.
Built and maintained a scalable design system with coded components as source of truth, replacing static Figma specs.
About
I started as a graphic designer in 2002. Over two decades I evolved from brand and advertising into UX, then into product design leadership. Every shift was a deliberate move toward more ownership, more impact.
The Builder role is that same move, made again. AI tools changed what's possible for a designer who can code — and I'm building at that intersection.
Based in Texas. Currently at Toyota.
Career
Get in Touch
Whether you're hiring, collaborating, or just want to connect — drop me a message and I'll get back to you.