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George Penston

Design Director @ LinkedIn · prev. Pinterest

George Penston is an experienced UX and product design leader currently serving as Design Director, Product Design at LinkedIn.1 He joined LinkedIn in September 2018 and has been in his current role since September 2020.1 Penston is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and specializes in developing big ideas and working with teams to bring them to fruition.1

Career Highlights

  • LinkedIn: Started as Sr. Design Manager in 2018, promoted to Design Director in 20201
  • Pinterest: Served as Design Director from May 2017 to August 20181
  • Flite: Worked as Head of Product Design from 2011 to 2017 (company acquired by Snap Inc.)1
  • Widgetbox: Held the position of Director of User Experience Design from 2006 to 20111

Leadership Philosophy

Penston's leadership style focuses on:

  • Creating conditions for great work to be done
  • Inspiring team members and understanding their motivations
  • Setting product vision, strategy, and goals
  • Promoting inclusive design and accessibility2

Recent Projects

At LinkedIn, Penston has led several significant initiatives:

  • Integration of generative AI features in Messaging and Profile4
  • Development of a new design language
  • Implementation of WCAG 2.1 accessibility compliance
  • Introduction of dark mode to the platform35

Penston is known for his expertise in UX design, product management, and team leadership in the tech industry.14

Highlights

Aug 8 · linkedin

I’m hiring for a design manager role on the Profile team. Come work with us! Apply if you’re interested or let me know of someone you think that would be.

Feb 21 · linkedin

I’m hiring for a new role on my team. This principal designer will significantly shape and transform the overall visual and interaction design of our consumer application. You’ll be responsible for influencing and elevating the motion design and micro-interactions that surface throughout our app — focusing on the details to craft an exceptional experience.

Please let me know if you’re interested or know something you think would be a great fit!

Related Questions

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George Penston
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Location

San Francisco Bay Area