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Rachel Been

Senior Design Director, Airbnb (ex. Nest, Google)

Rachel Been is a senior design leader with extensive experience in the tech industry. She currently serves as Sr. Design Director at Airbnb, where she leads product design across multiple core Guest, Host, and CS teams.25 Prior to joining Airbnb, Been held significant roles at Google, including Design Director for Google Nest and leading the Systems Design team for Material Design.15

Been's career journey is notable:

  1. She started as an aspiring photojournalist at UCLA, where she studied Art History.1
  2. She worked as a photo editor before transitioning into design, driven by a desire to improve online user experiences, particularly for visual content.1
  3. At Google, she:
    • Developed engaging emojis and served as the first creative director of Emojis.1
    • Led the system design team for Material Design.1
    • Art directed Google Calendar.1
    • Directed design for Google Nest, overseeing projects like the Home Controls design system and the Google Nest Hub's sleep quality visualization.1

Been's expertise lies at the intersection of design and technology, with a strong background in art direction, imagery, and design systems.13 Her approach often involves rethinking traditional design paradigms to create more intuitive and user-friendly experiences.1

As of November 2023, Been was actively involved in recruiting design talent for Airbnb, seeking a Senior Manager of Experience Design for their Design System team.4

Highlights

Oct 17 · twitter

I have to share some details of our beautiful new icon set. Tiny but unbelievably mighty. The level of detail, lighting, tactility. Chefs kiss, so proud. https://t.co/cWpRXd9yAX

I have to share some details of our beautiful new icon set. Tiny but unbelievably mighty. The level
Jun 27 · Daily Record
Keir Starmer refuses to commit to public sector pay rises - Daily Record
Keir Starmer refuses to commit to public sector pay rises - Daily Record
Jun 27 · The Guardian
Matt Hancock says he is ‘profoundly sorry’ for ‘huge error’ in UK’s pandemic planning – as it happened - The Guardian
Matt Hancock says he is ‘profoundly sorry’ for ‘huge error’ in UK’s pandemic planning – as it happen

Related Questions

What inspired Rachel Been to transition from photojournalism to design?
How did Rachel Been's experience at Google influence her design approach at Airbnb?
What are some of Rachel Been's most notable projects at Airbnb?
How does Rachel Been's background in art history impact her design work?
What challenges has Rachel Been faced in her role at Airbnb?
Rachel Been
Rachel Been, photo 1
Rachel Been, photo 2
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Location

San Francisco, California, United States