Background
Rafa Smith is a Creative Lead and UX Designer on Google’s Doodle and Delight Features team – a collective of artists, designers, and engineers that aim to create magical moments across Google products that inspire and connect us all.
Prior to joining Google, Rafa was a Design Director at IDEO.org where he designed products, services, and systems that address issues in communities affected by poverty and systemic inequity. His primary role was leading design teams through the process of human-centered design – a creative approach to problem solving that starts with people and arrives at new solutions tailored to meet their needs. His work at IDEO.org spanned sectors including financial health and the racial wealth gap, immigration, reproductive health, and emotional wellbeing.
Rafa’s area of expertise is in building digital and physical products and his craft sits at the intersection of interaction design, industrial design, and service design.