Ross Popoff-Walker
AI Native Designer & Team Leader
I help ambitious teams build momentum by designing clarity, not just screens.I help ambitious teams
build momentum
by designing clarity,
not just screens.
Design Philosophy
I approach design as a strategic multiplier: aligning stakeholders, untangling complexity, and shipping solutions that actually work.
First-principles Clarity
I ask the hard questions early and make the invisible visible. Strategy before pixels.
Design as Infrastructure
Patterns and systems that scale beyond any single product or designer.
Upstream Partnership
I shape what gets built, not just how it looks. Strategy and execution, together.
Where I've Worked
First designer and head of design team
Waabi · 2025 to now
Design Systems & Data Viz
Netflix · 2022 to 2025
Design Lead, Tools
Waymo · 2021 to 2022
Design Lead, Consumer Products
Google Maps · 2019 to 2021
Design Pod Lead, Data Analytics
Google Cloud · 2017 to 2019
Lead & Co-Author
Google Material · 2017 to 2018
Mobile Product Design
Google Search · 2015 to 2017
Key Projects
2025 to now
Waabi
Establishing the Product Design Role
First designer and head of the design team at an autonomous trucking startup. Established design as a force multiplier across product, autonomy, and infrastructure teams. Designed internal tools for simulation, evaluation, and test operations. Emphasis on clarity, trust, and speed in safety-critical workflows.
2022 to 2025
Netflix
Unifying Data for Decision-Makers & Netflix
Led design systems and product design for Netflix's internal data ecosystem. Built a scalable data visualization system adopted by a 500+ person Data & Insights org. Standardized patterns across 400+ enterprise tools. Improved findability, consistency, and time-to-insight for executives.
2019 to 2021
Google Maps
Google Maps: Expanding the Platform with Data Layers
Core designer on the Maps platform and cartographic system. Simplified basemap color complexity and improved accessibility across light and dark modes. Defined motion tied to user intent. Launched large-scale data layers including COVID, Weather, and Air Quality. Helped frame Maps as a platform for contextual data.
2017 to 2019
Google Cloud
BigQuery UX Leadership
UX lead for BigQuery, Google Cloud's flagship analytics platform. Grew UX from one to eight across design, research, and prototyping. Led a full UI modernization for data analysts. Research and vision work unlocked new revenue features and informed the $2.6B Looker acquisition.
2017
Google Material Design
Data Visualization Spec
Creator and co-author of Google's Data Visualization spec. Initiated a cross-company effort spanning 12 product orgs. Authored internal and public guidance published on Material.io. Seeded a dedicated data visualization discipline inside Google.