At AKQA (part of WPP), we believe in the imaginative application of art and science to design a better future. Our Product Design Directors craft the interfaces, systems, and experiences that define how brands behave in the modern world, across mobile, spatial, voice, wearables, and AI-powered environments.

As a Product Design Director, you’ll lead the design of products and brand experiences for some of the world’s most influential organisations, from luxury ecosystems and cultural platforms to next-generation mobility and wellness systems. You’ll guide multi-disciplinary teams to create elegant, human-centred design solutions that are as intelligent as they are inspiring.

You’ll define design direction across a portfolio of complex, high-impact digital products, establishing benchmarks in accessibility, interaction, and multi-modal experience. You’ll champion the new frontier of brand user interfaces: adaptive design languages that translate brand identity into behaviour, sound, motion, and intelligence.

AKQA Product Design Directors operate at the intersection of brand, craft, and computation, working side-by-side with strategy, data, and engineering teams to shape products that learn, evolve, and earn love over time.

This is a leadership role within AKQA’s London studio, part of a globally connected studio network shaping the future of digital experiences for brands including Nike, Rolls-Royce, Samsung, Airbnb, and Google. You’ll be at the forefront of AI-powered product design, helping redefine how creativity, intelligence, and empathy coexist in every interaction.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

Lead concept, design, and delivery of world-class digital products and connected experiences that define new standards for creativity and usability.
Partner with UX, Creative Technology, and AI Engineering teams to shape AI-native interfaces, generative UI systems, and adaptive design components.
Establish and evolve brand-led design systems that perform across screen, voice, gesture, and spatial interfaces.
Embed accessibility and inclusivity from first principles, ensuring WCAG compliance and usability for all audiences.
Drive experimentation across new modalities: voice and audio UX, wearable ecosystems, computer vision, and mixed reality.
Mentor, grow, and inspire a diverse team of product designers, cultivating craftsmanship, critical thinking, and innovation.
Collaborate closely with strategists and client partners to translate brand purpose into tangible, useful digital products.
Represent AKQA in new business opportunities, articulating the value of design in solving complex business and human challenges.
Contribute to AKQA’s global culture of learning, sharing insights on design ethics, AI co-creation, and emerging interaction paradigms.

QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS

10+ years’ experience (as a guide, not a restriction) in product design or interaction design at leading studios or in-house teams.
Proven leadership in delivering large-scale, multi-platform digital products from concept to launch.
Mastery of Figma and contemporary design-system workflows (tokens, auto-layout, component libraries), along with complementary tools such as code-based interaction design software and no-code web/app solutions.
Strong understanding of human-centred design, accessibility, motion, and micro-interaction principles.
Familiarity with AI design tools, prototyping in Framer, Principle, ProtoPie, or After Effects, and collaboration with machine-learning or data-science teams.
Demonstrable success in uniting brand and product through interface design, e.g. motion language, sound design, or spatial storytelling.
Experience mentoring mid- and senior-level designers; a track record of growing creative excellence and cultural impact.
Comfortable presenting to senior clients and executives, and confident operating within fast-paced, high-stakes environments.
Systems thinker with a deep sensitivity to brand and narrative.
Calm, credible communicator who brings clarity and optimism to complex challenges.
Obsessed with emerging technologies and their human potential.
Advocate for inclusive design and accessible innovation.
Balances bold vision with precision in craft.

Please include your portfolio link and examples of your work in your application. We are not able to accept applications that do not include a link to your work.

Explore our extensive range of benefits here.

We believe great work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach including required in-office days. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

AKQA is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.

About the company

AKQA is a digital design and communications agency that delivers digital strategy, experience and product design, e-commerce, and technology implementation for global brands. Its approach combines creativity, technology, and data to build digital products and immersive campaigns. The company works through integrated teams that move from strategy to design to development and activation, using technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality to create engaging experiences. AKQA differentiates itself by operating as an autonomous subsidiary within WPP while leveraging scale across 50 countries and about 6,000 employees, enabling end-to-end services and a track record of large-brand work (e.g., Microsoft, Nike, Google, Unilever) and industry recognition. Its goal is to help brands transform digitally and achieve measurable business results through compelling, user-centered digital experiences.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

Acquired

Total Funding

$540M

Headquarters

San Francisco, California

Founded

2007

Get referred to AKQA

See people who can refer or advise you

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

HubSpot appointed AKQA in March 2026, expanding the agency's enterprise growth pipeline.
AKQA launched an AI-crafted Lexus campaign in March 2026, proving commercial AI execution.
AKQA won 22 Cannes Lions in 2026, including a Grand Prix, signaling creative momentum.

What critics are saying

WPP's 2026 consolidation pushes AKQA deeper into group-wide cost-cutting and restructuring.
Leadership churn persists after Ajaz Ahmed's 2024 exit and 2025 Americas departures.
Grey's 2025 separation and WPP integration threaten AKQA's standalone identity by 2027.

What makes AKQA unique

AKQA embeds AI across creative, strategy, and technology, now with a unified global structure.
HubSpot hired AKQA in March 2026 for brand, product, and customer-experience integration.
AKQA still wins prestige work for Lexus, Microsoft, Nike, and global awards.

Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?

Benefits

Hybrid Work Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

-7%

1 year growth

-7%

2 year growth

-7%

Little Black Book (LBB)

Oct 20th, 2026

Mina Samandar joins AKQA Australia as director of tech consulting and growth.

Mina Samandar joins AKQA Australia as director of tech consulting and growth. Exclusive: She previously spent five years at Omnicom in senior technology consulting and leadership roles Editorial Series People moves, company launches, account wins and other business news. AKQA Australia has appointed Mina Samandar as director, tech consulting and growth, further strengthening the agency's technology consulting leadership and connecting its services offering with growth opportunities across existing and new clients. Mina will work with clients to turn technology investments into better customer experiences and measurable business outcomes, while partnering with AKQA's executive team to expand its technology consulting and services offering. "What drew me to AKQA is that it remains one of the few agencies that genuinely brings experience, creativity, data and technology together. I've always believed that to be truly innovative, you need all of these working together, with the customer experience at the heart of what you're trying to solve," Mina said. "Technology should enable better experiences and meaningful business outcomes, not dictate the solution. AKQA has a long history of getting that balance right, both in Australia and globally, and that's what really excites me about joining the business." Reporting to chief technology officer Eric Orton and working closely with managing director Justine Leong, Mina brings more than 16 years' experience across client-side, agency and consulting environments. Her expertise spans strategy, delivery, customer experience, digital transformation and innovation. Justing said, "Mina brings a valuable combination of commercial, strategic and technical leadership, alongside a clear understanding of how technology can drive growth. She knows how to connect the possibilities of a technology platform with what a business and its customers actually need. "As clients look to get more value from their technology and martech investments, Mina will play an important role in connecting our capabilities with those opportunities. Working alongside our executive team, she will help strengthen our technology consulting offering, grow our client partnerships and create more intelligent customer experiences." Prior to joining AKQA, Mina spent five years within Omnicom in senior technology consulting and leadership roles. Before the Clemenger BBDO consolidation, she led CHEP Network's Sydney technology services practice, overseeing consulting and delivery teams across a client portfolio including Sydney Airport, Uniting, Latitude Financial Services, Samsung, and Australian government agencies. Her appointment supports AKQA Australia's focus on bringing technology, creativity, data and experience together to drive client growth, with particular emphasis on technology partnerships and marketing technology.

Mumbrella

Oct 7th, 2026

AKQA promotes Luciano Di Leonardo to executive technology director.

AKQA promotes Luciano Di Leonardo to executive technology director. October 8, 2026 9:05 AKQA has promoted Luciano Di Leonardo to executive technology director, overseeing the agency's technology practice and engineering organisation. His focus will be on advancing AI-native development and enhancing technology's role in client strategies. The announcement: AKQA, the frontier agency, has promoted Luciano Di Leonardo to Executive Technology Director, Australia, expanding his leadership remit as the agency accelerates the evolution of its technology and engineering practice. In the role, Luciano will lead AKQA Australia's technology practice and engineering organisation, as well as its technology strategy for clients. He will oversee technical program delivery across the agency's Australian client portfolio and lead a team spanning solution architects, technical leads, delivery leads and principal engineers. Enjoying Mumbrella? Sign up for our free daily newsletter. A key focus of his expanded remit will be advancing AKQA's shift towards AI-native development, embedding agentic AI tools, modern engineering workflows and new capability frameworks into the practice. Luciano will report to Eric Orton, Chief Technology Officer, APAC, while working closely with AKQA Australia's Managing Director Justine Leong and the wider Australian executive leadership team across creative, strategy, experience design and client services, to bring technology into the heart of the agency's innovation offering. Luciano said the rapid development of AI represented a defining opportunity for both the agency and its people. "AI is a once-in-a-generation inflection point. In much the same way the internet reshaped our industry 25 years ago, AI is changing how we create, engineer and deliver experiences," said Luciano. "My ambition is to move technology beyond being a delivery partner to becoming an invention partner. That means being people-led and AI-amplified - using AI to extend the ingenuity, craftsmanship and creativity of our teams, rather than replace what makes them exceptional." Luciano has spent more than 15 years with AKQA, leading technical strategy, enterprise architecture and the evolution of engineering practices. Before joining the agency, he held technology roles across Australia and the United Kingdom working in various industries such as insurance, digital, product development and IT sectors. During his time at AKQA, Luciano has worked across commerce and retail, insurance, superannuation, travel, government and entertainment, partnering with clients including AustralianSuper, Foodstuffs NZ, Inland Revenue NZ, Visit Victoria, HESTA, RACWA, Australian Ethical Super and Country Road Group. Among his major technology initiatives, Luciano spearheaded Country Road Group's digital transformation, coordinating more than 30 stakeholders across three locations and offshore teams to deliver a serverless, edge-based headless architecture capable of deploying 24 websites in 240 seconds across four retail brands. He also established and managed AKQA's 24/7 Managed Services support operation, introducing enterprise tooling and modern operational SLA frameworks. Across his career, he has recruited, mentored and developed more than 100 technology specialists. Eric Orton, Chief Technology Officer, APAC, at AKQA, said: "Luciano has been at the heart of every major transformation in our business over the last 15 years, leading some of our highest-impact work across Australia and New Zealand. His leadership, technical depth and commitment to our teams and clients have helped shape so much of what we've achieved together. "AI is bringing one of the biggest shifts our industry has seen, fundamentally changing the way ideas are conceived, built and experienced. I'm thrilled to have Luciano guiding our team and clients in Australia through this next chapter, and I look forward to what we'll achieve together." Luciano added: "I care deeply about this team and the future we can build together. I want to create a clear vision, elevate the people who are already pushing boundaries and make AKQA's technology practice a place where exceptional technologists are proud to do the best work of their careers." Have your say. Or comment anonymously Your comment will be marked as unverified

Ethical Marketing News

Sep 7th, 2026

AKQA appoints Rosie Milton-Schönemann as global director of marketing and communications.

AKQA appoints Rosie Milton-Schönemann as global director of marketing and communications. AKQA has appointed Rosie Milton-Schönemann as its global director of marketing and communications. This newly created role reflects the agency's ambition to further strengthen its brand, reputation and market positioning in its next chapter under AKQA CEO and WPP group chief strategy officer, Baiju Shah. In this role, Rosie will lead AKQA's global marketing and communications strategy, drawing from a career working with companies operating at the intersection of creativity and technology. Rosie will partner with leaders across AKQA's worldwide business to strengthen its reputation, sharpen its narrative and help define how the agency's role as the frontier agency is understood by clients, talent and the wider industry. Rosie joins from Accenture Song, where she spent nearly a decade helping shape the company's global reputation during a period of significant growth and several leadership and transformation cycles. Most recently, she led global corporate communications, overseeing brand reputation, executive communications and integrated external engagement as part of the marketing and communications leadership team. Commenting on her appointment, Rosie said: "I firmly believe that reputation is one of the most powerful drivers of growth. The opportunity to help shape how AKQA is understood by clients, talent and the wider industry at such an important moment for the business is incredibly exciting. AKQA has long been recognised for the quality of its ideas and the calibre of its people. I'm looking forward to working with Baiju, our global leadership team and colleagues across the WPP network to build on that legacy and ensure the agency's reputation is as distinctive as the work it creates." Rosie joins AKQA at a time of considerable momentum, following recent leadership appointments, new client partnerships and continued recognition for creative and technological innovation. The appointment reflects AKQA's commitment to strengthening its market presence as it continues to imagine and create what matters next for clients and communities around the world.

Branding in Asia

Sep 2nd, 2026

AKQA Australia appoints Jonathan Hales & Martin Tozzi-Condivi Executive Client partners.

AKQA Australia appoints Jonathan Hales & Martin Tozzi-Condivi Executive Client partners. Hales will focus on public sector growth, while Tozzi-Condivi takes on a deeper financial services remit. AKQA Australia has appointed Jonathan Hales as Executive Client Partner and promoted Martin Tozzi-Condivi to the same role, with both taking on senior client leadership responsibilities across the Australian business. Hales joins the Australian business after four years leading AKQA's Wellington studio in New Zealand in a similar client leadership role, while Tozzi-Condivi moves into the position after eight years with AKQA. Both report to Managing Director Justine Leong. Hales will focus on supporting the agency's portfolio of client brands, driving new business growth and expanding its established public sector practice. Tozzi-Condivi will lead multidisciplinary teams across digital transformation, brand strategy and customer experience optimization, with a deeper focus on financial services and member-focused organizations. Hales brings more than 40 years of experience across advertising, brand, design and public sector transformation. His work has included teams behind the New Zealand passport and identity program, the global reinvention of the New Zealand wine industry, and a public information program supporting New Zealand's largest public transport transformation. Tozzi-Condivi has spent eight years with AKQA, with a focus on the financial services sector, long-term client relationships and the customer lifecycle. In his expanded role, he will continue to bring together multidisciplinary teams for clients. "Jonathan and Martin bring complementary strengths to our client service leadership at an important time for AKQA Australia," said Justine Leong, Managing Director, AKQA Australia. "Their appointments reflect our continued investment in senior client leadership and our ambition to deepen trusted partnerships across sectors. Jonathan's successful track record in New Zealand will help us grow our public sector practice, while Martin's expanded remit strengthens our focus on financial services and member-focused organisations. Together, they will help our teams create meaningful impact and commercial value for clients across Australia." "I'm excited by the opportunity to continue my AKQA journey while relocating to Australia," said Jonathan Hales. "Remaining part of AKQA is important to me, and I look forward to supporting our Australian clients, growing the public sector practice, and sharing my experience and knowledge with the leadership team." "I'm thrilled to take on the Executive Client Partner role at such an exciting time for AKQA," said Martin Tozzi-Condivi. "We have an extraordinary team, and I'm looking forward to deepening my focus on the financial services sector - particularly partnering with member-focused organisations - to deliver real-world impact, scale our capabilities, and drive ongoing strategic value and commercial success for our clients."

Bandt

Sep 1st, 2026

AKQA names Jonathan Hales & Martin Tozzi-Condivi Executive Client partners.

AKQA names Jonathan Hales & Martin Tozzi-Condivi Executive Client partners. Published on: 1st September 2026 at 10:46 AM AKQA Australia has appointed of Jonathan Hales and promoted Martin Tozzi-Condivi to executive client partner to bolster the agency's client service leadership. Hales has joined AKQA Australia following four years leading the agency's Wellington studio in New Zealand in a similar client leadership role. Tozzi-Condivi has stepped into the executive client partner role after eight years with AKQA. He was previously group client partner. They will report to managing director Justine Leong and will work across the Australian business in close collaboration with David Clarke, executive experience design director; Eric Orton, chief technology officer; Tara McKenty, chief creative officer; Sarah McGregor, executive creative director; and, Rodney Greenfield, data and AI director. Hales will focus on supporting the agency's portfolio of client brands, driving new business growth and expanding its established public sector practice. Tozzi-Condivi will lead multi-disciplinary teams across digital transformation, brand strategy and customer experience optimisation, with a deepened focus on financial services and member-focused organisations. "Jonathan and Martin bring complementary strengths to our client service leadership at an important time for AKQA Australia. Their appointments reflect our continued investment in senior client leadership and our ambition to deepen trusted partnerships across sectors. Together, they will help our teams create meaningful impact and commercial value for clients across Australia," said AKQA Australia managing director Justine Leong. "I'm excited by the opportunity to continue my AKQA journey while relocating to Australia. Remaining part of AKQA is important to me, and I look forward to supporting our Australian clients, growing the public sector practice, and sharing my experience and knowledge with the leadership team," said Hales. "I'm thrilled to take on the Executive Client Partner role at such an exciting time for AKQA. We have an extraordinary team, and I'm looking forward to deepening my focus on the financial services sector - particularly partnering with member-focused organisations - to deliver real-world impact, scale our capabilities, and drive ongoing strategic value and commercial success for our clients," said Tozzi-Condivi. Join more than 30,000 advertising industry experts Get all the latest advertising and media news direct to your inbox from B&T.

AKQA

Product Design Director

About the job