About Me

My name’s Matthew Stephens. I’ve worked at the intersection of design, technology, and business for over 22 years, most recently as VP of Design at The Zebra. I build high-performing teams and design award-winning brands and products. Beyond that, I also write about ethics, accessibility, diversity, and education within design.

At The Zebra, I scaled a Design org from 3 to 22 in 3 years. My teams included product and marketing design, research, writing, and design operations. We built a suite of products that increased annual net revenue from $1M to $100M, along with a 100% retention rate on my team.

Before The Zebra, I was the Co-Founder of DeviantArt.com, the largest art community in the world. With over 400 million works of art and 50 million users, I know what it’s like to operate and lead at the largest scale.

I’m also involved in the broader design community, serving as a member of Invision’s Design Leadership Forum and the advisory board for Austin Design Week. I also donate my time and design skills to various non-profits, including the American Cancer Society.

In a previous life, I was a competitive ultimate frisbee player. During my career, I appeared in multiple national and world championships. Other interests include soccer, video games, and birding.

I hold a degree from The University of Texas at Austin in Radio-Television-Film , where I focused on digital media.

Thanks! If you’d like to go even further, you can follow me on Twitter or connect on Linkedin. Cheers!