I am an endlessly curious interdisciplinary design leader, strategist, and emerging technology specialist focused on inventing new products, experiences, and capabilities. I help teams translate advanced technology into meaningful human value, defining new propositions and guiding early-stage ideas through ambiguity toward product impact.
With experience across research, product, industry, and consultancy, my career has increasingly centered on 0→1 and transformational work. I’ve built new teams and practices around emerging technologies, often creating new capabilities inside established organizations. I balance a perspective of experimental innovation with pragmatic execution to deliver impactful, scalable solutions.
Meta | Reality Labs Research – Redmond, WA
Research Design Lead, May 2026-present
Research Design Manager, September 2021 – May 2026
Member of the Reality Labs Research design leadership team, working across design, prototyping, user research, research science, and engineering to explore the future of human-oriented computing. From 2021–2026, I led a multidisciplinary design and prototyping team of 10; today I contribute as a senior individual contributor while continuing to help shape design direction and strategy.
My work explores the intersection of AR, VR, wearables, spatial computing, optics, displays, biometric sensing, contextual AI, and new interaction models—turning early technical signals into tangible experiences that inform future product direction. My role bridges research ambition and human value: shaping bold concepts, building experiential prototypes, and using AI-enabled tools and workflows to accelerate exploration, synthesis, and concept development, helping emerging technologies become more legible, useful, meaningful, and human-centered. We help imagine, test, and shape the technologies that will define how people learn, create, and connect in the future.
Microsoft – Redmond, WA
Principal Program Manager, Ethics & Society
January 2021 – September 2021
Returned to Microsoft’s Ethics & Society organization in a new leadership capacity, orchestrating cross-functional efforts to translate Microsoft’s Responsible AI Standard into actionable design and engineering practices. The work helped teams operationalize responsible AI principles while enabling continued technological innovation.
Boston Consulting Group | Platinion – Seattle, WA
Design Principal | Seattle Studio Lead, September 2019 – January 2021
Founding member of Platinion’s Smart Environments Group, a new practice within BCG’s interdisciplinary digital transformation organization. Led experience design research, strategy, and enablement for this emerging area, working globally with Fortune 50 clients to explore how new technologies could reshape physical environments and human experiences. In parallel, helped build BCG Platinion’s West Coast multidisciplinary design capability in partnership with global design leads.
Microsoft – Redmond, WA
Sr. Director UX, Digital Transformation & Applied Innovation
February 2019 – September 2019
Design and Program leader within Digital Transformation & Applied Innovation, supporting Microsoft Real Estate & Security’s CampusNext project. Responsible for leading the development & validation of the smart campus’ user experience strategy & design, directly informing re-imagined physical architecture, technology infrastructure, & new-to-the-world interactions made possible by their thoughtful integration. CampusNext was intended to deliver the world’s most groundbreaking & effective workplace, a living lab for Microsoft’s most advanced technologies, & a proof point for true physical/digital experience design.
Principal Design Manager, Ambient AI Design & Research
November 2017 – February 2019
Originally hired as a member of a groundbreaking start-up within Microsoft’s Design & Research Division, I led a cross-disciplinary design studio in the creation of “cyber-physical” environmental experiences, merging traditional industrial, interior, & brand design with artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies. Understanding & mitigating the ethical concerns inherent in these new experiences was a primary focus in my work. As part of a company-wide reorganization, my team transitioned to Microsoft’s Platform Division, Cognition. There, I assumed additional design leadership accountability for Computer Vision & Sensing Technology workstreams.
Amazon – Seattle, WA
Creative Director, Amazon Go
November 2014 – November 2017
Founding member of a highly disruptive startup within Amazon, leading Brand, Industrial Design, and Store Experience Design teams in the creation of the world’s first Smart Store using computer vision, sensor fusion, and machine learning. Led development of the Amazon Go brand and its integrated physical and digital experience from concept through launch, translating novel technical capabilities into an entirely new customer experience and retail model. I was also responsible for leading private-label product positioning, brand development, and packaging design.
Office Depot – Boca Raton, FL
Senior Director, Visual Merchandising & Interactive
August 2013 – October 2014
Senior Director within a newly created Customer Experience organization, charged with defining strategy and elevating the retail experience across physical, interactive, and omnichannel touchpoints. Led a 35-person cross-functional team in the strategy, design, and execution of visual merchandising, environmental interactive experiences, and omnichannel initiatives designed to increase customer demand and redefine expectations of the brand. Also led experience strategy and design for Office Depot’s Store of the Future.
Hornall Anderson – Seattle, WA
Creative Director, Experience and Environment Studio
October 2007 – August 2013
Founded Hornall Anderson’s Experience & Environment Studio, expanding the firm’s capabilities beyond its established expertise in brand development and graphic design. Drove experience strategy, placemaking, innovation, environmental interactive experiences & built environment projects across sectors. Notable clients include Nordstrom, Target, Pepsico, HTC, L’Oréal, GE, REI, Kroger, The Sydney Opera House, The Empire State Building, & Madison Square Garden.
Persuasive, thoughtful approach to all client engagements & new business development, resulting in relationships that garner $5M+ fees, annually.
Arhart Creative – Seattle, WA
Principal
2005 – 2007
Independent creative consultant and advisor to retail, investment, and creative-services clients, providing brand and experience strategy, naming, identity development, print and packaging, environmental graphic design, interactive, exhibit, museum, and store design.
Eddie Bauer, Inc. – Redmond WA
Director of Retail Creative & Visual Merchandising
2002 – 2005
Led two divisions of this national omnichannel retailer, directing a cross-functional team of designers and visual merchandisers across brand marketing, art direction, packaging, visual merchandising, in-store marketing, store design, and display. Responsible for work spanning apparel, home, outlet, and licensing businesses.
The Retail Group – Seattle, WA
Partner, Creative Director
1997 – 2002
Creative leader for one of the country’s premier retail architecture, design, & strategic branding firms, responsible for brand strategy & development, creative development & conceptualization of projects for an array of clients, including Fortune 500 companies. Clients include Nike, The Home Depot, Sears, Babies-R-Us, Radio Shack, Whirlpool, & McDonalds.
Senior Graphic Designer
1994 – 1997
Responsible for brand identity development, environmental graphic systems, signage, marketing collateral materials, & packaging as part of a multidisciplinary design team.
Amazon Leading For Engagement Management Program
Office Depot Senior Leadership Development Program
Omnicom University Senior Management Program
The University of Texas at Austin, Bachelor of Science Creative Advertising
Retailer of the Year: Amazon Go
VMSD Design Awards, 2017
First Place, Environmental Design
International Mobius Awards, 2010
Awarded for the design of the Madison Square Garden Transformation Center
Graphis Platinum Award, Environmental Design
Graphis International Design Competition, 2010
Awarded for the design of the Madison Square Garden Transformation Center
Graphis Gold Award, Environmental Design
Graphis International Design Competition, 2010
Awarded for the design of The Skydeck Visitor Experience at Willis (Sears) Tower
3055 Briarcliff Lane W
Seattle, Washington
206.498.1525
ashleyarhart@mac.com