Product Design advisor and coach

I help teams create excellent products through effective collaboration and smarter ways of working.

As a longtime leader in Tech, I understand firsthand the complex challenges organizations face in this rapidly changing landscape. Through coaching and advising, I illuminate the gaps in culture, people or processes, that keep teams from attaining their goals and achieving organizational effectiveness.

People: Empowering Teams and Leadership

What you can expect: Design org design, hiring & retention strategies, mentorship & coaching for executive and emerging talent

Investing in people from day one is the foundation of creating a resilient, innovative, and successful organization. I help organizations build strong, high-performing teams through personalized leadership coaching, long-term org design in addition to the development of various culture programs with a specific focus on diversity and inclusion. By integrating hiring strategies, onboarding processes, and continuous professional development, I help you gain and retain top talent while fostering a supportive environment where everyone can grow and contribute their best.

Product: Driving Product Excellence

What you can expect: Strategic advising, product & design critiques, product excellence and quality programs

Product excellence and quality aren’t just goals—they need to be integral parts of your organization’s culture in order to create delightful and innovative experiences that have real meaning for the people who use them. I work closely with teams to ensure that product excellence is understood at all levels of the organization and embedded into every stage of the design and development process, from ideation to execution.

Process: Optimizing Workflows for Efficiency

What you can expect: Design process and planning improvements, design system expertise, techniques for demonstrating the ROI of UX

When processes are established and implemented in the right way, they become rapid enablers that smooth the road to success. I help teams create a collaborative framework where roles are clearly defined, communication is streamlined, and cross-functional partnerships thrive. Together, we design workflows that not only reduce bottlenecks but also enhance transparency, accountability, and flexibility. With the right foundation and adaptable processes in place, teams can consistently deliver high-quality results.

I have been invited as a keynote speaker to events across the globe to share insights on building excellent products and successful design teams.

  • Live audiences up to 10,000 people

  • Talks, interviews, Q&As, fireside chats

  • Workshops and facilitation

To inquire about a speaking engagement, interview or event, please contact me.

This edition features Gülay Birand, UX Lead and Product Design Manager at Facebook, and Tim Rechin, Head of Design at Edmodo, the leading education technology company. Gülay and Tim share their experiences and explain design, UI/UX, how to build a career in these fields, and how entrepreneurs should think about them.

Gülay Birand is a Product Design leader with extensive experience shaping enterprise and consumer products.

Previously, she held senior roles at Google, Facebook, Amazon and Miro, leading design for products used by billions around the world like the first Kindle, Google Cloud, Facebook Identity and Miro Platform.

Gülay has worked closely with teams at some of the world’s leading organizations, offering her expertise in product excellence, design strategy, and organizational growth.

Her clients span from experienced individual contributors to top-level executives, representing companies from innovative start-ups to major Fortune 100 enterprises.

Let’s Work Together

To inquire about a consulting opportunity, speaking engagement or interview, please fill out the form.