Dario Fidanza

I design products, and the design systems that scale them

Nine+ years as a product designer at EA, Lyft, and Instacart, and along the way I kept building the design system for them too. My current role at Instacart evolved from product designer to systems designer, most recently I founded the Tooling Design System and scaled it from zero to 144+ components, now used 786K+ times across 18 teams in the last 2 years at 90.9% satisfaction. Lately I use AI to close the gap between design and engineering.

Pixels, Person, and Purpose

I started in Buenos Aires with architecture and technical drawing, then moved to LA and spent 15 years in graphic design and marketing before moving into product design. For nine years I've designed enterprise products at EA, Lyft, and Instacart, from a global intranet to a unified digital workspace to order and fulfillment tools. Somewhere along the way I kept building the design systems behind them, and at Instacart that became the whole job: founding the Tooling Design System and scaling it across four platforms in under a year.

What keeps me going is making complicated things feel simple and human, whether that's helping a shopper find their groceries faster or helping a team build tools with less friction.

Beyond the desk

I expand my practice through code, AI prototyping, and creative outlets. I'm tackling a 100-day React/JS challenge, co-host a podcast on mental health and gay dating, and love to draw as a form of artistic expression.

I balance intensity with yoga, dance, and illustration. These practices sharpen resilience, creativity, and perspective. I also host monthly board game nights, a small but steady practice in community building.

AI & Design Engineering

Closing the gap between design and code

Lately my work lives in the space between design and engineering. Design systems have traditionally lived as two copies, one in Figma and one in code, and over time they drift apart. Closing that gap is the part of the work I care about most right now: token systems that line up one to one with code, with AI handling the slow parts like migration and catching drift while still enabling flexibility and creative exploration for product designers. The future is design and engineering working from the same source of truth.

Read my POV on AI and the future of design systems
Token architecture Figma MCP Code Connect Claude Code Figma plugins
Personal side project Open the tool

Golden Ratio Palette Builder

Something I vibe-coded for fun on my own time, not client work. It spaces hue, saturation, and lightness along the golden ratio to build balanced palettes, previews them in light and dark, checks contrast, and copies the tokens out. Free for anyone to use.

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Community & Engagement

Here I list my favorite collaborations fostering connection with fellow creatives or hosting community events.✨

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Cells & Pixels Podcast

In February 2021, I shared my experience working with the Claims Tech team and LGBTQ+ ERG at Lyft on the Cells and Pixels podcast. The show, hosted by Koji Pereira, features professionals discussing product design, UX research, and diversity in tech.

Listen to Episode
Fresh2Design Event 1 Fresh2Design Event 2 Fresh2Design Event 3 Fresh2Design Event 4
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Fresh2Design Community Meetup

As Branding & Operations Director for fresh2design (2015-2019), I helped grow our Austin-based meetup to over 3,500 members. I led brand strategy, defined scaling processes, and hosted various events including software education panels and storytelling events.

Notable Events:

  • SXSW: Adobe XD on "Design Evolution"
  • LGBTQ Voices in Tech storytelling event
  • Hurricane Harvey Relief Pin Show fundraiser
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AIGA Austin: Small Talks Series Chair

As the AIGA Austin Chair for Small Talks, I elevated the program through industry partnerships and fresh content focusing on emerging design trends.

UX for New Tech Series:

  • "Wearables" at Under Armor
  • "Omni-Channel Design" at Mutual Mobile
  • "Integrated Reality" at argodesign
  • "Designing for Diversity" at R/GA
AIGA Event 1 AIGA Event 2 AIGA Event 3 AIGA Event 4 AIGA Event 5 AIGA Event 6
Austin Design Week Event 1 Austin Design Week Event 2 Austin Design Week Event 3 Austin Design Week Event 4
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Austin Design Week

Led Workshops and Education Programs for Austin Design Week 2017, coordinating 30+ events and managing hosts to ensure successful experiences throughout the conference week.

"What an incredible week and it was all due to your efforts. What you all pulled off was an exceptional year!"

Say hello!

I'm always open to conversations about design systems,
enterprise tooling, and scaling teams. 👋🏽