Ben Lister

I'm a product designer with 20 years of experience. Over the last decade, I've specialized in design systems—using design, code, and AI to help organizations scale and mature their systems.

I'm currently a Product Design contractor at Netflix, where I work on the company's enterprise design system, Hawkins Professional, building components, prototypes, and AI projects. Previously, I was a Staff Product Designer at Okta, where I scaled Odyssey, their enterprise design system. Before that, I was a Staff Product Designer at Gusto, where I reimagined Workbench, Gusto's design system, creating its brand and leading design and strategy for the documentation site and cross-functional partnerships. I began specializing in design systems at Sprout Social, where I was the first design hire. Over 10 years—through the company's IPO—I co-created Seeds and founded Sprout's design system team.

I started designing websites as a teenager, building a Nirvana fansite and teaching myself to code and design. That turned into freelance work for music sites and local design agencies—all before I could drive. Getting paid to build things showed me this could become a career. I studied Computer Information Systems in college, which set me up to work as a product designer who codes—and I've been hooked on building things ever since.

Having grown up in my family's restaurant kitchen in Michigan, I've become an avid home cook. After 15 years in Chicago, I now live in Oakland, CA, with my family and our two energetic Whippets, Devo and Phoebe. I enjoy hiking, cycling, and (often regretfully) rooting for the Chicago White Sox.