
Meagan Durlak is a Product & Design Leader based in New York with over 18 years of experience. She is currently the Head of Design at Hinge, and previously hung out with Google Creative Lab, and IDEO.org. She is known for building thoughtful experiences, emboldening the design process and cultivating radically creative and curious cultures. If design is about moving from existing to preferred, then you might say that Meagan is a passionate practitioner of the 'to'. She is a relentless matriarch.
As Head of Design at Hinge, Meg leads product vision and innovation while championing design that creates meaningful human connections. She brings a unique blend of product strategy, design systems thinking, and creative storytelling to develop breakthrough digital experiences that genuinely serve user needs. Her approach combines human-centered design principles with equity-centered methodologies, believing that the most innovative solutions emerge when we design with, not just for, the communities we serve.
Throughout her 16+ years in design leadership, Meg has shaped transformative products and experiences for organizations including Google Creative Lab, IDEO, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Bose. As a former creative director at Google Creative Lab, she led experimental product initiatives that pushed the boundaries of how technology can thoughtfully connect people, while advocating for responsible innovation and inclusive design practices.
Her product vision work is characterized by asking bold "what if" questions that challenge conventional thinking, while remaining grounded in deep user empathy and systems-level understanding. She excels at identifying unexplored opportunity spaces and translating complex human needs into elegant product solutions that delight users while advancing equity.
Previously, as Design Director at IDEO.org, she guided the NY studio's creative culture and led projects focused on social impact through human-centered design. Whether she's reimagining dating app experiences at Hinge or developing breakthrough products for global organizations, Meg approaches each challenge as an opportunity to move toward more preferred futures. She's known as a relentless advocate for creativity, thoughtfulness, and team wellbeing – a true design matriarch who brings both vision and nurture to every project. Ask her about middles sometime.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Head of Design, Hinge
Creative Director, Google Creative Lab
Design Director, IDEO.org
Adjust Professor, NYU
Design Director, McKinsey Design
Design Lead, Doblin
EDUCATION
MFA Transdisciplinary Design,
Parsons New School
BFA Design Art,
Concordia University
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