Tony Sokolowski

I’m an industry award-winning design leader with expertise in delivering transformative digital experiences that captivate millions of customers.

My early love for, and training in, visual art and design underpins everything I do. If a design isn’t beautiful, striking, or immersive—and, in the world of digital design, deeply engaging for the customer—then what’s the point? Even if an individual design is well-executed, too often in digital spaces the various parts of a company’s platform are fractured: the website looks different from the app which looks different from the marketing collateral which looks different from the user interface. I’ve spent my career working to integrate each company’s digital design into a unified, compelling whole—whether building design teams, revamping existing designs, or creating new ones. Successful digital design translates into successful businesses that tell their stories effectively to customers.

That holistic integration isn’t just about the designs themselves but also about the way teams work together to develop them. Rather than people working in silos within their respective areas of expertise, I’ve brought together diverse teams from across creative, UX, marketing, branding, and executive management to work in concert to bring shared visions to life. These teams have thrived on collaboration, worked efficiently, and repeatedly achieved KPI targets with innovative, creative designs. I believe this kind of genuine collaboration is crucial.

I’m similarly interested in evolving digital design. Instead of having marketing that “tells stories” on the one hand and products that “do things” on the other, I am exploring how to best merge those two towards new kinds of design experiences for the user, ones that leave lasting impressions and look towards the future. I look forward to working with you to achieve that!

I invite you to read on below for more about my recent experiences.

NUNA

Head of Design  ▪  2024 – Present

Leading all facets of design for this innovative healthcare start-up: product experience, corporate brand, and sales/marketing. Our mission is to redefine Patient Engagement with an AI-centric care plan coaching experience for patients with chronic diseases, their provider care teams, and their support networks. 

  • Rebuilt the design org from a B2B structure into a B2C product design team aligned with a new consumer strategy.

  • Established foundational design operations, clarified UX processes, and hired key ICs to support scale.

  • Partnered with executive leadership through a period of change.

  • Successfully launched our beta experience for two healthcare providers and 1,000 active patients; expanded the product with several user-facing features and enhancements across multiple releases.

  • Defined design direction for the product’s next evolution (v.next), as well as for the corporate brand.

The Walt Disney Company

Senior Director, Product Design for Disney Streaming  ▪  2017 – 2023

The driving creative force behind the groundbreaking launch of Disney+, leading product design and brand strategy from initial vision through execution. Built and directed the high-performing team that shaped this industry-defining entertainment experience that continues to captivate millions of subscribers.

  • Spearheaded all facets of design, including product UX/UI, across all platforms, brand identity, logo creation, art direction, and UX research. Co-developed the product roadmap. Defined new workflows and requirements for content and programming operations.  

  • Achieved unparalleled subscriber growth, with 10 million subscribers at launch and currently over 120 million globally; successfully delivered on the corporate goal to establish streaming as a key business pillar.

  • Earned 4 U.S. design patents and numerous prestigious design and streaming industry awards including Fast Company's 2023 Innovation by Design Award.

  • Led design for post-launch expansion, designing and launching Star+ in Latin America (5.5 million subscribers), seamlessly integrating Hulu and ESPN into Disney+, and launching Disney+ for Apple VisionPro.

  • Managed organizational development, growing from 8 to 120 design professionals across all Disney streaming products. Managed professionals from entry to director level. Navigated multiple corporate restructurings. 

  • Influenced design culture and efficacy at Disney by creating and leading centers of excellence with senior practitioners. Led the UX Summit as planning director, speaker, and moderator (2018 – 2022). UX Summit is an annual conference that unites designers and creative teams across The Walt Disney Company.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ADVANCED MEDIA / BAMTECH MEDIA

Senior Director, Product Design  ▪  2015 – 2017

Established and expanded the product design team and contributed significantly to MLBAM's strategic shift via the newly created, stand-alone streaming company BAMTech Media. 

  • Drove Strategic planning, organizational development, and hiring. Led the successful transition of Vertigo's design team into MLBAM's structure, maintaining a positive culture and resulting in zero attrition. 

  • Led experience design for the flagship MLB.TV and partners including Sony, Riot Games, GoPro, and WWE.

  • Spearheaded Brand design for BAMTech Media, establishing its strong visual presence in the marketplace.

  • Productized BAMTech’s proprietary cross-platform video player technology. Led product management and design. Managed partnerships with Apple, Microsoft, Roku, and other major platforms.

VERTIGO

Vice President, Design  ▪  2005 – 2015

Built the product design team and shifted the company from its original engineering services focus to a comprehensive digital product development studio.

  • Grew annual revenue ($2M to $12M over 10 years), directly leading to Vertigo’s acquisition by MLB. 

  • Led strategic planning and team development. Managed partnerships with Microsoft, Google, and Apple. 

  • Successfully launched over 50 innovative digital products for clients, including HBO, Super Bowl XLIX, the 2010 Winter Olympics, NCAA March Madness, Wimbledon, NBC Universal, MLB, GoPro, and Showtime. 

  • Developed experiences for emerging technologies, including Microsoft Surface, Xbox 360 & Xbox One, Silverlight, Apple iOS, tvOS, Windows Phone, and Google Wear OS.