Sharif Matar

Sharif Matar has a diverse and extensive work experience spanning different roles in the design industry. Sharif is currently a Member at Design Leadership Forum since September 2022. Prior to that, they worked as a UX Design Director at Product Inc. from February 2021 to the present, where they used their expertise in experience design to drive growth strategies and create measurable outcomes for clients. Additionally, they built and scaled product teams and collaborated across disciplines to achieve business goals.

Before their role at Product Inc., Sharif worked as a Product Design Consultant at Matar Creative, starting in February 2018, where they provided freelance product design, interaction design, and strategy services for various clients, including Fortune 500 companies such as Chubb, Capital Group, and Apple. Their work involved helping businesses build effective projects and design teams.

In 2020, Sharif founded Field Drone, demonstrating their entrepreneurial spirit and leadership abilities. Sharif has also served as a UX Design Mentor at Backstage Capital, helping others in their professional development in the field of UX design.

Prior to these experiences, Sharif held several other positions, including User Experience Lead at Heat Waves from October 2020 to January 2021, UX Design Lead at Atlantic 57 from September 2019 to February 2020, and Senior Product Designer at PeerStreet from January 2019 to September 2019.

Furthermore, Sharif has utilized their expertise in UX design as the Lead Instructor for the User Experience Design program at General Assembly from March 2018 to March 2019. Sharif contributed to curriculum development, taught core skills and methods, managed class projects, and guided client work using Lean UX and Agile methods.

Earlier in their career, Sharif worked as a Senior User Experience Designer at SADA Systems from January 2017 to February 2018. Their responsibilities included working with clients such as Marriott International and the Seattle Department of Transportation, as well as leading design projects for SADA Geo suite products and dotMaps, a maps-based coordination tool.

Overall, Sharif Matar's work experience showcases their proficiency in experience design, strategy, team building, and mentoring, positioning him as a well-rounded professional in the design industry.

Sharif Matar's education history is as follows:

From 1991 to 2007, they attended Honolulu Waldorf High School and obtained a High School Diploma.

In 2005, they also studied Graphic Design at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, focusing on Post Production.

During the same year, they pursued studies in Economics at the University of Cambridge.

In 2006, Sharif Matar briefly studied Modern Culture and Media at Brown University, with a focus on Film Theory and Finance.

From 2007 to 2011, they attended Santa Clara University and earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Communication and Media Studies.

In 2014, they completed a User Experience Design Immersive program at General Assembly to further develop their skills in UX/UI Design.

In addition to their formal education, Sharif Matar has obtained several certifications. In 2006, they obtained a Basic First Aid & CPR certification from YMCA. In 2015 and 2016, they became a certified Scuba Diver through PADI. In 2019, they obtained a FAA-Certified Drone Pilot certification from the Federal Aviation Administration. More recently, in 2020, they completed certifications in Construction Management: Introduction to Lean Construction, Brad Feld on Validating Your Startup Idea, and Managing Your Small Business from LinkedIn Learning.

Additionally, they gained proficiency in Final Cut Pro and Adobe After Effects through a course at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.