FOOUND · № 002 · Candidate September 2026
Mara is a fictional example. This preview uses the existing Candidate page’s content and portrait.
This is the candidate I work for. Berlin design leadership since 2012. The pattern: building teams and systems, now seeking products still being defined.
Mara
Now Head of Product Design at Northwind
Based Berlin
Since 2012
Career Northwind Head of Product Design · Since 2022
A career worth sharing Open Mara’s page →
Career
Northwind 2022 to present Head of Product Design, growing the design org
Grew the design organization from four to fourteen and introduced a shared design system. Trusted to build a team from the ground up rather than inherit one.
Klarna 2018 to 2022 Design Director, managing design and research
Managed six designers and two researchers, and owned the company's design system.
SoundCloud 2015 to 2018 Senior Product Designer
Worked as a senior product designer, deepening craft ahead of the design leadership roles that followed.
Wooga 2012 to 2015 Product Designer, mobile games UI
Began the career designing UI for mobile games, the first seat after graduate study.
Trusted with
Scaling a team Grew Northwind's design org from four to fourteen.
Owning design systems Owned the design system at Klarna and introduced one at Northwind.
Managing a design org Managed six designers and two researchers at Klarna.
In their words
“I build design teams that can outgrow me, and I am happiest where the product is still being argued about.” The work Portfolio: selected work
Northwind design system, 2023
Talk: Scaling a design org without losing the craft
Work titles from the fictional example. Portfolio destinations are placeholders. Said about Mara
Jonasher manager “Mara turned a group of four designers into a real organisation without a single quarter where the product slipped. She hires better than anyone I have worked with.” Jonas Weber · CPO, Northwind · her manager
Priyaa peer “The design system at Klarna existed because Mara refused to let it be a side project. She made the case, built the team and kept it honest.” Priya Raman · VP Engineering, Klarna · a peer
Tomaszreported to her “She gave me real ownership in my first year and stayed close enough that I never felt alone with it.” Tomasz Nowak · Senior Product Designer, Northwind · reported to her
Candidate example · № 002
