Case Study
Leading design strategy for Snap's core ad formats—including Sponsored Snaps, Dynamic Product Ads, and more—balancing business growth with user trust across Snapchat's most sensitive surfaces.
As a key design leader for Snap's advertising products, I drive the strategy and design for ad formats that power our $5B ad business. This includes Sponsored Snaps, Dynamic Product Ads (DPA), and other formats across Snapchat's surfaces.
My work focuses on finding the balance between business growth and user trust—ensuring ads deliver value to advertisers while respecting the unique, intimate nature of Snapchat's experience.
How do we scale ad revenue across Snapchat's most personal surfaces without compromising the trust and engagement that makes our platform valuable in the first place?
Every ad format decision sits at the intersection of competing needs:
My role is to navigate these tensions strategically—finding solutions that grow the business while protecting what makes Snapchat special.
Before diving into design, I established principles that would guide every decision:
Ads must be clearly distinguishable from friend content at a glance.
No autoplay, no forced views—users always have control.
Getting rid of an ad should be as easy as dismissing a notification.
Strict limits on how often ads appear to prevent fatigue.
Led the 0→1 design of the first-ever ad format placed directly in Snapchat's Chat feed. Defined the user experience, guardrails, and interaction model for bringing ads into our most sensitive, high-frequency surface.
Shaped the strategy and design for personalized product ads that help e-commerce brands reach shoppers with relevant products. Focused on making commercial content feel native and valuable.
Developed frameworks and principles that apply across all ad formats, ensuring consistency in how we balance advertiser needs with user experience.
The best monetization design doesn't feel like a compromise—it finds ways to add value to users while delivering results for advertisers. That balance is what I optimize for.
My work on ad formats has directly contributed to Snap's advertising revenue growth while maintaining the user trust that makes our platform valuable.
This work has reinforced my belief that great product design at scale requires strategic thinking—understanding business context, navigating stakeholder tensions, and making decisions that compound over time.