Justin Cina
Hi, I’m Justin,
experience designer,
product professional, and team leader.
For 20+ years I’ve helped build and grow companies through design, product development, and digital strategy.
I’ve worked with startups, including Firstbase.io and Gust.com, as well as Fortune 100 companies, most recently including IBM in the development of Dun & Bradstreet’s first-ever Gen AI products.
I create intuitive, user-informed experiences across devices, while establishing foundational design practices in the process. Design practice includes team building, design research, design system creation, design measurement.
Clients, employers, and collaboarators include:
Experience
Dun & Bradstreet
2020 - 2024
In 2020, D&B hired me to lead a team of two designers to create a single global design system for their $2.3B enterprise. After building and and delivering in 2022, I was promoted to Senior Director of UX, and took on design oversight of D&B’s $1.3B product segment Finance & Risk Solutions, managing a team of seven designers.
Firstbase.io
2020 - 2024
Firstbase.io, a Y Combinator-backed startup providing founders with “the all-in one startup operating system,” hired my company, Option A, to provide growth consulting. Optimizations across digital properties and acquisition channels resulted in 30% MoM revenue growth.
MDR
2017 - 2020
In 2017 MDR, a premier educational data company and subsidiary of Dun & Bradstreet, hired me to redesign their list-building software. The resulting product resulted in a three-year collaboration redesigning their entire multi-product suite into an ecommerce-enabled PaaS, transforming how the company did business.
2018
Option A was hired to design Capital One’s innovative, multi-platform executive relocation application powered by Plus Relocation. I performed product definition, user research, and UX design across desktop and mobile to launch the product.
Gust
2014 - 2017
Validated and led the product development of Gust’s first paid products, including Gust Launch, a single web-based platform for starting, growing, and funding a high-growth startup.
Prior to building paid products at Gust, I oversaw the development and launch of the official digital startup hubs for NYC, Boston, and London, in collabroation.
Other Experience
- I am currently enrolled in MIT xPRO’s Designing and Building AI Products and Services, a 10-week program exploring the fundamentals and principles of designing and building products utilizing artificial intelligence (AI).
- In late 2024 through 2025, I took a sabbatical year and founded Karma Capital, a creative real estate investment company focusing on responsible, design-forward redevelopment.
- In 2005 I founded Option A as my consulting entity. Over it’s 20+ year history it has gone through periods of dormancy and activity. All projects contracted through Option A were performed by me.
Let’s Connect!
Drop me a note on LinkedIn and let’s connect. I love talking product and design, and I’m happy to discuss your next project.
© Justin Cina, 2026. All rights reserved.
Justin Cina
Hi, I’m Justin,
experience designer,
product professional, and team leader.
For 20+ years I’ve helped build and grow companies through design, product development, and digital strategy.
I’ve worked with startups, including Firstbase.io and Gust.com, as well as Fortune 100 companies, most recently including IBM in the development of Dun & Bradstreet’s first-ever Gen AI products.
I create intuitive, user-informed experiences across devices, while establishing foundational design practices in the process. Design practice includes team building, research, system creation, advocacy, and measurement.
Previous clients, employers, and collaborators include:
Experience
Dun & Bradstreet
2020 - 2024
In 2020, D&B hired me to lead a team of two designers to create a single global design system for their $2.3B enterprise. After building and and delivering in 2022, I was promoted to Senior Director of UX, and took on design oversight of D&B’s $1.3B product segment Finance & Risk Solutions, managing a team of seven designers.
Firstbase.io
2020 - 2024
Firstbase.io, a Y Combinator-backed startup providing founders with “the all-in one startup operating system,” hired my company, Option A, to provide growth consulting. Optimizations across digital properties and acquisition channels resulted in 30% MoM revenue growth.
MDR
2017 - 2020
In 2017 MDR, a premier educational data company and subsidiary of Dun & Bradstreet, hired me to redesign their list-building software. The resulting product resulted in a three-year collaboration redesigning their entire multi-product suite into an ecommerce-enabled PaaS, transforming how the company did business.
2018
Option A was hired to design Capital One’s innovative, multi-platform executive relocation application powered by Plus Relocation. I performed product definition, user research, and UX design across desktop and mobile to launch the product.
Gust
2014 - 2017
In 2016 I managed the product development of some of Gust’s first paid products, including Gust Launch, a unified web-based platform for starting, growing, and funding a high-growth startup.
Prior to building paid products at Gust, I oversaw the development and launch of the official digital startup hubs for NYC, Boston, and London, built on Gust infrastructure and in collaboration with IBM.
Other Experience
- I am currently enrolled in MIT xPRO’s Designing and Building AI Products and Services, a 10-week program exploring the fundamentals and principles of designing and building products utilizing artificial intelligence (AI).
- In late 2024 through 2025, I took a sabbatical year and founded Karma Capital, a creative real estate investment company focusing on responsible, design-forward redevelopment.
- In 2005 I founded Option A as my consulting entity. Over it’s 20+ year history it has gone through periods of dormancy and activity. All projects contracted through Option A were performed by me.
Let’s Connect!
Drop me a note on LinkedIn and let’s connect. I love talking product and design, and I’m happy to discuss your next project.
© Justin Cina, 2026. All rights reserved.