Justin Cina
Hi, I’m Justin,
experience designer,
product professional, and team leader.
I’ve helped build and grow companies through design, product development, and digital strategy for 20+ years.
I’ve worked with startups, including Y Combinator-backed 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 take pride in creating intuitive, user-focused end-to-end experiences across devices. In process, I seek to establish foundational design practices - including team building, design research, design system creation, and design measurement.
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 $2.3 billion enterprise.
In late 2022, I was promoted to Senior Director of UX, and took on design oversight of D&B’s flagship product segment Finance & Risk Solutions, managing a team of seven designers, with a dotted line to International.
Firstbase.io
2020 - 2024
Firstbase.io, a Y Combinator-backed company 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 and it’s extraordinary post-launch performance resulted in a three-year collaboration where I redesigned and launched their entire multi-product suite into a PaaS, transforming how the company did business.
2018
My company, 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 sustainable, 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 Y Combinator-backed 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-focused, end-to-end experiences across devices. In process, I seek to establish foundational design practices - including team building, design research, design system creation, and design measurement.
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 $2.3 billion enterprise.
In late 2022, I was promoted to Senior Director of UX, and took on design oversight of D&B’s flagship product segment Finance & Risk Solutions, managing a team of seven designers, with a dotted line to International.
Firstbase.io
2020 - 2024
Firstbase.io, a Y Combinator-backed company 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 and it’s extraordinary post-launch performance resulted in a three-year collaboration where I redesigned and launched their entire multi-product suite into a PaaS, transforming how the company did business.
2018
My company, 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 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 sustainable, 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.