Diana Sonis

About Diana Sonis

Many companies do not struggle with ideas.They struggle with identifying the few decisions that will actually determine whether their corporate strategy works.At moments of growth, transformation, or major investment, leadership teams often face competing signals - internal opinions, product metrics, market narratives, and customer data. The volume of information increases, but clarity about what matters most becomes harder.At CX by Design, we advise leadership teams on corporate strategy by extracting signal from competing inputs and focusing attention on the decisions that materially shape the company’s direction.This work usually surfaces when something significant is at stake:• a major product or platform decision• a substantial investment• a shift in how the organization competesTogether, we examine such questions as:• Which decisions will actually determine whether this strategy succeeds?• What assumptions about customers are shaping those decisions?• What signals in the data are meaningful — and which are distractions?Sometimes the necessary evidence already exists inside the organization. When it does not, we generate it through targeted customer research.But the goal is never research itself. It\'s helping leadership teams make clear strategic decisions before large investments are made.Before founding CX by Design, I built and sold two technology companies.In my free time, I teach graduate students in the Human-Centered Design program at Pace University how customer insight informs real-world business decisions.If you’re navigating a strategic decision that will shape your company’s next phase of growth, I’m always open to thoughtful conversations.

Experience

1. Founding Partner

   Cx By Design

   Jan 2019 — Present

   CX by Design advises leadership teams facing high-stakes customer decisions.Many organizations have strong execution teams but struggle to decide what matters most right now. When trade-offs remain implicit, competing priorities move into execution and teams work harder without making meaningful progress.Over time, everything becomes important — and nothing truly moves forward.We help leadership teams clarify those decisions before execution begins.Typical questions include:• where the organization should compete, and where it should not• which initiatives deserve real investment• whether a proposed initiative is worth doing at all• what trade-offs leadership is willing to explicitly own• who will own execution once a decision is madeOur role is to provide the structure and evidence leadership teams need to make defensible decisions.In some cases we also help leadership translate those choices into operating principles and decision rules so teams can act on leadership intent without constant escalation.CX by Design has worked with organizations across financial services, insurance, manufacturing, retail, technology, and consumer services.Our work often intersects with major investments, product strategy, and organizational change.Visit to contact us.

Education

• New York University

  B.A. (double degree), Journalism & Mass Communications | Political Science

  2000 — 2004

• Brooklyn Technical High School

  Social Science Research

  1996 — 2000

Skills

• User-Centered Design
• Heuristic Analysis
• Experience Design
• Design Thinking
• Marketing
• Real Estate
• Interactive Creative Direction
• User Interface Design
• Strategic Thinking
• Interaction Design
• Market Research
• Design Strategy
• Photography
• User Experience Design
• Web Application Design
• User Experience
• Marketing Strategy
• Investments
• Sales
• Omnigraffle
• Management
• User Research
• Entrepreneurship
• Digital Media
• B2b
• User Scenarios
• Information Architecture
• Usability
• Business Strategy
• Strategy
• Mobile Application Design
• Rapid Prototyping
• Creative Strategy
• Leadership
• Strategic Partnerships
• Usability Testing
• Web Design
• Business Development
• Wireframes
• Competitive Analysis