I'm Heather Buchma (she/her), a Product Design Leader with 15 years of experience.

I bring product strategy and design leadership together to create customer-first experiences that deliver measurable business impact.

Currently leading several design teams at Zillow as a Senior Director of Product Design. Focused on our B2B2C professionals experience.

Core strengths

 

Executive leadership & people growth

Built and led multiple design orgs, including through growth and scaling phases.

Strategic partnership

Close collaboration with Product, Engineering, and Marketing leadership, embedded design in essential business initiatives and roadmaps.

Business-driven outcomes

Translated product design work into measurable impact for the business.

Systems & frameworks

Established scalable design processes that increase delivery speed, efficiency, and quality.

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I’m a seasoned design leader with over 15 years of experience shaping high-impact product experiences and leading cross-functional design teams. As Senior Director of Product Design at Zillow, I drive the design strategy and innovation for real estate professionals. My approach blends systems thinking, user empathy, and business acumen to deliver elegant solutions to complex challenges. Before Zillow, I led growth design efforts at CNN, crafting onboarding and payment experiences that prioritized clarity, trust, and conversion at scale.

I’m passionate about building inclusive, high-performing teams and elevating design as a strategic force within organizations. I thrive in environments where I can bring clarity to ambiguity, champion operational excellence, and align design work with measurable business outcomes. Whether I’m developing a new design framework, mentoring emerging leaders, or partnering closely with product and engineering teams, I lead with curiosity, purpose, and a deep belief in the power of thoughtful design to drive meaningful change.

Resume

Experience

Senior Director of Product Design
Zillow
Aug 2022 to present

Director of Product Design
CNN
July 2020 to Aug 2022

Director of Product Design
Prudential
June 2019 to July 2020

Design Director
Red Ventures
Aug 2016 to June 2019

Senior Product Designer
XO Group/TheKnot Worldwide
Mar 2014 to Aug 2016

Senior UI Designer
delivery.com
Dec 2012 to Mar 2014

Web Designer
Weight Watchers Int’l
Sept 2011 to Dec 2012

 

Education

B.S. Marketing
Villanova University
Minor: International Business
Concentration: Honors

Design Program
Miami Ad School
Concentration: Art Direction and Digital Design

 
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Contact

Interested in discussing future opportunities, setting up a speaking engagement, or seeing some of my past work? Reach out – I’d love to hear from you.