Ximena Cuenca

UX designer

I’ve worked in different industries, from digital marketing, fintech, and banking to tech. Along the way, I’ve experienced the transition between design tools, web and coding languages, and now, AI-powered tools.

I take a user-centric approach in my work, advocating for users’ needs and motivations throughout the design process. I’m also a systems thinker, because it helps me connect the dots between business, technology, users, the product, and the environment. That broader perspective helps me design experiences that feel grounded, coherent, and scalable over time.

My current focus at Microsoft is on coding tools for developers and AI integration. I craft experiences that support daily tasks, workflows, and productivity. This includes defining AI as a cohesive system, establishing design principles, creating design patterns, and maintaining coherence and clarity across AI integrations.

Portrait of Ximena Cuenca

My career journey

Senior UX Designer at Microsoft

Jan 2024 - current

Previously worked on Azure Notebooks, the VS Code AI Toolkit extension, and the AI experimental design team, focused on tools for building intelligent apps. Currently on the Coding Design team at CoreAI, working on Visual Studio and its evolution toward an AI-first IDE, collaborating closely with the VS Code team.

Product Designer at Facebook

Feb 2020 - Sept 2021

Planned internal tooling and design systems, from Proton, a React-based prototyping tool used across product teams, to the Design System for Facebook Ads for Business.

Senior UX Designer at Scotiabank Digital Factory

Aug 2017 - Feb 2020

Led the credit origination cell at Scotiabank Mexico's digital transformation unit, designing online application experiences for credit cards, auto loans, and mortgages. The work involved mapping complex banking processes and simplifying them for digital channels, reducing friction in flows that had never been designed for online before. Also contributed to the organization's design system and to building a digital design culture across the bank.

UX Designer at Clip

Jun 2015 - Jul 2017

Focused on product and user experience at Clip, one of Mexico's fintech pioneers in mobile payments. As part of a small design team in a growing startup, the work spanned the full product: UX research and field work, the payment app, internal logistics and risk tools, the website, and the early foundations of the design system. Also supported social media, internal communications, and CEO presentations for funding rounds.