Partners
Carbon is not just one team. To sustain productive contribution and maintain a clear direction for Carbon as a whole, various groups work together to provide direction, governance, and support.
Steering committee
The Carbon Design System steering committee provides oversight and direction for Carbon and its design and development community. It is made up of Carbon practitioners to ensure Carbon stays true to the community we’re serving.
Committee responsibilities
- Improve design strategy, quality, and consistency within the design system and our guidance to ensure excellence.
- Promote and support usage of, and contribution to, the Carbon Design System within their organizations.
- Assist with the alignment and standardization of components, patterns, content, and tooling to ensure consistency of design standards and resources across teams and business units.
- Highlight projects of high potential business value, and assist with finding collaborators and resources.
- Provide a quarterly update to the advisory board.
The people
Sophia Levens
Executive Director of Design, IBM Sterling; Chair, Steering committee

Robin Cannon
Program Director, Carbon; Co-chair, Steering committee

Mike Abbink
IBM Distinguished Designer, Carbon

Dawn Ahukanna
Design Principal and Front-end Architect, Watson IoT

Cameron Calder
IBM Design Principal, IBM Cloud and Cognitive Software

Tricia Garrett
Design Principal, Master Inventor, Watson Health

David Levinson
IBM Design Principal, IBM Cloud and Cognitive Software

Alison Joseph
Development Manager, Carbon

Tessa Rodes
Senior Design Manager, IBM Cloud

Jeannie Servaas
IBM Design Principal, Carbon

JD Speer
Design Lead, IBM Storage

Wonil Suh
IBM Design Principal, Digital Growth and Commerce

Marko Thorhauer
Executive Creative Director, IBM Design Principal, IBM iX

Diana Tran
Visual Design Practice Lead, IBM Sterling

Advisory board
The Carbon advisory board is comprised of executives across the company who advise on the direction of Carbon and ensure top level buy-in and resource allocation to support Carbon’s work.
Board responsibilities
- Champion Carbon adoption and Carbon standards within their organization.
- Where possible, commit to engaging design or development resources from within their organization to help accomplish the Carbon roadmap.
- Hold the steering committee, and Carbon as a whole, accountable for delivery of design standards, guidance, and excellence with business impact.
- Provide the steering committee with feedback on business needs, to facilitate a Carbon roadmap that meets those needs.
The people
Mike Abbink
IBM Distinguished Designer, Carbon

Arin Bhowmick
Vice President and Chief Design Officer, IBM Cloud and Cognitive Software

Sarah Brooks
IBM Distinguished Designer, Design Program Office

Haidy Francis
Design Executive, IBM Security

Phil Gilbert
General Manager, Design Program Office

Craig Moser
Vice President of Design and Usability, AI Applications

Doug Powell
Vice President, Designer Practices & Community, IBM Distinguished Designer

Nigel Prentice
Design Director, Digital Growth and Commerce

Shani Sandy
Executive Design Practice Leader, Director IBM Z

Billy Seabrook
Global Chief Creative Officer, IBM iX
