Better systems.
Less friction.
People first.

Hi, I'm Allie Thu (she/her). I'm a design leader who focuses on the messy, structural work that rarely gets the attention it deserves: building the systems, standards, and cross-functional partnerships that make good, inclusive work repeatable at scale.

Over 15 years in design and tech, I've learned that the hardest problems aren't design problems. They're coordination problems. Who owns the decision? Where does the handoff break down? What needs to be true so this doesn't have to be figured out from scratch again next time?

At GitHub, I've put that instinct to work: building governance models, operating frameworks, and tooling that changed how product, engineering, design, and legal work together. I've led multiple teams, scaled education programs, driven design systems quality, and stepped into leadership gaps when the org needed someone to bring clarity and keep things moving.

What I care about most is creating the conditions where good decisions are easier to make and good work is easier to repeat. The design is just the beginning.

P.S. This site shifts with the time of day. Come back at a different hour — it'll feel a little different.