I’m excited to share my complete professional journey with you, and looking forward to connecting!

See the latest updates in my 2024 CV.

Contact Information

Oleksii Koval

Design Team Lead | Senior Product Designer

Skills

Project and Team Leadership:

  • Team Development
  • Team Management
  • Candidate Screening
  • Mentoring
  • Performance Review
  • Feedback Management
  • Resource Allocation

Design and Development:

  • UI Development
  • User Experience
  • Interface Design
  • Strategic Design
  • Design Process Optimization

Research and Analysis:

  • Market Research
  • Research
  • Data Analysis
  • Hypothesis Testing
  • Performance Metrics Analysis

Process Optimization and Quality Control:

  • Quality Control
  • Onboarding Process Development
  • Skill Assessment
  • PDP (Personal Development Plans) Implementation
  • Interviews

Project Management:

  • Project Management
  • Collaboration

Interpersonal and Leadership Skills:

  • Leadership
  • Mentorship
  • Empathy

Cognitive and Strategic Skills:

  • Strategic Thinking
  • Problem-Solving
  • Innovative Thinking
  • Results-Oriented

Adaptability and Teamwork:

  • Business Communications
  • Adaptability
  • Flexibility
  • Team Collaboration

Personal Development:

  • Continuous Learning

Certifications

Measuring UX and
Impact of Design

Projector
Issued Dec 2023

Leading Teams

University of Michigan
Issued Aug 2022

Inspiring and
Motivating Individuals

University of Michigan
Issued Jul 2022

Managing
Employee Performance

University of Minnesota
Issued Feb 2021

User Experience Design

UIX School
Issued Apr 2019

Awards

Empowering Women Hackathon

Garage48
Issued Dec 2018

Overall winner
Desktop app WISH.ME


Education

National Pedagogical
University named after
H.S. Skovoroda

Master of Arts – MA, Graphic Design
Graduated with Honors

Issued May 2012
Credential ID XA № 43327571 | A№201071

Bachelor of Arts – BA, Graphic Design
Graduated with Honors

Issued Jun 2011
Credential ID XA № 40784922 | A№320631


Languages

English – C1
Ukrainian – Native

Recommendations

Feel free to explore testimonials and endorsements from my valued customers, coworkers, and teammates by following the link to my LinkedIn profile.

Portfolio

Discover my product design journey and see what cases I’ve accomplished by clicking the link below!

Professional Summary

About

I have over 9 years of experience in creating digital products and 4 years as a team lead and design team manager. I focus on business needs within the frameworks of HCD and Design Thinking. I concentrate on solutions which impact can be measured. I propose hypotheses along with a testing plan.

I am deadline-oriented, with a focus on strategic and tactical PLCM planning. I establish transparent communication relationships among design process participants, fostering product development synergy. I’ve received 100% positive feedback from clients and colleagues I have worked with.

Achievements

  • Optimization of the conversion funnel from 42.7% to 71.8%, with subsequent growth in MAU (2024)

  • Expansion of the product from North American to South American countries with subsequent acquisition of usage rights by a state competitor (2023)

  • Building an effective team from 2 to 8 designers with growth from mid to senior level within 6 months (2022)

  • Optimizing ToT by 44% for HR teams in performance management (2021)

  • I was involved in 7 projects over 2 years while working at a service company with a CSAT of 98 (2020)

  • Winning a hackathon with a SaaS B2C product (2019)

Work Experience

Senior Product Designer

FROSTBITE.ai  •  Jun 2024 – Nov 2024

Goals and Responsibilities:

  • Revamped the MVP to enhance user experience, focusing on usability, accessibility, and incorporating features based on real-world feedback.
  • Led the design of scalable solutions, including innovative interfaces and workflows that aligned with business needs and user expectations.
  • Maintained and enhanced the design system with new UX patterns and conducted regular audits to refine the interface.
  • Organized and led workshops for the product team to align on best practices and conducted implementation reviews to ensure high fidelity between design and development outcomes.

Key Achievements and Impact:

  • MAU increased from 229 to 652, achieving a 40% rate of Total Onboarded Users.
  • DAU grew from 43 to 122, reaching a 30% MAU-to-DAU ratio, indicating a stable active user base.
  • Average Session Duration reduced from 18 minutes 12 seconds to 12 minutes 53 seconds by automating and simplifying key processes.
  • Average Time on Task for campaign creation dropped from 15 minutes 48 seconds to 7 minutes 58 seconds through AI-assisted design enhancements.
  • Conversion Rate soared from 42.7% to 71.8% due to a decreased drop-off rate from 73.1% to 28.8%, by refining the contact mapping process and integrating automated micro-conversions.
  • Streamlined the conversion funnel, reducing the funnel by 2 steps, which significantly accelerated the completion of key user tasks, preparing the product for a phase of active user acquisition.

Challenges Overcome:

  • Addressed high drop-off rates and time-intensive tasks by redesigning the contact mapping process and simplifying minor interface elements, which initially caused a cascade of expensive changes.
  • Navigated through a lack of clear monetization strategy and insufficient marketing support, focusing on feature enhancements that could generate immediate revenue and user engagement.

Research, Requests, and Analysis:

  • Conducted extensive market research in a competitive sector valued at $11.18 billion, identifying opportunities to differentiate COT through a freemium model that addressed the needs of underserved SMBs and startups.
  • Utilized user data analytics and feedback to iteratively validate and refine design solutions, ensuring they met the practical needs of users while aligning with strategic business objectives.

Freelance Product Designer

CONCEPT322  •  May 2022 – Jun 2024

Project Leadership and Client Engagement:

  • Led 11 design projects, mainly for USA and Canadian small and medium-sized businesses, aligning with client visions and objectives, navigating diverse industry requirements.
  • Pioneered remote collaboration techniques, overcoming geographical barriers and enhancing client interaction and satisfaction.

Design Innovation and Strategy:

  • Implemented innovative methodologies for user-focused product designs, resulting in increasing client retention and a constant improvement in user engagement metrics.
  • Introduced sustainable design principles, contributing to eco-friendly product development and attracting environmentally conscious clients.

Research and Analysis:

  • Conducted detailed market/user research, using insights for tailored design solutions. The user-centric research resulted in between 36-42% increase in product usability scores, demonstrating a strong alignment with end-user preferences and needs.
  • Analyzed user behavior data to predict emerging trends, integrating findings into future-proof design strategies.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

  • Fostered strong partnerships across design, development, and marketing teams, enhancing product development and fostering a culture of creativity and innovation.
  • Collaborated with data analysts to validate design decisions, ensuring data-driven and impactful product features.
  • Championed a collaborative environment that encouraged idea-sharing and collective problem-solving, leading to innovative design solutions.

Feedback Implementation:

  • Utilized iterative design with user and client feedback for continuous product enhancement. Established strong client communication and feedback channels.
  • Developed a systematic approach for incorporating feedback, streamlining the iteration process for efficiency.
  • Pioneered a feedback-centric culture, where client and user inputs were integral to the design process, resulting in higher satisfaction rates and repeat business.

Design Team Lead

DASHDEVS  •  Jun 2022 – Jul 2023

Team Development and Team Management:

  • Staff Expansion & Strategic Growth
    Successfully expanded the team, strategically aligning recruitment efforts with project demands, resulting in a 250% increase in team size from 2 to 7 designers in 6 months and skillful onboarding of 5 new members to commercial projects.
  • Candidate Screening and Interviews
    Implemented robust screening processes where only 2 candidates out of 10 met skill expectations with project requirements, conducting thorough 12 interviews in 6 months, leading to a 100% increase in successful hires and aligning members’ skills with team development requirements.
  • Mentoring and Quality Control
    Provided mentorship, setting tasks, ensuring high-quality deliverables, and guiding team members, resulting in a CSAT score equaled between 72 to 88 with positive progression each quartal and an NPS score equaled between 8 and 9 every 6 months.

Onboarding and Personal Development:

  • Comprehensive Onboarding
    Created a comprehensive onboarding process, ensuring new hires acclimated smoothly, resulting in elevated comfort levels among team members.
  • Skill Assessment and Matrix
    Conducted thorough skill assessments, developed a comprehensive skill matrix, and aligned individual competencies with project requirements for effective task allocation and skill enhancement.
  • PDP Implementation
    Led the creation of Personal Development Plans, collecting input data, developing plans, and ensuring successful plan adjustments and implementations, resulting in the effort led to significant progress within the team: two designers moved up from mid-level to senior roles in 9 months, and three junior designers stepped up to mid-level positions in 6 months.
  • Design Competencies & Performance Review
    Established design competencies and conducted regular performance reviews to foster continuous improvement and maintain high-quality design standards within the team. This resulted in OKRs’ completion rate increasing to 78% in the first 6 months.

Client Interaction and Project Management:

  • Resource Allocation & Risk Management
    Effectively managed resource allocation, minimized burnout by regular 1-on-1 meetings, interviews, and level of satisfaction, mitigated risks by problem-solving workshops, resulting in optimized project productivity up to 25% by average team task completion rate on quarter.
  • Presales and Client Collaboration
    Contributed to company development through pre-sales activities, selling targeted design processes, and conducting client interviews, involving 5 new commercial projects within 10 months and 2 returned in the next 6 months.

Design Process Optimization and Leadership:

  • Enhanced Design Processes
    Streamlined team processes, including onboarding by transparent policies, project initiation by clear design documentation, and design education, which strengthened professional skills and an ecological team atmosphere with a 22% reduction in turnaround time for project kick-offs.
  • Resource Management Excellence
    Strategically balanced workloads, resulting in an 18% increase in project output based on time on task and a 15% decrease in employee burnout instances based on employees’ interviews. Implemented 1-on-1 sessions and strategic scale thinking, fostering a 34% rise in team satisfaction by eNPS and a 15% improvement in career growth initiatives based on evaluation sessions.

Lead Product Designer

ALTEXSOFT  •  Jan 2020 – Dec 2022

Project Management and Domain Expertise:

  • Successfully managed and delivered over 7 diverse SaaS/SaaP projects across B2B and B2C segments.
  • I gained expertise in various domains, including finance technologies, security, geolocation, resource procurement, performance management, customer resource management, and cargo transportation.
  • Achieved a remarkable 100% CSAT score as validated by client surveys conducted during and post-project completion.

Research and Analysis:

  • Conducted in-depth domain and user research, identifying key user needs and market trends given the circumstances of each project.
  • Performed requirements gathering, user interviews, and benchmarking analysis, leading to metrics-driven hypotheses precisely aligned with business objectives and user needs.
  • Leveraged data-driven approaches for insights, leading to an average increase in user engagement/satisfaction.

Design Methodology and UI Development:

  • Applied various design methodologies and frameworks such as User-Centered Design, Design Thinking, Double Diamond, Lean and Agile UX, Information Architecture, etc. to enhance user experience.
  • Implemented User Interface development practices, contributing to an improvement in user interface efficiency and accessibility.
  • Developed and implemented a sophisticated UI design system tailored to handle complex digital environments and scalable for future growth.
  • Established a robust library of reusable UI components and patterns, ensuring consistency and efficiency across all design projects.
  • Developed and maintained a knowledge base, including design guidelines and best practices, making it accessible to all team members for continuous learning.
  • Organized hands-on training sessions on the company’s design methodologies and UI development practices, leading to faster integration of new designers and speeding up the design processes.

Hypothesis Testing and Performance Metrics:

  • Executed comprehensive usability evaluations, including UX audits, A/B testing, surveys, and user interviews, resulting in targeted data-driven product development strategies.
  • Developed and analyzed KPIs and analytics, increasing CSAT, CLTV, TPI, NPS, SUS Score, and Covertion Rare.

Lead Product Designer

VALOR SOFTWARE  •  Nov 2018 – Jan 2020

Leadership and Team Management:

  • Led a team of 3 designers in the Human Resource Management domain, creating a CRM system fostering a collaborative and productive work environment.
  • Successfully mentored middle-level designers, facilitating their professional growth and enhancing team performance.

Strategic Design and Research:

  • Conducted extensive market research to identify trends and opportunities in the Human Resource Management sector.
  • Involved in pre-sales pitches, contributing to client retention by developing innovative and high-impact product features.

User Experience and User Interface Design:

  • Played a key role in shaping the Information Architecture, leading to an improved user journey and increased user engagement.
  • Spearheaded usability testing and user research initiatives, resulting in data-driven design decisions that enhanced overall user experience.
  • Led the UI design alining with accessibility requirements for web and mobile platforms, achieving a balance between aesthetics and functionality.
  • Implemented modern design principles, contributing to an 88 CSAT score, 78 SUS score, and 72 NPS in the first year of the improvement phase.

Product Designer

INSART  •  Oct 2016 – Sep 2017

Design and Research:

  • Led the product design role for the Personal Security domain project, enhancing user interface effectiveness and aesthetic appeal.
  • Conducted in-depth market and user research, resulting in valuable insights that directly improved the design quality based on design and business metrics.

Accessibility and Usability Testing:

  • Led accessibility testing efforts, ensuring that designs were inclusive and accessible to a broader range of users.
  • Conducted usability testing sessions, gathering actionable feedback that led to significant improvements in user experience.

Team Collaboration and Client Interaction:

  • Collaborated closely with cross-functional teams, ensuring seamless design integration with development and marketing efforts.
  • Maintained effective communication with clients, aligned design objectives with their business goals, and received commendable feedback for teamwork and project handling.

Product Designer

QUBSTUDIO  •  May 2015 – Oct 2016

Design and Research:

  • Led the product design role for the Personal Security domain project, enhancing user interface effectiveness and aesthetic appeal.
  • Conducted in-depth market and user research, resulting in valuable insights that directly improved the design quality based on design and business metrics.

Accessibility and Usability Testing:

  • Led accessibility testing efforts, ensuring that designs were inclusive and accessible to a broader range of users.
  • Conducted usability testing sessions, gathering actionable feedback that led to significant improvements in user experience.

Team Collaboration and Client Interaction:

  • Collaborated closely with cross-functional teams, ensuring seamless design integration with development and marketing efforts.
  • Maintained effective communication with clients, aligned design objectives with their business goals, and received commendable feedback for teamwork and project handling.

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