Publication
4 Steps to Mastering the MVP Development Process
https://www.toptal.com/designers/product-design/mastering-mvp-development-process
Calin is available for hire
Hire CalinCalin Balea
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Bucharest, Romania
Toptal member since January 18, 2018
Bio
Calin is a product designer, lean UX practitioner, and brand design specialist with experience at startups and scale-ups. He's worked on end-to-end product design, from concept and strategy to usability testing to visual design. Calin works well with small teams and startup founders to iterate quickly, test early, and turn ideas into solid products.
Portfolio
Experience
- Logo Design - 7 years
- UX Design - 7 years
- Product Design - 7 years
- UI Design - 7 years
- Branding - 7 years
- UX Research - 6 years
- Figma - 6 years
- Adobe Creative Suite - 6 years
Tools
- Adobe Creative Suite
Work Experience
Founder and Designer
2023 - PRESENT
Contrast Studio
- Helped a startup design and build an app that allows people in finance to speed up some aspects of their research work.
- Contributed to designing an Excel add-in that allows users to upload a collection of documents and define a list of questions. AI will answer the questions based on the information found in the documents.
- Designed several features for the mobile app of a data-for-rewards platform. I also created a B2B web app that allows companies to develop surveys, define a target audience, and run them on the platform.
Technologies: Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator CC, InDesign CC, Adobe Creative Suite, After Effects CC, Webflow, MVP Design, Mobile App Design, UX Prototyping, User Experience Design, Web UI Design, Presentation Design, Editorial Design, User Journeys
Product Designer
2022 - 2023
Mochary Method
- Designed new features, from identifying issues and planning a solution to high-fidelity visual design.
- Collected user feedback through multiple channels, logged it, and worked it into the roadmap. I collaborated with the COO on prioritization to help inform their decisions.
- Built the company design system from scratch and maintained it as we added more components developed to contribute to new features.
- Designed visual brand identity packages for companyOS (companyos.app) and Fortius Ventures (fortiusventures.com).
- Interviewed users to identify their needs, better understand our user personas, and identify issues with the product.
Technologies: Figma, UX Research, User Interviews, Product Design, Product Requirements Documentation (PRD), Product Roadmaps, Rapid Prototyping, Web Design, Complex Web Systems, MVP Design, UX Prototyping, User Experience Design
Product Designer
2020 - 2021
Havr SAS
- Designed new features for the Brightlock app ecosystem for Android, iOS, and the web portal.
- Maintained and improved the cross-platform design system.
- Designed the marketing website and built it in Webflow.
- Supported marketing efforts with necessary collateral (the whitepaper document, flyers, in-store prints, etc.).
- Worked with the sales team to help improve lead generation through the website.
Technologies: User Interface (UI), User Experience (UX), UX Design, Mobile Design, Product Design, UI Design, Webflow, Webflow CMS, Web App UI, Android UI Design, iOS UI Design, Brand Design, Web Design, Complex Web Systems, MVP Design, Mobile App Design, UX Prototyping, Mobile Applications, User Experience Design
Mobile Designer
2019 - 2019
Vandelay Consulting, Inc.
- Improved the design as proposed by the client in the wireframes I received.
- Applied a high-fidelity visual design to the client's wireframes.
- Prototyped at higher fidelity in Figma and recorded demos that the client (agency) could forward to the end customer.
Technologies: Mobile Design, UX Design, UI Design, Mobile Applications
Product Designer
2018 - 2018
Equip Group, Inc.
- Worked with the client to define and refine his idea, visualizing it using a mind map and a written requirements document.
- Wireframed and rapidly prototyped the solution in Figma.
- Applied branding and visual design to wireframes and documented the behavior for development.
Technologies: UI Design, Figma, Wireframing, App UI, iOS App Design, App UX, App Design, Prototyping, Mobile App UI, MVP Design, Mobile App Design, UX Prototyping, Mobile Applications, User Experience Design
Product Designer
2018 - 2018
Xapo
- Designed the in-app experience of ordering using the pre-paid bank card.
- Redesigned the Xapo app in an exercise to define what the product should become in two years.
- Collaborated with the team to develop the company's first design system in Figma.
Technologies: User Interface (UI), User Experience (UX), Mobile UI, Fintech, Mind Maps, Complex Application User Interfaces (UI), UX Audits, Mobile App Design, UX Prototyping, Mobile Applications, User Experience Design
Product Designer
2017 - 2017
Crossover
- Collaborated closely with the CEO to design a new time-tracking and productivity app.
- Helped design and document the company's first design system.
- Worked with two PMs to design new features for the existing web app.
Technologies: Adobe Creative Suite, User Interface (UI), Web UI, Design Systems, UX Audits
Lead Designer
2015 - 2017
Ejobs Group
- Initiated the build of the first design department after working as the only designer in the company.
- Refreshed the company brand by updating the logo and developing a solid visual identity that expresses the company's values and mission.
- Redesigned the eJobs' candidates app, a major component of the eJobs business. It's an app that candidates use to search and apply for jobs, as well as update their CV.
- Redesigned the company's ATS, an app used by employers to search for candidates, post job ads, and manage their hiring process.
- Directed a marketing campaign consisting of five video ads that ran on national TV.
Technologies: Figma, Adobe After Effects, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Complex Application User Interfaces (UI), UX Audits, Web Design, User Experience Design
Other Experience
Education
2010 - 2013
Bachelor's Degree in Finance and Banking
West University of Timisoara - Timisoara, Romania
Certifications
JANUARY 2018 - PRESENT
Certificate in Front-end Development
TeamTreeHouse.com
JANUARY 2012 - PRESENT
Completed Search Fundamentals and Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Skills
Tools
Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Experience Design (XD), ProtoPie, Miro, Photoshop CC, Adobe After Effects, KeyShot, Illustrator CC, InDesign CC, After Effects CC
Platforms
Figma, Webflow CMS, WordPress, Webflow, Adobe Suite, Android
Languages
CSS, HTML
Other
Wireframing, User Interviews, Web UI, Web App UI, Web App UX, Android App Design, Mobile Design, Design Systems, Web Design, Mobile Wallet, Mobile UX Design, Logotype, UX Research, Branding, Android UI Design, UI Design, Rapid Prototyping, UX Design, iOS UI Design, Information Architecture (IA), Product Design, Logo Design, Visual Identity, Mind Mapping, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Responsive UI, Interaction Design (IxD), Mind Maps, User Research, Human Interface Design, Google Material Design, Digital Product Design, Graphic Design, Visual Design, Mobile UI, SaaS Design, Consumer-facing Product Design, User Interface (UI), User Experience (UX), Brand Identity, Brand Logos, Web App Design, High-fidelity Mockups, Complex Application User Interfaces (UI), UX Audits, App UI, App UX, App Design, Prototyping, UX Wireframes, Web Layout, Layout Design, Dashboard Design, Heuristic Analysis, User Flows, Component Libraries, Data Visualization, Landing Page Design, Website Redesign, Mobile UI Design, Responsive Design, iOS UX Design, MVP Design, Mobile App Design, UX Prototyping, Mobile Applications, User Experience Design, Web UI Design, Presentation Design, Editorial Design, Print Design, UI Animation, Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), Validated User Research, User Stories, Complex Web Systems, User Journeys, Journey Mapping, Team Leadership, Focus Groups, HR Tools, Job Boards, Web UX, Project Management, Marketing Materials, Writing & Editing, Flat Design, Fintech, Illustration, Brand Design, Package Design, Financial Design, iOS App Design, Product Strategy, Digital Branding, Copyright, Brand Guidelines, Marketing Design, Marketing Collateral Development, Software Branding, UI Branding, Motion Design, Mobile Banking, Financial UX, Mobile App UI, Lottie, 3D Rendering, Product Rendering, Typography, Product Requirements Documentation (PRD), Product Roadmaps
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