Denis Soldatenko
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Tallinn, Estonia
Toptal member since March 28, 2022
Denis is a results-driven designer with a unique background spanning development, product ownership, and product management. Throughout his career, he has played a pivotal role in generating more than $1 billion in ARR for clients. He has successfully secured over ten rounds of investments for startups he collaborated with. Denis has conducted over 100 user tests, led numerous workshops, and managed design sprints. Life in six different countries made him a very open and easy-going individual.
Portfolio
Work Experience
Lead Product Designer
Gateway FM
- Helped Gateway to secure a $4M round of investment through lightning-fast iterations of the Web3 startup, with a new dashboard, website, and investment deck.
- Performed user study and created a customer journey and design principles for the cutting-edge Web3 PaaS startup.
- Created a design system of interface components to simplify design and development for both the Web3 dashboard and promo website.
- Designed a website for the cutting-edge Web3 Platform-as-a-Service that allows building blockchain net in less than ten minutes.
- Built a dashboard for the cutting-edge Web3 PaaS to enable customers to use and adjust Block explorers, KYC, Tokenomics, and more.
- Catalyzed definition of key success metrics for Web3 PaaS. Designed the conversion funnel to maximize the usability of the cutting-edge Blockchain product.
- Collaborated with stakeholders and designed multiple investment decks that ensured a new investment round by building a strong case for the cutting-edge Web3 PaaS product.
- Designed a logo and marketing materials for the one-of-a-kind Web3 Platform-as-a-Service.
Lead UX Designer
Johnson & Johnson
- Led and executed the evolution of the design of the existing J&J Behaviour Change healthtech product (3 apps and a website) to a cutting-edge state, both UX and technology-wise. It's NPS, among other KPIs, skyrocketed by 40 points.
- Facilitated workshops to help define the direction of the innovative health-tech smoking cessation product: Vision, Key results, Customer Journey Map, and more.
- Engaged the team in building a comprehensive gamification model to guide users through a tough behavior change journey of quitting smoking.
- Created a design system for a behavior change health-tech application based on the existing brand style guide.
- Supported an extensive 30-day user study of the behavior change product and facilitated user testing sessions.
- Created three apps and a website to support the vertical of Smoking Cessation for J&J.
Growth UX Specialist
DoorDash
- Built designs for new experiments across the multinational food delivery application, enabling the Growth team to generate over $300M ARR.
- Worked with and contributed to a cutting-edge design system of the US market leader in food delivery.
- Helped the team to develop new experiments by building a customer journey map based on the quantitative data.
- Designed over 20 initiatives to improve the conversion flow of mobile apps and web experience on top of the main tasks based on the market and user research.
Lead Product Designer
Adligo
- Executed the startup design from a general idea to a solid, comprehensive SaaS product and its strategy in under six weeks. Helped Adligo to secure three rounds of investment and an influx of sought-after users.
- Facilitated a workshop to define product strategy and vision for the B2B HR startup. Aligned stakeholders on the target goal and developed design principles.
- Performed usability study of existing apps in the Human Resources industry to build a customer journey map, Kano model, and Treacy analysis.
- Designed wireframes of the complex HR system in collaboration with stakeholders according to the research findings and the initial workshop.
- Created a design system of components in Figma to simplify the development of the HR system's dashboard and promo website.
- Designed the final UI and built a prototype of the dashboard of the HR system with social features, KPIs, career guide, documentation, and many other functions.
- Oversaw the design of the logotype for the HR system to highlight the outsourcing of HR duties to internal collaboration. Initial brand guidelines have also been developed.
- Supported the development team in building the HR system, including the landing page and dashboard.
Lead Product Designer
Medical Diary
- Facilitated a workshop to gather relevant insights and business goals of the healthcare startup. Compiled findings in a customer journey map together with the team.
- Created UX flows and wireframes based on insights into human behavior, medical records, and healthcare in general. Validated them with the business owners and initial users.
- Created a style guide, final UI, and the prototype of the healthcare app to keep extra medical records for more efficient physician visits.
Lead Product Designer
Challenger
- Facilitated a workshop for the social media startup to define the objective key results and shape initial user flows.
- Performed an in-depth user and market study on the topic of behavior change as the main objective of the social media app. Built a customer journey map of the social media app user and design principles as the summary of the study.
- Built a fully functional prototype of the revolutionary social media app and performed user testing to identify gaps before the start of development after several rounds of collab wireframe sessions with stakeholders.
- Based on the vision, I built a style guide and a design system of components to use as a basis for the UI work. Created brand guidelines and a logo to reflect an exciting way for a change in life as the motto.
Lead UX Designer
Tele2 Sverige
- Collaborated with customer operations and defined key reasons for calling telecom support. Designed and managed implementation of functionalities to cut the calls down by over 20%, yielding tens of millions of euros per year saved for the company.
- Initiated and supported a rolling bi-weekly user research to validate new major Telecom self-service functions to be developed.
- Built a comprehensive customer journey map consisting of ten different segments for each step of telecom service, from Awareness to Churn. Closing gaps in it helped the company to make millions of euros ARR.
- Visited Tele2 stores offline to get more insights and validate the service map. Interviewed both store workers and visitors.
- Facilitated over 20 workshops and design sprints to help the team collaboratively create new functionalities.
- Supported design evolution based on the new style guide, moving the product towards the premium segment.
Lead Product Designer
On-call pro
- Performed an in-depth user research to validate a problem in question. Working hypothesis: 80% of household problems could be solved with a specialist on-call #userinterviews #survey #usertesting.
- Facilitated a workshop to create an objective, key results, and initial user flows of the innovative AI-based tele-help app.
- Created an AI chatbot logic that handled ticket creation of an issue in a household and expert onboarding through dialogue.
- Created design of the final household AI assistant app that connects users with experts, organizes call scheduling, and offers video connection for both parties.
Lead Product Designer
Tele2
- Traveled to all Tele2 markets to perform user research to identify issues in managing Telecom issues. Merged it with the list of all reasons created together with customer operations to create a backlog of ideas.
- Facilitated workshops engaging key stakeholders from all relevant parts and markets of the Telecom provider to create initial user flows, ideas, and vision for the self-service dashboard that united several markets.
- Led the design process of the telecom dashboard for users based on the research, workshops with stakeholders, and existing brand style guide.
- Performed a user testing session to validate the final prototype of the complex Telecom self-service Dashboard and map initial assumptions with user actions.
- Supported the development team in building and launching the telecom dashboard with quick fixes and simplifications where required.
Senior Product Designer
Tele2
- Traveled to all Tele2 markets to conduct user testing onsite to understand user preferences while choosing an operator or a mobile/landline subscription.
- Facilitated workshops to build a complex Telecom Customer Journey Map together with stakeholders from every market. Along with initial flows and ideas.
- Based on the research, I've supported a series of A/B tests for Telecom on-boarding. It resulted in a major (>30%) conversion improvements.
- Iteratively, in constant collaboration with stakeholders onsite, I've built wireframes of the complete Telecom onboarding user flow that satisfied both the business needs of each market and user objectives.
- Created the final UI of the Telecom onboarding eCommerce solution in collaboration with stakeholders and the design team, who safeguarded the style guide and design system.
- Built the Telecom eCom solution prototype and performed a user-testing session to validate good conversion.
- Supported the development team of the complex telecom solution throughout their journey. Since development was already ongoing, I managed to execute the design process while always having tasks for developers to work on.
UX Designer
Opera Mobile
- Facilitated various workshops on different functionalities, uniting developers, designers, QA, and managers. Catalyzed creation of a value-based roadmap.
- Analyzed quantitative data to define usage patterns. Executed user testing on the most common user actions, which resulted in numerous improvements for the customer journey of different personas.
- Designed and supported the implementation of various new functionalities, like tabs, news, night shift, password keeper, paste&go, rate us dialogues, and others. Some of them have become industry standards.
- Improved rating of the 300M app by asking about it courteously yet efficiently. It resulted in a 0.7 rating uplift and countless new installations.
- Designed the search function of the browser, a major income source, in such a way that it increased by a whopping 60 million monthly queries.
- Catalyzed implementation of Material UI into our 300M Android product, which decreased time to market by at least 20%.
Lead UX/UI Designer
Beebabo
- Performed internet usage research that helped to identify the lack of internet for kids' space. I performed a rigorous user study to build a thorough customer journey map and a problem tree by interviewing parents and kids.
- Pitched the idea with a tech lead to upper management and got the green light to explore the topic and build a product. By running numerous workshops, we've built a value-based backlog of problem-oriented functionalities for the internet for kids.
- Studied child psychology and, based on that and our backlog, created the design of the product. Immediately after, I built a fully functional HTML prototype and user-tested it with a group of kids.
- Helped to deliver a launch-ready version of Beebabo, the Internet for kids product. Built a brand around it and created a logo.
- Designed a set of mascots as key interactive design elements for internet for kids.
Lead Product Designer
Art Diggers
- Performed a thorough user and market research of the fine art industry. Facilitated a workshop with the business owner to define vision and customer segments.
- Built a digital representation of the art research and dealership brand online on the website and social media based on the vision and customer segments.
- Created over 15 decks to present each collection item to customers in such a detailed way that it answers all their needs.
- Performed continuous user research and digital analytics of online fine art collection properties. Fine-tuned conversion starting from awareness to the painting purchase.
UX Designer
Opera iOS
- Ran UX audit of a well-known browser with millions of users by performing quantitative and qualitative analysis and engaged stakeholders in the studies.
- Facilitated workshops with the team to create a value-based roadmap.
- Designed and supported the implementation of various functionalities, like tabs, news, night shift, password keeper, paste and go, rate our dialogues, and others. Some of them have become industry standards today.
- Created design components, wireframes, documentation, and motion design for every feature.
UX/UI Designer
Elegance Line
- Defined and interviewed the target audience of the beauty service provider. Performed a market analysis. Delineated customer needs and mapped our information architecture accordingly.
- Created a basis content and UX strategy. User research showed that it's crucially important for customers to see the real works of the beauty service provider and know the exact specialist behind it.
- Designed visual style, components, and interactions of the first iteration. Performed another user study and created the second iteration and full UI/UX for the beauty, cosmetology, and medical services providers.
- Built the website for beauty services on pure JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. Made a custom CMS system for the website according to stakeholder needs.
UX/UI Designer
Phobia — Escape Rooms
- Gathered escape room franchise requirements through a series of interviews. The escape room brand is #1, according to Forbes,.
- Performed market research on the offline entertainment/ticketing industry and adjacent services.
- Created UI/UX design for promo/booking escape rooms based on the requirements and research.
UX/UI Designer
MedSystems — Medical Equipment Supplier
- Gathered requirements from the stakeholders. Performed market and user research to identify business and user needs.
- Created website UX in constant alignment with stakeholders.
- Made logo and web style guide for the medical company.
- Created and built a custom website CMS according to the client's needs by managing a team of developers.
Founder
Minty Minds
- Identified a gap in the market for eCommerce platforms and developed a practical solution that generated a stream of new clients.
- Grew the company's revenue by around 1,000% each year with the help of the developed solution, good management, and sales skills.
- Built a remote dream team of high-quality engineers.
UX/UI Designer
Express
- Interviewed stakeholders about the large logistics website franchise and executed market and user research.
- Created UI/UX design for the B2C logistics services website.
- Improved success rate of the key web app actions through quantitative analysis of the funnel.
UX/UI Designer
Ultra Filter
- Gathered requirements for complex industrial filtering equipment via stakeholder interviews and industry research.
- Created web ecommerce UX for optimal conversion of the heavy industrial equipment.
- Built the website with pure HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
- Created a logo for the industrial filtering equipment company.
UX/UI Designer
Kolomna Land
- Built the UI/UX of the website based on stakeholder requirements and research.
- Created pixel-perfect illustrations for the website.
- Built the front-end code of the website according to the design.
UX/UI Designer
Two Towers — Apartment Building
- Performed user and market research. Interviewed stakeholders to map out the requirements.
- Created the website UX in constant collaboration with stakeholders.
- Created the website UI with pixel-perfect illustrations, comprehensive SVG mapping, and detailed depiction of the apartment building.
- Built front-end code for the website based on the created designs.
UX/UI Designer
Knowitall!
- Interviewed stakeholders to define key news platform requirements.
- Performed user interviews to define key new platform user needs.
- Created UI/UX design of the news platform based on the research and requirements.
- Incrementally improved conversion of ads on the platform through analytics and A/B testing.
UX/UI Designer
Coveralls
- Gathered requirements and processed documentation of a workwear retail brand.
- Performed market research to define design direction.
- Created website UX and UI. Optimized it over time to minimize user frustration and maximize conversion.
UX/UI Designer
Infant Club
- Gathered requirements for a shopping club eCommerce retail website. Performed market analysis to create a set of business needs.
- Created UI/UX based on the requirements and research outcome with constant collaboration with the client.
- Created a brand style guide and designed a logo for the company.
- Collaborated with a developer to help build the website from a design standpoint.
UX/UI Designer
Da Albertone
- Performed user and market research. Created a set of requirements based on stakeholder interviews.
- Created various design concepts to choose a direction.
- Executed the website design upon the agreement within the team and with stakeholders.
- Built a custom content management system for the website according to the client's needs.
UX/UI Designer
Imaginarium
- Gathered requirements to build the website for the board game with social and eCommerce functionalities.
- Created UX and UI based on the existing style guide.
- Built the website front end on pure HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
UX/UI Designer
Igrato
- Gathered requirements from stakeholders. Performed market research to map out competition.
- Created UI/UX for the board game promo with integration of interactive social functionalities.
- Built the website front end on pure HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
UX/UI Designer
Stupid Casual
- Performed market research and stakeholder interviews to define project requirements.
- Created an eCommerce website for a company with various products in the entertainment industry.
- Built the website on front-end technologies and a custom CMS according to customer needs.
UX/UI Designer
Portobello — Italian Restaurant
- Performed user and market research. Created a set of requirements based on stakeholder interviews.
- Created various design concepts to choose a direction.
- Executed the website design upon the agreement within the team and with stakeholders.
- Built a custom content management system for the website according to the needs of the client.
Graphic Designer
The Smarts
- Acquired ninja-level skills in graphic and motion design.
- Gained significant front-end development experience.
- Managed some of the company's most important accounts.
Education
Master's Degree in Applied Physics and Space Technologies
Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University - Saint Petersburg, Russia
Certifications
Advanced Business Strategy
University of Virginia | via Coursera
Foundation of Business Strategy
University of Virginia | via Coursera
Customer Analytics
University of Pennsylvania | via Coursera
Digital Product Management
University of Virginia | via Coursera
Agile with Atlassian Jira
Atlassian
Introduction to Neuroeconomics: How the Brain Makes Decisions
Higher School of Economics
Sales Strategies: Mastering the Selling Process
University of Chicago | via Coursera
Sustainable Design
Stanford University | via Coursera
Innovation & Design Thinking
Stanford ONLINE
Psychology as a Science
Georgia Institute of Technology | via Coursera
Computational Photography
Georgia Institute of Technology | via Coursera
Gamification
University of Pennsylvania | via Coursera
Behavioural Economics
Duke University | via Coursera
Creativity, Innovation and Change
University of Pennsylvania | via Coursera
Human–Computer Interaction Seminar
Stanford ONLINE
Design: Creation of Artifacts in Society
University of Pennsylvania | via Coursera
Skills
Tools
Sketch, InVision, Figma, Photoshop, Google Analytics, Balsamiq, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Jira, Adobe XD Design, Hotjar
Languages
HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, R, ActionScript 3
Platforms
iOS Design, Mobile App Design, Android Design, Web Design, Desktop Design, WordPress Design, Magento
Industry Expertise
Marketing Design, Telecommunications, Fitness
Other
Mathematics, UX Design, Design Thinking, Interaction Design (IxD), User Psychology, Image Processing, Innovation, Product Management, Analytics Development, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Analysis, Agile Design, App UI, App UX, E-commerce Website Design, Healthcare IT, Health IT, Enterprise Development, Startup Development, Research, UX Design, UX Thinking, Product Strategy, Android Design, iOS Design, iOS UX Design, Product Design, B2B Design, B2C, Responsive Web Design, UX Design, UI Design, SaaS Design, UX Leadership, Web Design, User Flow Design, Usability Analysis, UI Design, UX Research, Graphic Design, Information Architecture, Mobile App Design, Mobile App Design, Mobile App, Visual Design, Prototyping, Wireframing, Design Systems, User Research, SaaS Design, Web App Design, Mobile App Design, Rapid Prototyping, Touchpoint Analysis, Web Design, UI Design, Pixel Perfect, Growth Design, Growth Hacking, Service Design, Web UX Design, Mobile App, User Testing, Collaboration, UX Design, UX Design, UX Design, CRO, User Journeys, Mobile App Design, Responsive Web Development, UX Design, UI Design, Responsive Web Design, UX Design, Web Design, Storyboard Design, Conversion, Conversion Rate, Design Strategy, UX Strategy, User Experience Strategy, User Experience Design, Design Leadership, User Stories, Documentation, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Key Performance Metrics, Web UI Design, Web Design, A/B Testing, User Onboarding, Remote User Testing, Customer Journeys, Stakeholder Interviews, CMS Design, Web UI, Market Research Analyst, Stakeholder Management, Logo Design, E-commerce UX Design, Requirements, Usability, MVP Design, Design Sprints, Workshops, UX Design, Remote Usability Testing, User Workflows, Mobile UI Design, Customer Experience Management, UX Design, Product Benchmarking, Workshop Facilitation, Responsive Design, E-commerce Website Design, Layout, UI Prototyping, Material UI, SaaS Design, Discovery Workshops, UX Wireframes, Marketing Design, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Heuristic Analysis, Landing Page Design, Sustainable Design, React.js, Science, Apache Cordova, Gamification Design, Psychology, Sustainability, Sales, Economics, Customer Support, Brand Design, Branding, Leadership, Motion Graphics Design, Motion Design, Dashboard Design, Dashboard, Style Guides, Fintech Development, Higher Education, Educational Portals, Enterprise SaaS, Survey Consulting, Adobe UX, Data Visualization Design, Progressive Web Applications (PWAs), Catalog Design, Rewards Programs, UI Design, Complex Web Systems, Admin Panels, AI Design, Business Intelligence Development, Statistics, Engineering, Business Strategy, Neuromarketing, Neuroscience, User Self-service, Journal Design, Chatbot Design, Video Chat, Search, Web Search, Browsers, Motivation, Videos, Video Editing, Messenger, Challenge-based Learning, Social Networks, Educational Games, Mobile Operators, Digitalization, Markets, E-commerce Development, Checkout, Product Comparison, Subscriptions, Accounts, Tools, Customer Portals, Personal Care, Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Lifestyle, Video Calling, Scheduling, Outsourced Development, Paid Search, Search Engines, Image Search, Social Media Design, News, Newsfeeds, Business Intelligence Development, Web Design, Unicorn, Farms, Agriculture, Accessibility Development, Transportation & Logistics
Experience
Tools
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