Hi, I'm Natalia.
I'm a UX Design Lead with over 15 years of experience working across strategy, systems, and delivery. I help teams make sense of complex, real-world problems and guide work from early insight through to implementation.
This is where I document my practice and how I approach design problems and decision-making. Part playground, part portfolio, it brings together some of my favourite case studies and reflections.
Design approach
I approach design as a practice of systems thinking, collaboration, and continuous refinement. Here are the principles I follow to ensure impact through my work.
Design is Dialog
No designer gets it right the first time. I share early and often to invite critique that surfaces ideas I wouldn't reach alone. Even unused feedback reveals assumptions worth seeing.
Systems Over Screens
Every design decision ripples through a system. I look at things holistically, zooming out to understand connections, zooming in to account for details. Surfaces might change, but good foundations remain.
Design Serves People
Products exist to solve real problems for real people. As designers, we're gatekeepers of change, and I'll ask the uncomfortable questions about access, ethics, and impact.
Core skills
I bridge strategy and execution through skills that span problem framing, hands-on design, prototyping, and delivery. These are the core tools I rely on:
Facilitation & Collaboration
I bring people together, across roles and perspectives, to frame problems and align on direction. I've got my ways of making even the busiest execs show up and engage. From workshops to MVP planning, I surface open questions and connect user needs to business priorities.
- Miro
- FigJam
- Design Sprints
- Product Inception
- Lean UX
- Facilitation
- Workshops
- Strategy
- Alignment
Fluency in Code & Tech Conversations
My background in software development helps me prototype fast, understand engineering constraints, and avoid design-theoretical dead ends. I don’t build production code (often), but I speak the language fluently and often bridge the gap between product expectations and technical feasibility.
- HTML
- CSS/SCSS
- JavaScript
- React/Vue
- Git
- Github
- Gitlab
- iTerm
- VS Code
- ✨ Vibe Coding
Applied AI with Integrity
I work with AI as a creative partner, using it for synthesis, ideation, and acceleration, and never blindly. I take time to understand a tool’s boundaries, train it on the right inputs, and remain accountable for its outputs. I believe AI can enhance, not replace, the thinking behind the work.
- ChatGPT/Codex
- Gemini CLI
- Claude Code
- Ethical AI usage
- Prompt Design
- Output Review
Cross-Disciplinary Bridging
I often find myself translating between product strategy, business logic, and technical delivery. That means clarifying vague requirements or turning fuzzy goals into concrete artifacts, I bring structure that helps teams align across silos. I love connecting the dots and keeping things moving.
- Trello
- Jira
- Miro
- Spreadsheets!
- Product Management
- Stakeholder Alignment
- Design Reviews
- Team ceremonies (code reviews/demos/retros)
Information Architecture & Semantics
I’m obsessed with context and coherence, both in how information is structured and how it's presented. That means caring about navigation, labeling, hierarchy, and even code semantics. Good IA is invisible but powerful, it enables conversations to flow within teams, in code, and with customers.
- Sitemaps
- Usability testing
- Diagrams
- Accessibility
- Component Libraries
- Software architecture
Reliable Execution & Delivery
I don’t disappear after ideation, handoff is actually one of my favorite parts. I like to ensure engineers understand what we are trying to build and why, and can work with ease and ownership without back and forth and requirements changing halfway. Design is only done when it’s in the hands of the customer, not in a Figma frame.
- Design System
- Handoff
- Quality Assurance
- Figma
- Prototypes
- Usability testing
- Mobile-first
- Accessibility
- UX/Dev pairing
Out of scope
Gotta tell you the truth: I'm not a unicorn, unfortunatelly. Here are a few things I probably won't help you with, and that's okay:
- Branding from scratch
- Polished motion design
- Pixel-perfect Dribbble shots
- Design by consensus
- Aesthetics-first
- Greenwashing
- Skipping research
- Print production
- Video production
- Illustrations
- Marketing assets
- Social media content
- Logo design
- Stunning visual design
- Full-time developer
Career Journey
I've always been drawn to design: not just how things look, but how they work and why. I studied both Graphic Design and Systems Analysis, but most of what I know I learned through experience: building, breaking, iterating.
I started at 16, working as a Webmaster in a small countryside tech company. I spent my teenage years immersed in the internet, fascinated by its creative and connective power. By 18, I joined Dell, working on the US platform and helping migrate a massive CMS using HTML, CSS, XML, JavaScript, and C#.
Later, as I joined tech communities and got in touch with the boom of start-ups, I took on a UX role at a startup called Engage, where I worked with research, design, and front-end. That experience opened the door to ThoughtWorks, where I deepened my skills in strategy, facilitation, and cross-cultural consulting across India, the US, and Europe.
I spent 10 years at Booking.com, where I led design for both B2B and B2C products, founded the Design Operations team, and scaled Booking's Design System to support the global design community.
Today, I'm taking time to explore what comes next: building a few apps, experimenting with AI, and balancing parenthood with creative work.
Let's Work Together
I'm open to good work with good people, shaping new ideas, mentoring a fellow designer, or joining a mission-driven team that cares about what they're building.
Freelance work
Need a thoughtful UX designer to make sense of complexity, run a workshop, or help move things forward? Let’s talk and see how I can help you.
Mentorship & Coaching
Looking for honest feedback, support with a career transition, or navigating the messier parts of design work? I offer 1:1 sessions and long-term mentorship.
Job Opportunities
Looking for a lead designer who can work across systems, strategy, and team alignment? I’d love to hear what you’re building.
