Who I am
A design leader who has actually shipped the work
Ex-startup founder with 15+ years of experience designing and leading teams inside B2B start-ups and scale-ups across Europe, USA and Australia.
MSc in Human-Computer Interaction with deep expertise in information architecture, product and systems thinking.
How it works
I embed as the senior designer on a defined project: in the files, in the reviews, in the stakeholder conversations. Every engagement has two outputs — the work, and a team that knows how to do it again without me.
What you need in place
I work best when the conditions are right. Before we start, we check these four things. If one is missing, I'll say so on the first call, and we'll fix it or scope around it.
Context
Access to customers, data, roadmap and the why behind past decisions.
Speed
One person can say yes or no quickly. No approval chain.
A defined outcome
One project with a start, an end and a result we can measure.
A sponsor
Someone who owns the outcome, so the work isn't stuck or waiting.
The two deliverables
The project.
Structure, information architecture, flows, edge cases, stakeholder alignment, and a shipped product.
AI-augmented workflows for the repeatable parts and as a thinking partner for better decisions.
The team.
Sharpen judgement by working through decisions out loud, documenting the thinking, and mentoring anyone working alongside me.
The first week
After a free 30-minute call to understand the project, we start. The first week is about framing the problem and planning the first deliverables.
Days 1–2: context
Read the brief, talk to stakeholders and customers, get access to the files, data and roadmap.
Days 3–4: frame the problem
Write down what we're solving, the constraints and what success looks like.
Day 5: plan
Agree the first deliverables and who decides what, and share a first direction.
Good fit, not a fit
I'm selective about who I work with, so you can tell quickly.
Good fit
- A defined, high-stakes project with a clear outcome
- A new product, or a core surface that needs rethinking
- Access to context and fast decisions
- A team that is open to learning
Not a fit
- Open-ended extra design capacity
- Production work or a handoff-only brief
- Approvals through many layers
- A project with no owner or no measurable result
Simple terms
Part-time
Hours or days per week shaped around what the project needs.
6–12 weeks
Scoped to one defined project, start to handoff.
“Elena is very good at switching between an IC role and a management role. It was great to see how she raised the standards of design and our aspirations towards UX.”
“Her ability to take several steps back, question our roadmap and priorities, and suggest alternatives has proven invaluable.”
“Her pushes to think differently about a topic have often helped us deliver much better experiences to customers significantly sooner.”
“Elena is an absolutely superb manager and designer. I've personally benefited hugely from her mentorship and guidance.”
“I worked with Elena for almost two years, and I can say she's one of the best managers I ever had... continually encouraging me to go beyond my limits.”
“Elena is able to go deep in the weeds and think at a high level, which means she's able to contribute so much to the team and, ultimately, to the customers.”
“We released to market on time with a lot of positive feedback around experience. I'd highly recommend Elena for any design leadership role.”
“Elena continuously seeks to improve the process, deliverables, and ways of working as a team. Given her positive attitude and inspirational leadership, she is a great person to work with and look up to.”
“Elena's ability to challenge both the team and her peers has helped shape EO into a culture where constructive feedback and challenges are welcomed.”
let's talk
Need someone to lead a high-stakes project while being hands-on?
Tell me about the project and the risk if it doesn't land.