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Warsaw, PolandOpen to ambitious teams building meaningful products

Listen Think Feel Design Product designer and product builder.

I'm a Warsaw-based product designer who works across the full product lifecycle - from UX research and conversational design through go-to-market, CRO, ASO, and KPI strategy. I design and build digital products end-to-end, with a focus on connecting user needs, business goals, and product strategy.

Design decisions stay grounded in what is actually converting. I ship the interface, the frontend, and the numbers behind it.

Portrait of Jo Ionescu, product designer based in Warsaw
Based in
Warsaw, Poland
Working remotely across EU
Focus
Product design end-to-end
Research → Design → Ship → Measure
Also
Frontend implementation, growth & ASO
Turning ideas into real, measurable impact
Approach

I design systems that make complex decisions feel simple

Four principles hold across every project - whether I'm shaping a probability dashboard, a smart family organizer, or an accessible reading workspace.

  1. 01

    Reduce cognitive load

    Every added surface has a cost. I look for the decision the user is actually trying to make and remove what stands between them and it.

  2. 02

    Use AI to clarify

    Models are only useful when their output is legible and trustworthy. I design for confidence, transparency, trust and outcome

  3. 03

    Design for emotional as well as functional needs

    People arrive tired, distracted, or under pressure. Tone, pacing, and restraint matter as much as the flow diagram.

  4. 04

    Guide users through decisions, not interfaces

    The interface is the means. I structure information so the next right action is obvious without a manual.

Tools I work in
  • Figma
  • React
  • TypeScript
  • Tailwind CSS
  • Next.js
  • Supabase
  • Claude API
  • Vercel
  • Firebase
  • RevenueCat
  • Meta Ads Manager
  • Google Search Console
  • Google Clarity
  • GA4
  • Jira
  • Chrome Extension API
Process

From an unclear problem to a product people can use

The work moves forward in clear stages. Each step informs the next while strategy, design, implementation, and evidence stay connected.

  1. Discover

    I listen closely, map the context, and uncover the real decision the product needs to support.

    Research · Context · Opportunity

  2. Define

    I turn evidence into a focused product direction, clear priorities, and measurable outcomes.

    Strategy · Scope · Success measures

  3. Design

    I shape the system, interaction, language, and visual hierarchy around how people think and act.

    Flows · Interface · Prototype

  4. Build

    I work close to the code or build the frontend myself, protecting intent through implementation.

    Frontend · QA · Launch

  5. Measure

    I connect the shipped experience to real behaviour, learn from the signal, and improve what matters.

    KPI · Learning · Iteration

Selected work

Products shipped end to end - strategy, interface, outcome

Flagship cases. Each one covers the full arc: the problem, the decisions, the constraints, and what actually happened after launch.

Zack - Smart family organizer
01SaaS · LLM · Family Tech · B2C

Zack

Smart family organizer

Product strategy · Conversational flows · LLM · Brand positioning · UX/UI · iOS & Android app design · Website · Growth marketing

A smart family organizer that captures tasks from voice, text, and email and turns them into shared action - helping households stay ahead of school admin, appointments, and everyday planning, together.

Led product strategy, UX/UI, content, and go-to-market across iOS, Android, and web - from onboarding architecture to brand voice.

Ran Meta and LinkedIn campaigns end-to-end, delivering paid acquisition ahead of cost benchmarks: Meta CPC of €0.88 against a €0.70–1.20 target and CPM near €7.10 against a €6–14 target. LinkedIn paid CPC of €2.52 sat inside its €1.50–4.00 healthy range.

Took Zack from zero to a live, installable product on both stores.

Meta CPC vs €0.70–1.20 target
€0.88
Unique people reached on a lean budget
290k
Install-to-paid conversion in the first month
5%
  • Figma
  • Trello / Jira
  • RevenueCat
  • Meta Ads Manager
  • Google Search Console
  • LLM integration
KLIMAT-P - Seasonal weather probability platform
02SaaS · Climate Tech · B2B

KLIMAT-P

Seasonal weather probability platform

Product strategy · Positioning · UX/UI · Dashboard design · Frontend development · Data architecture

A Bayesian seasonal probability model turned into a product: historical climatological baselines combined with live data from IMGW-PIB, NOAA CPC, and teleconnection indicators (ENSO, NAO, AO) to estimate drought, frost, heat, and precipitation risk.

Forecasts are publicly self-verified against real-world outcomes through weekly validation and Brier score evaluation, so users see not only predictions but how accurately the model performs over time.

I designed two intentionally different experiences: a calm, trust-building marketing site focused on credibility and education, and a dense operational dashboard optimised for frequent daily decision-making.

Led the product end-to-end - market positioning, UX research, information architecture, visual identity, landing page and dashboard design, frontend implementation, data architecture, bilingual experience, and deployment.

Polish regions live in public beta
8
Brier score self-verification
Weekly
Designer & developer, end to end
Solo
  • Next.js
  • Supabase
  • Claude API
  • Resend
  • Vercel
  • IMGW-PIB
  • NOAA CPC
  • Open-Meteo
Design Sparring - Design decision practice tool
03SaaS · AI · Design Tools · B2C

Design Sparring

Design decision practice tool

Product strategy · UX/UI · Prompt engineering · Full-stack development · CRO · Growth & affiliate programme

A practice tool that stress-tests design decisions before they reach a stakeholder room. Paste a rationale, get three rounds of structured AI counter-arguments, receive a scored verdict across clarity, user impact, defensibility, and blind spots.

A second product, the Stakeholder Simulator, lets designers rehearse objections from seven stakeholder archetypes in character, then download a prep sheet before the real meeting.

Built, designed, priced, and shipped end to end by one person, with a free tier that requires no account and no email.

Independent monthly subscriptions
$9 / $12
Stakeholder archetypes in the Simulator
7
Strategy, design, engineering, growth
Solo
  • Next.js
  • Claude API
  • Stripe
  • Neon Postgres
  • Upstash Redis
  • Resend
  • Vercel
IncluRead - Reading for everyone
04Web App · EdTech · Accessibility · B2CIn progress

IncluRead

Reading for everyone

UX/UI · Prompt engineering · Builder

An accessible reading platform that makes digital content easier to read, understand, and retain for people with dyslexia, ADHD, visual stress, and other reading challenges. The name comes from inclusion in reading - every reader deserves a story they can follow.

The platform transforms reading into a personalised experience: syllable breaking, bionic reading, assistive focus lines, sensory focus mode, word-by-word reading, chapter summaries, memory support cards, and an AI language assistant that explains unfamiliar words and passages.

Readers can simplify content at different levels and listen through customisable narrator voices and reading speeds.

IncluRead combines accessibility, AI, and cognitive support in one reading workspace, so readers spend their attention on comprehension rather than decoding.

Assistive reading modes
8+
In-context language assistant
AI
Custom narrator voices & speeds
TTS
  • Firebase
  • Vercel
  • Netlify
  • Anthropic API
  • VS Code
  • Accessibility tooling
AHADI - Mental health support, one small step at a time
05Mobile App · HealthTech · B2C

AHADI

Mental health support, one small step at a time

UX/UI · Android app design · User research

A mental health support experience that helps people understand and navigate their emotional state. Guided reflection, structured interactions, and supportive design patterns create room for clarity, self-awareness, and small consistent progress.

I shaped the product experience around a single question: how does someone who is overwhelmed take the next step without being asked to explain themselves first?

Research with surveys, personas, and user stories set the tone - calm pacing, plain language, and no gamified pressure. Every screen offers one clear action.

Designed for Android first, with accessible contrast, generous touch targets, and flows that stay usable on low-end devices and slow connections.

Active users, reported by TAHMEF
21,000+
Helpline users, free phone and SMS services
153,000+
Young people reached across digital and community outreach
1.1M+
Cases resolved through the mental health care pathway
150,000+
Wellbeing improvement, reported clinical outcome using WHO-5
88.5%
Finalist in the EUTECH SDG Awards, SDG 3
Recognition
  • Figma
  • Trello / Jira
  • User surveys
  • Personas & user stories
TAHMEF - Healthcare access in Tanzania, redesigned
06Website · Nonprofit · HealthTech

TAHMEF

Healthcare access in Tanzania, redesigned

UX/UI · Web design · Rebrand · Usability testing

TAHMEF improves access to healthcare in Tanzania through digital solutions. I led the redesign and rebrand of their website, focusing on usability, accessibility, and clarity - showing how considered design can make health information and services genuinely reachable for underserved communities.

The original site buried its programmes and services under dense text. I restructured the information architecture so visitors, partners, and donors each find their path within one screen.

The rebrand carries a warmer, more human identity while keeping contrast, type sizing, and layout accessible on the small, low-bandwidth devices most of the audience uses.

Delivered as a responsive system with dark mode, validated through usability testing with the foundation team.

New identity & web system
Rebrand
Mobile-first, dark mode included
Responsive
Usability testing with the team
Tested
  • Figma
  • Trello / Jira
  • Responsive design
  • Usability testing
  • Dark mode
More work

Websites, brand systems, and product tools

Client work and self-initiated products where design, engineering, and growth ran as one workstream.

01

ZIEL.swiss

UX/UI · Web design

Website · Consulting · B2B

Full website design for a Swiss decision-delivery consultancy. I structured a complex B2B value proposition into a problem-first entry point layered across three service pillars, nine solution modules with downloadable sprint overviews, a book shop, an insights hub, and a frictionless 30-minute booking CTA.

  • Figma
  • Wix Studio
  • Lead-gen flow
  • Conversion design
  • IA & content hierarchy
  • E-commerce
02

NameMyTab

Product · Design · Engineering

Chrome Extension · Productivity · B2C

Chrome extension (Manifest V3) that renames and colour-codes any tab so it never disappears into the chaos. One click to rename and recolour, nothing leaves your device, no accounts, no tracking.

  • Chrome Extension API
  • Claude Code
  • GitHub
  • VS Code
03

Distill

Product · Design · Engineering

Chrome Extension · Design Tools · B2C

Turn any image into a design token set. Right-click or upload an image and Distill reads its colours, typographic mood, and spacing rhythm, then hands back a full token set - exportable as JSON, a Tailwind config, Style Dictionary, or a designed PDF sheet. A companion Figma plugin brings the same tokens into Figma variables as a complete system.

  • Chrome Extension API
  • Figma Plugin API
  • Claude API
  • Vercel
  • Upstash
  • Polar
04

Distill for Figma

Product · Design · Engineering

FIGMA PLUGIN · DESIGN TOOLS · B2C

Turns a Figma frame, a photo, or a file from the companion Chrome extension into a production-ready design token system - built directly into Figma as real Variables and Styles. Select a frame to read what's already there, or drop in a photo for AI-powered extraction. Free scans give flat, 1:1 values; a subscription unlocks color ramps, a fitted type scale, and a documentation canvas generated right on the page.

  • FIGMA PLUGIN API
  • CHROME EXTENSION API
  • CLAUDE API
  • VERCEL
  • UPSTASH
  • POLAR
Experiments

Experiments and explorations

Small products I design, build, and ship myself to test ideas beyond structured client work - new interaction patterns, lightweight tools, and less friction in everyday use.

  • 01

    Desk Wellness Pack

    Product · Design · Engineering

    A Chrome extension (Manifest V3) with two independent wellness modules - movement and hydration - built for people who want to work more sustainably, without a tool that demands more attention than the work itself.

    • Chrome Extension API
    • Stripe
    • Vercel Functions
    • Google Calendar OAuth
  • 02

    Frostly

    Product · Design · Engineering

    A progressive web app that remembers what's in your freezer, tracks expiry using USDA science, and suggests meals from what expires soonest. No server, no account, no internet required.

    • Vanilla HTML / CSS / JS
    • PWA
    • Vercel Functions
    • GitHub
Services

End-to-end design and growth support to build, launch, and scale

Engagements usually start with one of these and expand as the product finds its footing.

01

UX/UI design

Clear, user-centred digital products from concept to functional prototype.

  • MVP product design
  • Mobile & web interfaces
  • UX/AI conversational flows
  • Design systems
02

Social media strategy & ads

Data-driven campaigns that grow visibility and convert, measured against real benchmarks.

  • Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram)
  • LinkedIn content & growth
  • Campaign strategy & optimisation
  • Audience targeting with Meta Pixel
03

Visual & brand design

Visual identities that hold together across every digital surface.

  • Visual identity systems
  • Social media creatives
  • Brand direction
  • Marketing visuals
04

Workshops & UX education

Helping teams and young professionals understand UX through hands-on sessions.

  • Live Figma workshops
  • UX/UI training sessions
  • Educational content creation
  • Design audits
Testimonials

What clients and collaborators say

"I had the pleasure of working with Jo at ZIEL AG. Jo designed the mobile app and I built it in React Native, so I was usually the first person to open a new design and start asking questions.

Jo has a clear vision for a product. Not just what a screen should look like, but where the whole thing is going and how someone moves through it. In our planning sessions she often sketched something in a few minutes and the rest of us finally understood what we were building. That saved us from a lot of wrong turns.

The designs were beautiful, but never only that. Jo cares about type, spacing and motion, and the app looked far more polished than you'd expect from a team our size. She also understood how mobile works, knew what's native on iOS and Android, and didn't hand over anything that looked great in Figma but would take a week to build. If something turned out to be tricky, a quick call was usually enough to agree on a version that worked for both of us.

Her work didn't stop at the handoff either. Jo tested the builds herself, went through the flows on a real device and told us when something felt off, not just when it looked wrong. A lot of small things that would have annoyed users got caught because she took the time to check.

On top of that she taught herself web design and built our funnels and marketing flows. Nobody asked her to. We needed it, so she learned it and shipped it.

Jo is also just nice to work with. Open to feedback, not precious about her work, and always thinking about the person using the app.

I'd happily work with Jo again, and I'd recommend her to any team building a product."

Catalin CiolocaSoftware Engineering ArchitectAgentic chat application

"I've had the pleasure of working with Jo at ZIEL AG, where she has been a key driver of product design and growth for our app, Zack. What stands out most is how much she owns: she moves easily between UX/UI design, content creation, growth marketing, CRO, ASO, and go-to-market strategy, effectively running the product and growth function on her own.

Jo has a rare ability to diagnose problems at the root rather than treating symptoms, and she pairs that analytical thinking with strong design instincts and follow-through. She brings a level of ownership and craft to her work that I've come to rely on, and she approaches challenges with the mindset of a product strategist.

I recommend her without hesitation."

Patrick SteinerFounder - Executive, EntrepreneurZIEL AG

"I had the pleasure of working with Jo on an advanced agentic chat app where she led the development of a custom design system.

Jo showed particular skill in translating complex AI interactions into an intuitive user interface while maintaining consistency across our design system.

It was great to work with someone who always tried to understand the problem and was always aware that we're working on our shared goal of delivering a successful project."

Jakub BudnyReact Native DeveloperAgentic chat application

"Working with Jo has been an exceptional experience characterised by an outstanding work ethic, clear communication, and remarkable design skills.

Jo consistently delivered top-quality work, going the extra mile to ensure our project's success. Jo's proactive approach, coupled with the ability to connect us with other talented consultants, resulted in a comprehensive brand revamp that exceeded our expectations.

I highly recommend Jo for her professionalism, dedication, and remarkable design expertise."

Juliana BusasiFounder and Executive DirectorTanzania Health and Medical Education Foundation

"Collaborating with Jo has been a fantastic experience. Jo not only creates visually stunning and user-friendly designs but also ensures they are well-structured and developer-friendly.

Every detail is thoughtfully considered, making the implementation process smooth and efficient. Jo's ability to communicate clearly with developers sets them apart - anticipating potential challenges, providing precise documentation, and always being open to collaboration.

Great professionalism and dedication make working together effortless. I highly recommend Jo to any team looking for a UX/UI designer who truly understands both design and development needs."

Dawid UrbasDeveloperProduct engineering collaboration

"It is with great pleasure that I recommend Jo for design projects. I had the opportunity to collaborate with Jo on the redesign of our organization's website, and I found the experience to be both enjoyable and productive.

Jo's work on this project was truly exceptional - not only bringing the design to life but also ensuring that every aspect was meticulously measured, aligned, and detailed. Jo's professionalism in design is impressive and demonstrates reliability as a team player.

I am confident that Jo would be a valuable asset to any project requiring professionalism and attention to detail."

Shadrack AbelyLead Software EngineerTanzania Health and Medical Education Foundation

"Jo is a person who is extremely easy and pleasant to work with. Her enthusiasm and openness to other people, combined with the experience of an educator, are essential features of an effective UX/UI designer.

She is full of great ideas, and quickly learns and implements new techniques and solutions. It's not often you meet someone so open-minded, talented, hard-working, and humble at the same time.

Her passion, constantly setting new goals and personal growth are impressive."

Hanna AdamczykSenior Graphic DesignerBrand and visual design

"Jo helped us refresh our website and give it a more professional look. She was a pleasure to work with, helping us think through our needs and suggesting changes to better reflect our goals and match our technical abilities so that we can maintain the site ourselves in the future. We highly recommend Jo and would welcome the opportunity to work together again."

Lisa NerenbergExecutive DirectorCalifornia Elder Justice Coalition

"Jo is a very professional, creative, and open-minded person who has consulted and helped me with the design of my new website. Jo is a reliable and goal-oriented person with exceptional talent in UX/UI Design. I'm very grateful for the contact with Jo and would recommend Jo to any company that is looking for an experienced UX/UI Designer."

Aliya CelikFounder and Senior RecruiterTrueCareer
Let's work together

Intuitive UX/UI, shipped - ready to transform your product?

Tell me what you're building and where it's stuck. I'll come back with how I'd approach it, what I'd do first, and how we'd measure whether it worked.

Location
Warsaw, Poland
Working with
Founders, product teams, NGOs
Typical scope
MVP design, experience design, frontend delivery
What I write aboutUX/UI Uplift - published on LinkedIn

A newsletter on designing, deciding, and building products

UX/UI Uplift newsletter logo

Short, practical articles for people who make product decisions: product thinking, conversation and AI experience design, and the craft of shipping interfaces that hold up in production.

01

Design decisions, explained

Why a screen works, what I tested, and the trade-off behind the version that shipped.

02

AI in real workflows

Conversation design, prompting patterns, and where AI actually saves a product team time.

03

From Figma to frontend

Handover that survives implementation - tokens, components, and building the thing myself.

04

Designing for people, not personas

Accessibility, privacy, and research habits that keep real users in the room when decisions get made.