Case studies About Experience & Education Beyond Work

Hello!

Hi, I’m Michaela. I’m 31 and originally from Slovakia, and currently enjoying life in the city of Copenhagen. I’m a product designer with multidisciplinary background in branding, web, iOS & Android and UI/UX design.

I started my career as a graphic designer focused on branding and later transitioned into product design, specializing in UI design, user experience and design systems.

I worked on projects for

Career path

As this ever-changing industry, my career has had its twists and turns.

I’ve always known I wanted to do something creative, which led me to art studies in high school, where I discovered graphic and web design. I continued with multimedia design in higher education, learning about product design and web development. During my studies, I picked up HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, which sparked my interest in the technical side of design and how it functions.

Later, I completed my bachelor’s degree in Design & Business, focusing on strategic design and branding. While studying, I took on small freelance graphic design projects.

Then I interned at the digital agency Vertic, where I transitioned from a student role to a full-time digital designer, working on web and print projects mostly for the pharmaceutical industry. That’s also when I was introduced to design systems. As someone who values organization and structure, I quickly became the go-to person for keeping projects clean and well-structured. I also interned at the tech startup Whyser, where I contributed to developing their visual identity and website. After that, I worked as an in-house designer at the software company eloomi, where I designed, built, and maintained their website using WordPress CMS.

Looking for a bigger challenge, I transitioned to the UI/UX field and joined Shape as a product designer. I worked on a utility app for car owners, helping improve the UX, simplify complex flows, and refine the UI across iOS and Android. After taking some time off to recharge and explore new perspectives, I’m now looking for a new opportunity where I can put my skills to good use.

Skills, Process & Tools

UI/UX design

Design systems & Component libraries

Figma

Responsive web design

DesignOps

Design documentation & Handoff

Brand design

iOS & Android design

Sketch

Product microcopy

QA testing

Visual identity

Wireframing

Marketing & SoMe design

HTML & CSS

Accessibility design

Tailwind CSS

Interaction design

Jira

Lottie Animation

Sprint workflows

Adobe (Ps,Ai,Id,Ae,Lr)

WordPress

User-centered design

Basic JavaScript

Sprint workflows

Spread of my core skills

My qualities

Organized and methodical

I like when things make sense. I keep my files tidy, my systems consistent, and my handovers smooth. I’m quick to spot patterns and find ways to streamline how we work.

Detail-oriented but pragmatic

I care about design quality and craft, but I know when to move fast and let go. I aim for clarity, not perfection.

Visual and intuitive

I’m a maker at heart. I think through doing, and I trust my eye and instinct to guide early ideas. I balance intuition with logic and structure.

Tech-savvy and quick to learn

I'm curious by nature, enjoy learning how things work, and like figuring out better ways to get things done.

Where I’m growing

I'm growing my strategic lens

Strategy is something I’m building more confidence in. Most of my work so far has been hands-on, but I’ve started connecting the dots between what I design and why it matters.

Still growing in presentation skills

I’m comfortable sharing work in small groups, but I’m still building confidence when it comes to presenting in front of clients or larger audiences.

How I approach design

I start with curiosity

I combine creativity with strategic thinking to craft designs that are visually compelling, functional, and aligned with business goals and user needs.

I work fast & simplify through iteration

I sketch, wireframe, and test ideas early. Quick iteration allows me to zoom through explorations and options, until I find what feels right before refining the details.

I work openly

I believe in sharing early and often. I document my thinking and keep my files clean so everyone can stay aligned throughout the process. For me, good design is collaborative and grounded in purpose, not in personal pride.

I design with systems

Whether it’s a small feature or a full product, I think in components. Design systems help me keep things consistent, scalable, and focused on solving the real problem.