When I joined Dostavista, there was no system in design: there were several libraries, they were not aligned with each other, and there were no unified reusable components in code. Design was operating in urgent‑task mode.

I needed to create the design function from scratch: build the team and set up the connection between design, product, and engineering. The goal was to embed quality into the working process so the team could consistently deliver a strong result.

Over three years, the team grew from two to ten people. I split the work into two areas: product design and communications design. Each area got its own scope of responsibility, processes, and quality standards.

I managed hiring end to end myself – from CV screening to final interviews and onboarding. It was important for me to build a team where people did not simply close tasks, but grew professionally and gradually took on more responsibility.

I also strengthened the process for checking completed solutions. A task was not closed immediately after implementation: the designer reviewed the implementation in a test build and checked that the flow worked as intended. This reduced accidental discrepancies between the mockup and the implementation.

When I joined the company, the product did not have a unified UX approach. Step by step, I started bringing the interfaces into a shared logic while also aligning the visual language. The interfaces were designed so new features could be added without rebuilding them completely. A good example is the order form and order details: both interfaces can be assembled from ready‑made elements without changing the behavior pattern.

At the very beginning, I covered most of the client‑facing area myself: Web, Android, and iOS. As the team grew, my role changed: I defined the direction of development, monitored the quality of solutions, joined complex tasks, and helped the team with important flows.

UX research was a separate workstream. I wanted decisions in the design team to be made on more than opinions alone. To do this, I introduced unmoderated research using Figma, Maze, and Intercom together.

The process was simple: we formulate a hypothesis, assemble a prototype, run a user test, review the analytics, draw conclusions, and iterate if needed.

This gave us a fast and inexpensive way to test solutions with dozens of users. The approach began to be used not only by designers, but also by product managers.

I created the design system as a foundation that both product and marketing communications could rely on. The system had two levels.

Communications design was also within my area of responsibility. I created principles for working with SMM, advertising creatives, and communications at the intersection of marketing and product – from landing page templates to email newsletters.

In this area, junior designers quickly grew into senior‑level designers. Thanks to established processes, mentoring, and the gradual transfer of responsibility, they were able to take ownership of the brand’s SMM and advertising communications across ten countries of operation.