Dima Venglinski’s Post

Design isn't just about aesthetics. Design is more. It’s all about creating the best experience for users and bringing ideas to life. The small things that we as users don’t notice. We recently tackled a request to design UX/UI for Toolify. A project management tool. They had to tackle several challenges: - User stress - Tasks overload - Complex interface So they asked us to help them. Our first move? We conducted a usability test. Usability tests are great to better understand how people feel using apps. Through research, we found: - Only 32% liked using apps like this - 84% always felt threatened by apps like this  - 67% felt slightly threatened using apps like this The more we knew > the better for Toolify. With this research, we knew what we needed to implement to improve the user experience:  - Notification system - Simple task management - Integrations with top software Our workflow: Step 1: User flow for structure Step 2: Wireframes for visuals Step 3: Color and typography definition Step 4: User interface creation And there it was. Toolify's design simplified project management, keeping it efficient and clutter-free. The formula for success? Research + good design + teamwork = a happy client. Shout out to everyone who worked on this! 

From surviving to thriving: the crisis that reshaped our agency's DNA. So many events have occurred and threatened to uproot everything we'd built. As a CEO, I’ve faced plenty of problems and we have always survived. We've weathered tough times before, but the recent market downturn has been tough to overcome. Every problem has a solution. Our team, once a diverse mix of talent, distilled into a force of excellence. The challenges we faced acted as a catalyst, burning away inefficiencies and leaving behind the "dream team". We’ve: - Adapted processes - Tightened our budgets - Focused on client delivery In the struggle to stay afloat, we discovered hidden reservoirs of creativity and resilience. The challenges we faced, became the foundation of our success. As we emerge from the storm, I see a company not just surviving, but poised to thrive. Our design prowess is recognized worldwide, but now we're setting our sights on new horizons. We're transforming into a force to be reckoned with in software development, armed with battle-tested processes and an unbeatable team. The crisis didn't break us. It forged us into something stronger, more agile, and infinitely more competitive. As the market recovers, we're not just returning to business as usual – we're redefining it. This is more than a comeback story. It's a testament to the power of resilience, innovation, and unwavering determination. The storm may have passed, but our journey is far from over. We're charting a course for new adventures, ready to make waves in the world of digital product design and development. P.S. That’s me leading my team into the unknown. :)

The world of design is changing. Designers need to adapt to survive in a rapidly shifting environment. My advice? Think like a consultant. Being a consultant will become an expected skill for designers. Designers should choose certain industries or domains and know them inside out. They need to become consultants. Tell the clients something they don’t know, and provide suggestions to their clients showing how invested and experienced they are in this domain. They need to go deeper in their respective industries. That is where they can provide the most value helping them to stand out in a challenging environment. The future of design is consultative, as designers must be more business-orientated. Economic challenges do not increase demands on designers. It amplifies their strategic value.

#1 mistake startups make: They focus solely on design. Hear me out. Design doesn’t matter. At least from the start. I know people will say that makes zero sense. Design serves the product. If you are an early-stage startup, focus on what value your product delivers. Not on what colour your button should be. - Value - Value  - Value That’s all that matters. I mean think about it. If you have a great app but offer zero value, who cares how well-made your app is? Better design can improve conversion rates. But design won’t be the catalyst. So: - Identify your customer base - Find your product-market fit - Develop more sophisticated products - Implement changes based on their feedback (Not in this order) No successful idea started with “better design” alone. Facebook didn't win because of its design. It won because it delivered value. Thoughts? 

Controversial take: product designers are just glorified product managers. Wrong. For some reason, a lot of people think product designers are similar to product managers. Not sure why. To me it's obvious. Product manager focuses on: - Roadmapping - Analyzing data - Product/Market Fit - Customer Discovery Product designer focuses on: - User modelling - Journey mapping  - Pain points for potential users  - User motivations/ psychology Now sure they do do some similar tasks: - Prototyping - UI Sketching - Monitoring KPI - User Research - Usability Testing - Use Case Definition - MVP Experimentation Make no mistake the tasks they may do overlap. But they each offer their own unique value. Thoughts? 

Ever wonder what makes an app great? A great app: - Improves lives - Solves problems Let me share a story. Fireart Studio had a mission to create Hot-Desk (a booking app for flexible work setups). The goal? Help people transition from fixed to flexible office schedules. Here’s the challenge we faced: 80% of users avoid complex web solutions. They didn’t want to sign up for yet another app just to book a desk. So, we took on the challenge head-on. Step 1: Analyzed competitors. Step 2: Mapped everything out on Miro. Step 3: Designed user flows for Admins and Employees. Step 4: Organized the project and created prototypes. Step 5: Designed the style guide and UI. Step 6: Handed it over for development. We made it simple. No registration is needed. Book a desk directly in Slack with just a few clicks. Great apps don’t just exist. - They serve users - They satisfy needs - They solve problems That’s what Hot Desk does. And that’s the mark of a great app.

Starting as a freelancer to leading a team of 81. Moving from managing a small team of 4 to 5 designers to a company like Fireart Studio which has 81 employees was a journey of constant change. Every day brought new hurdles: - Shifting processes - Evolving team dynamics - Market demands that seemed to alter overnight It was a relentless cycle where standing still meant falling behind, so flexibility became my superpower. I had to be agile, making split-second decisions that would impact the business. In those early days, the challenges were daunting. Hiring was especially tough. The market was scorching hot, flooded with opportunities but painfully short on talent. Finding the right people felt like searching for needles in a haystack. Yet during these dark times, there were always moments to celebrate. The fact we were growing at such a rapid rate, winning new clients each week was a testament to our success. It meant scaling up, taking on new projects, and growing our revenue stream. These were the kind of challenges that, despite their intensity, signalled progress and potential. Looking back, each obstacle was a chapter in our story of growth. Yes, it wasn't always smooth sailing, but overcoming those hurdles meant we were moving forward and growing. As I reflect on those early days, it's clear that the journey to becoming CEO was about understanding: - Change - Seizing opportunities - Building something meaningful Step by Step. I don’t know what lies in my future. I do know I have a great team beside me to face any challenge that comes my way. 

Running a business is like the English weather. - Gloomy - Unpredictable - Minimal sunshine Take 2024 right now. We have faced: - Inflation - Recession - Invasion of Ukraine What else lies ahead? Nobody knows. The only thing we can do is be adaptable. It’s no secret that the software development market in 2024 is tough: - Fewer clients - Uncertain future - Less money for investments Which means we have to be better and smarter. That’s why we focus on: Customer retention and upselling. Retaining existing clients is cheaper and more profitable than acquiring new ones. I hear a lot of companies complaining about a lack of marketing budgets. Let me set it straight. You don’t have a marketing problem but a retention problem. Stop spending big budgets on new customers and focus on LTV. Existing customers are the only marketing you need. It may look like the market is getting better but remember ‘when it rains it pours’. “Be like water”. Thoughts? 

70% of companies focus on attracting new clients. When only 30% focus on customer retention. Who is right? It's well-known that getting new customers is 10 times more expensive than keeping current ones, even if you offer them discounts or special treatment. To get a new customer, you need to spend a lot on marketing and put in a lot of time and effort. This includes: - Making calls - Sending emails - Meeting with them in person New customers are often cautious and take small steps before committing. It can take 6 to 12 months to win one new customer, and you might lose many others in the process, which adds to your costs. So, who’s right? For me, the 30% who prioritise retention. Thoughts?