Alexey Afonin

From research to $100M turnover — building products users love and businesses grow from

Download CV (1.9 mb)

↓

Hire me!

↗

Product & design leader with 10+ years in fintech, SaaS, and B2B platforms. I combine product strategy, UX design, and research to deliver high-impact digital products.

Behance

↗

Dribbble

↗

Telegram

↗

🔥 Experience

Head of Product & Design

Wata ↗

Aug 2024 – Present

Almaty

Design became a growth driver — doubled B2B client conversion rates.

  • Led both product and design, staying hands-on in UX and visual direction
  • Established IT, product, and design processes; built and led a 16-person cross-functional team
  • Automated USDT payouts and currency conversion, cutting transaction time by 90%
  • Designed and personally oversaw the merchant dashboard — a full-featured account for 800+ active merchants per month, including analytics, transaction management, and payouts
  • Implemented automated dispute resolution system, increasing revenue by 15%
  • Laid the foundation for new product verticals based on the core processing system, enabling merchants to manage and move funds more flexibly
  • Launched product hitting $100M turnover in year one

Lead Product Designer

Yandex Cloud (Datalens) ↗

Feb 2023 – Aug 2024

Belgrade

Boosted product adoption among enterprise clients and upgrade UI-kit

  • Enhanced UX for DataLens: launched monetization and paid tariffs in close collaboration with business and dev teams
  • Designed and implemented an innovative approach to visualizing BI product entities by introducing a new file structure based on collections and workbooks within the service
  • Designed and implemented customization features, increasing BI product adoption among 30+ enterprise clients
  • Developed and rolled out an updated Figma UI-kit (Gravity), standardized design operations
  • Authored a case-study article on Habr titled "Changing service colors and buttons — without breaking the design system" that shares insights into styling DataLens using a design system
  • Initiated and led cross-functional seminars on product expertise and design-to-dev integration

Lead Product Designer

Tinkoff Group (CloudPayments)  ↗

Jul 2019 – Jan 2023

Moscow

Elevated CloudPayments’ UX and visual identity to a top-tier fintech standard

  • Built and led a design team (10+) and implemented a scalable design system, improving UX across all interfaces
  • Redesigned the payment form, raising conversion by 6%
  • Led rebrand and launched a new website, driving +35% leads and winning Tagline Award 2022
  • Designed merchant dashboards and analytics tools used by 10,000+ B2B clients
  • Implemented a product-led growth strategy, integrating design, marketing, and analytics

UX/UI Designer

Samsung Research Center  ↗

May 2018 – Jun 2019

Moscow

Product rolled out in educational networks

  • Conducted UX research with 50+ participants to inform product flows
  • Created MVP UI that secured â‚˝20M in funding
  • Collaborated with engineers to optimize interaction speed and accessibility

UX/UI Designer

Absolut Group  ↗

Feb 2015 – Dec 2017

Moscow

Apps increased operational efficiency and sales team adoption rates

  • Led projects for internal digital platforms serving 5,000+ employees
  • Introduced mobile services, payment ecosystem, and built a digital workplace
  • Formed a design team and worked at the intersection of IT and marketing

Graphic Designer

TNT Network (Gazprom Media)  ↗

Jan 2011 – Dec 2014

Moscow

Helped TNT expand its online presence and video-on-demand audience

  • Designed web interfaces for early streaming services
  • Produced promotional materials and interactive banners
  • Maintained brand consistency across digital channels.

🚀 Track record

  • Launched fintech platform to $100M turnover in 1 year
  • Boosted product revenue by 15% through process automation
  • Led design system adoption improving UX across all user interfaces
  • Scaled teams up to 10+ members and delivered award-winning products
  • Conducted 100+ user interviews, usability tests, and product experiments to uncover growth opportunities and reduce churn

I bridge business goals and user needs, ensuring products are not only functional but delightful to use. Always focused on measurable outcomes, rapid iteration, and research-driven growth.

🛠️ Skills

Product & UX Design

User Research, CJM, JTBD, Usability Testing, Lo/Hi-Fi Prototyping, A/B Testing, UX Writing, Roadmap Planning

Design Systems & UI

Figma (Auto-Layout, Variables, Tokens), Tilda, Apple/Google HIG, MUI/AntDesign, Atomic Design

Strategy & Branding

Branding, Digital Strategy, Creative & Art Direction, Tone of Voice, Classic & Digital Marketing

Product Expertise

Product Strategy Formation, Product Marketing, Product Analysis, Data-/Experiment-Driven Decision-Making

Analytics & Integrations Stack

Mixpanel, Yandex Metrica, Google Analytics, Amplitude, basic SQL

Project Management

Design Leadership, Mentoring, Building Growth Environment for Designers, Moderating Product & Engineering Teams, Cross-Functional Communication

Methodologies

Design Thinking, Lean UX, Double Diamond, SCRUM, Kanban, Agile Inception, Product Discovery

đź“š Education

MSUESI (HSE University), Moscow, 2012

Institute of Computer Technology

IT/Product Management

đź’Ľ Works

WATA. Payment infrastructure and service

Drove the end-to-end launch and rapid growth of a fintech startup, leading a 16-person cross-functional team. Built core IT, product, and design processes, introduced automated payment and analytics solutions, and created new revenue streams and product verticals. Achieved $100M+ turnover and doubled monthly growth through effective business-IT collaboration, innovative UX, and data-driven decision-making.

Soon

Datalens. Service customization

Designed and implemented advanced customization features, significantly increasing BI product adoption and engagement among 30+ enterprise clients. Enabled tailored user experiences to meet diverse business needs, driving client satisfaction and retention.

Soon

Gravity UI. Design system.

Developed and launched the updated Figma UI-kit "Gravity," serving as the maintainer for both core and advanced components. Authored comprehensive usage guides and standardized design operations to ensure consistency and efficiency across product teams.

Figma Library ↗

Design Guidelines ↗

CloudPayments. The best website of a financial company according to Tagline 2022.

The change of positioning and approaches, the large-scale rebranding of the company in February 2022 led to the need for a redesign of the site, which was based on new values: flexibility, partnership, equality.

Result ↗
On VC ↗

Habr design article. Change the service’s colors and buttons—without breaking the design system

I wrote an article on Habr dedicated to styling digital services and working with design systems when changing visual components such as colors and buttons. The article explores practical approaches to adapting interfaces without breaking the integrity of a design system. This material will be useful for product specialists, designers, and developers who face the challenge of scaling and updating the visual style of their services.

On Habr ↗

CloudPayments. Visual philosophy as a product

Created an interactive online UI guide that unified the design system, visual language, and product standards on one platform. Used by over 100 specialists, it improved collaboration and enhanced consistency across the payment ecosystem.

On Behance ↗

Brand page ↗

Samsung Research Center

Designed and validated UX solutions for B2B educational tablets, leading research with 50+ users and securing â‚˝20M investment for the MVP, which was successfully launched in major Russian educational networks.

Soon

Victor Tsoy. Hero's Path. Android app, UX/UI

Led the design and development of an Android audio guide app for a biographical exhibition celebrating Viktor Tsoi at the Manege Central Exhibition Hall. Delivered an intuitive and immersive user experience, enabling visitors to explore the artist’s legacy through interactive audio content seamlessly integrated with the exhibition journey.

On Behance ↗

Delivery Telegram Mini App

Researched and launched a Telegram Mini App for food delivery tailored for Russian-speaking relocants in KaĹź and nearby areas. Conducted in-depth interviews with the community founder to address specific needs and ensure seamless user experience.

Soon

Telepai. Hero's Path. Android app, UX/UI

The concept of a fantastic mobile banking service for transferring money in time for the contest VC.ru x Gazprombank, where I took the first place.

On Behance ↗

On VC ↗

Ru

Alexey Afonin

From research to $100M turnover — building products users love and businesses grow from

Download CV (1.9 mb)

↓

Hire me!

↗

Product & design leader with 10+ years in fintech, SaaS, and B2B platforms. I combine product strategy, UX design, and research to deliver high-impact digital products.

Behance

↗

Dribbble

↗

Telegram

↗

🔥 Experience

Head of Product & Design

Wata ↗

Aug 2024 – Present

Almaty

Design became a growth driver — doubled B2B client conversion rates.

  • Led both product and design, staying hands-on in UX and visual direction
  • Established IT, product, and design processes; built and led a 16-person cross-functional team
  • Automated USDT payouts and currency conversion, cutting transaction time by 90%
  • Designed and personally oversaw the merchant dashboard — a full-featured account for 800+ active merchants per month, including analytics, transaction management, and payouts
  • Implemented automated dispute resolution system, increasing revenue by 15%
  • Laid the foundation for new product verticals based on the core processing system, enabling merchants to manage and move funds more flexibly
  • Launched product hitting $100M turnover in year one

Lead Product Designer

Yandex Cloud (Datalens) ↗

Feb 2023 – Aug 2024

Belgrade

Boosted product adoption among enterprise clients and upgrade UI-kit

  • Enhanced UX for DataLens: launched monetization and paid tariffs in close collaboration with business and dev teams
  • Designed and implemented an innovative approach to visualizing BI product entities by introducing a new file structure based on collections and workbooks within the service
  • Designed and implemented customization features, increasing BI product adoption among 30+ enterprise clients
  • Developed and rolled out an updated Figma UI-kit (Gravity), standardized design operations
  • Authored a case-study article on Habr titled "Changing service colors and buttons — without breaking the design system" that shares insights into styling DataLens using a design system
  • Initiated and led cross-functional seminars on product expertise and design-to-dev integration

Lead Product Designer

Tinkoff Group (CloudPayments)  ↗

Jul 2019 – Jan 2023

Moscow

Elevated CloudPayments’ UX and visual identity to a top-tier fintech standard

  • Built and led a design team (10+) and implemented a scalable design system, improving UX across all interfaces
  • Redesigned the payment form, raising conversion by 6%
  • Led rebrand and launched a new website, driving +35% leads and winning Tagline Award 2022
  • Designed merchant dashboards and analytics tools used by 10,000+ B2B clients
  • Implemented a product-led growth strategy, integrating design, marketing, and analytics

UX/UI Designer

Samsung Research Center  ↗

May 2018 – Jun 2019

Moscow

Product rolled out in educational networks

  • Conducted UX research with 50+ participants to inform product flows
  • Created MVP UI that secured â‚˝20M in funding
  • Collaborated with engineers to optimize interaction speed and accessibility

UX/UI Designer

Absolut Group  ↗

Feb 2015 – Dec 2017

Moscow

Apps increased operational efficiency and sales team adoption rates

  • Led projects for internal digital platforms serving 5,000+ employees
  • Introduced mobile services, payment ecosystem, and built a digital workplace
  • Formed a design team and worked at the intersection of IT and marketing

Graphic Designer

TNT Network (Gazprom Media)  ↗

Jan 2011 – Dec 2014

Moscow

Helped TNT expand its online presence and video-on-demand audience

  • Designed web interfaces for early streaming services
  • Produced promotional materials and interactive banners
  • Maintained brand consistency across digital channels.

🚀 Track record

  • Launched fintech platform to $100M turnover in 1 year
  • Boosted product revenue by 15% through process automation
  • Led design system adoption improving UX across all user interfaces
  • Scaled teams up to 10+ members and delivered award-winning products
  • Conducted 100+ user interviews, usability tests, and product experiments to uncover growth opportunities and reduce churn

I bridge business goals and user needs, ensuring products are not only functional but delightful to use. Always focused on measurable outcomes, rapid iteration, and research-driven growth.

🛠️ Skills

Product & UX Design

User Research, CJM, JTBD, Usability Testing, Lo/Hi-Fi Prototyping, A/B Testing, UX Writing, Roadmap Planning

Design Systems & UI

Figma (Auto-Layout, Variables, Tokens), Tilda, Apple/Google HIG, MUI/AntDesign, Atomic Design

Strategy & Branding

Branding, Digital Strategy, Creative & Art Direction, Tone of Voice, Classic & Digital Marketing

Product Expertise

Product Strategy Formation, Product Marketing, Product Analysis, Data-/Experiment-Driven Decision-Making

Project Management

Design Leadership, Mentoring, Building Growth Environment for Designers, Moderating Product & Engineering Teams, Cross-Functional Communication

Analytics & Integrations Stack

Mixpanel, Yandex Metrica, Google Analytics, Amplitude, basic SQL

Methodologies

Design Thinking, Lean UX, Double Diamond, SCRUM, Kanban, Agile Inception, Product Discovery

đź“š Education

MSUESI (HSE University), Moscow, 2012

Institute of Computer Technology

IT/Product Management

đź’Ľ Works

WATA. Payment infrastructure and service

Drove the end-to-end launch and rapid growth of a fintech startup, leading a 16-person cross-functional team. Built core IT, product, and design processes, introduced automated payment and analytics solutions, and created new revenue streams and product verticals. Achieved $100M+ turnover and doubled monthly growth through effective business-IT collaboration, innovative UX, and data-driven decision-making.

Soon

Datalens. Service customization

Designed and implemented advanced customization features, significantly increasing BI product adoption and engagement among 30+ enterprise clients. Enabled tailored user experiences to meet diverse business needs, driving client satisfaction and retention.

Soon

Gravity UI. Design system.

Developed and launched the updated Figma UI-kit "Gravity," serving as the maintainer for both core and advanced components. Authored comprehensive usage guides and standardized design operations to ensure consistency and efficiency across product teams.

Figma Library ↗

Design Guidelines ↗

CloudPayments. The best website of a financial company according to Tagline 2022.

The change of positioning and approaches, the large-scale rebranding of the company in February 2022 led to the need for a redesign of the site, which was based on new values: flexibility, partnership, equality.

Result ↗
On VC ↗

Habr design article. Change the service’s colors and buttons—without breaking the design system

I wrote an article on Habr dedicated to styling digital services and working with design systems when changing visual components such as colors and buttons. The article explores practical approaches to adapting interfaces without breaking the integrity of a design system. This material will be useful for product specialists, designers, and developers who face the challenge of scaling and updating the visual style of their services.

On Habr ↗

CloudPayments. Visual philosophy as a product

Created an interactive online UI guide that unified the design system, visual language, and product standards on one platform. Used by over 100 specialists, it improved collaboration and enhanced consistency across the payment ecosystem.

On Behance ↗

Brand page ↗

Samsung Research Center

Designed and validated UX solutions for B2B educational tablets, leading research with 50+ users and securing â‚˝20M investment for the MVP, which was successfully launched in major Russian educational networks.

Soon

Victor Tsoy. Hero's Path. Android app, UX/UI

Led the design and development of an Android audio guide app for a biographical exhibition celebrating Viktor Tsoi at the Manege Central Exhibition Hall. Delivered an intuitive and immersive user experience, enabling visitors to explore the artist’s legacy through interactive audio content seamlessly integrated with the exhibition journey.

On Behance ↗

Delivery Telegram Mini App

Researched and launched a Telegram Mini App for food delivery tailored for Russian-speaking relocants in KaĹź and nearby areas. Conducted in-depth interviews with the community founder to address specific needs and ensure seamless user experience.

Soon

Telepai. Hero's Path. Android app, UX/UI

The concept of a fantastic mobile banking service for transferring money in time for the contest VC.ru x Gazprombank, where I took the first place.

On Behance ↗

On VC ↗

Ru

Alexey Afonin

From research to $100M turnover — building products users love and businesses grow from

Download CV (1.9 mb)

↓

Hire me!

↗

Product & design leader with 10+ years in fintech, SaaS, and B2B platforms. I combine product strategy, UX design, and research to deliver high-impact digital products.

Behance

↗

Dribbble

↗

Telegram

↗

🔥 Experience

Head of Product & Design

Wata ↗

Aug 2024 – Present

Almaty

Design became a growth driver — doubled B2B client conversion rates

  • Led both product and design, staying hands-on in UX and visual direction
  • Established IT, product, and design processes; built and led a 16-person cross-functional team
  • Automated USDT payouts and currency conversion, cutting transaction time by 90%
  • Designed and personally oversaw the merchant dashboard — a full-featured account for 800+ active merchants per month, including analytics, transaction management, and payouts
  • Implemented automated dispute resolution system, increasing revenue by 15%
  • Laid the foundation for new product verticals based on the core processing system, enabling merchants to manage and move funds more flexibly
  • Launched product hitting $100M turnover in year one

Lead Product Designer

Yandex Cloud (Datalens) ↗

Feb 2023 – Aug 2024

Belgrade

Boosted product adoption among enterprise clients and upgrade UI-kit

  • Enhanced UX for DataLens: launched monetization and paid tariffs in close collaboration with business and dev teams
  • Designed and implemented an innovative approach to visualizing BI product entities by introducing a new file structure based on collections and workbooks within the service
  • Designed and implemented customization features, increasing BI product adoption among 30+ enterprise clients
  • Developed and rolled out an updated Figma UI-kit (Gravity), standardized design operations
  • Authored a case-study article on Habr titled "Changing service colors and buttons — without breaking the design system" that shares insights into styling DataLens using a design system
  • Initiated and led cross-functional seminars on product expertise and design-to-dev integration

Lead Product Designer

Tinkoff Group (CloudPayments)  ↗

Jul 2019 – Jan 2023

Moscow

Elevated CloudPayments’ UX and visual identity to a top-tier fintech standard

  • Built and led a design team (10+) and implemented a scalable design system, improving UX across all interfaces
  • Redesigned the payment form, raising conversion by 6%
  • Led rebrand and launched a new website, driving +35% leads and winning Tagline Award 2022
  • Designed merchant dashboards and analytics tools used by 10,000+ B2B clients
  • Implemented a product-led growth strategy, integrating design, marketing, and analytics

UX/UI Designer

Samsung Research Center  ↗

May 2018 – Jun 2019

Moscow

Product rolled out in educational networks

  • Conducted UX research with 50+ participants to inform product flows
  • Created MVP UI that secured â‚˝20M in funding
  • Collaborated with engineers to optimize interaction speed and accessibility

UX/UI Designer

Absolut Group  ↗

Feb 2015 – Dec 2017

Moscow

Apps increased operational efficiency and sales team adoption rates

  • Led projects for internal digital platforms serving 5,000+ employees
  • Introduced mobile services, payment ecosystem, and built a digital workplace
  • Formed a design team and worked at the intersection of IT and marketing

Graphic Designer

TNT Network (Gazprom Media)  ↗

Jan 2011 – Dec 2014

Moscow

Helped TNT expand its online presence and video-on-demand audience

  • Designed web interfaces for early streaming services
  • Produced promotional materials and interactive banners
  • Maintained brand consistency across digital channels.

🚀 Track record

  • Launched fintech platform to $100M turnover in 1 year
  • Boosted product revenue by 15% through process automation
  • Led design system adoption improving UX across all user interfaces
  • Scaled teams up to 10+ members and delivered award-winning products
  • Conducted 100+ user interviews, usability tests, and product experiments to uncover growth opportunities and reduce churn

I bridge business goals and user needs, ensuring products are not only functional but delightful to use. Always focused on measurable outcomes, rapid iteration, and research-driven growth.

🛠️ Skills

Product & UX Design

User Research, CJM, JTBD, Usability Testing, Lo/Hi-Fi Prototyping, A/B Testing, UX Writing, Roadmap Planning

Design Systems & UI

Figma (Auto-Layout, Variables, Tokens), Tilda, Apple/Google HIG, MUI/AntDesign, Atomic Design

Product Expertise

Product Strategy Formation, Product Marketing, Product Analysis, Data-/Experiment-Driven Decision-Making

Strategy & Branding

Branding, Digital Strategy, Creative & Art Direction,

Tone of Voice, Classic & Digital Marketing

Project Management

Design Leadership, Mentoring, Building Growth Environment for Designers, Moderating Product & Engineering Teams, Cross-Functional Communication

Analytics & Integrations Stack

Mixpanel, Yandex Metrica, Google Analytics, Amplitude, basic SQL

Methodologies

Design Thinking, Lean UX, Double Diamond, SCRUM, Kanban, Agile Inception, Product Discovery

đź“š Education

MSUESI (HSE University), Moscow, 2012

Institute of Computer Technology

IT/Product Management

đź’Ľ Works

WATA. Payment infrastructure and service

Drove the end-to-end launch and rapid growth of a fintech startup, leading a 16-person cross-functional team. Built core IT, product, and design processes, introduced automated payment and analytics solutions, and created new revenue streams and product verticals. Achieved $100M+ turnover and doubled monthly growth through effective business-IT collaboration, innovative UX, and data-driven decision-making.

Soon

Datalens. Service customization

Designed and implemented advanced customization features, significantly increasing BI product adoption and engagement among 30+ enterprise clients. Enabled tailored user experiences to meet diverse business needs, driving client satisfaction and retention.

Soon

Gravity UI. Design system.

Developed and launched the updated Figma UI-kit "Gravity," serving as the maintainer for both core and advanced components. Authored comprehensive usage guides and standardized design operations to ensure consistency and efficiency across product teams.

Figma Library ↗
Design Guidelines ↗

CloudPayments. The best website of a financial company according to Tagline 2022.

The change of positioning and approaches, the large-scale rebranding of the company in February 2022 led to the need for a redesign of the site, which was based on new values: flexibility, partnership, equality.

Result ↗
On VC ↗

Habr design article. Change the service’s colors and buttons—without breaking the design system

I wrote an article on Habr dedicated to styling digital services and working with design systems when changing visual components such as colors and buttons. The article explores practical approaches to adapting interfaces without breaking the integrity of a design system. This material will be useful for product specialists, designers, and developers who face the challenge of scaling and updating the visual style of their services.

On Habr ↗

CloudPayments. Visual philosophy as a product

Created an interactive online UI guide that unified the design system, visual language, and product standards on one platform. Used by over 100 specialists, it improved collaboration and enhanced consistency across the payment ecosystem.

On Behance ↗
Brand page ↗

Samsung Research Center

Designed and validated UX solutions for B2B educational tablets, leading research with 50+ users and securing â‚˝20M investment for the MVP, which was successfully launched in major Russian educational networks.

Soon

Victor Tsoy. Hero's Path. Android app, UX/UI

Led the design and development of an Android audio guide app for a biographical exhibition celebrating Viktor Tsoi at the Manege Central Exhibition Hall. Delivered an intuitive and immersive user experience, enabling visitors to explore the artist’s legacy through interactive audio content seamlessly integrated with the exhibition journey.

On Behance ↗

Delivery Telegram Mini App

Researched and launched a Telegram Mini App for food delivery tailored for Russian-speaking relocants in KaĹź and nearby areas. Conducted in-depth interviews with the community founder to address specific needs and ensure seamless user experience.

Soon

Telepai. Hero's Path. Took part in a competition among designers and took gold.

The concept of a fantastic mobile banking service for transferring money in time for the contest VC.ru x Gazprombank, where I took the first place.

On Behance ↗
On VC ↗
Ru