FAQ

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Shaping a Holistic Perspective

Starting my career as a front-end developer, I quickly recognized the impact of good design on user experiences, particularly within the 8-point grid system. This realization fueled my transition to Full-stack Design, allowing me to collaborate seamlessly across design, marketing, and development teams.

Inspiration from Salesforce’s Token-Based Design System

A pivotal moment in my journey was in 2014 witnessing Salesforce’s innovative approach to design systems through their token-based system. Seeing how it brought consistency and scalability to their vast product ecosystem resonated deeply with my passion for harmonizing design and development.

Embracing this inspiration, I integrated token-based principles into my own design philosophy. The result? I developed my first token-based design system for SOS Children’s Villages in 2015 which spans more than 40 countries. The best part is that the token-based design systems are universally applicable across multiple digital products such as Web, App, and Mail as well as different Front-End frameworks such as Angular, React, and Ionic.

My portfolio reflects this journey—highlighting projects that showcase the successful integration of token-based design principles. Feel free to explore and reach out for more insights into this transformative approach!

Return to Front-End Development Roots

With the widespread adoption of token-based design systems in front-end libraries and frameworks such as React, Angular, Vue, Tailwind, and ChakraUI, I found myself drawn back to my roots. While not a fully-fledged Front-End developer, my strength lies in the creative side — skillfully managing colors, spacing, typography, animations, shadows, and more. I bring designs to life, infusing them with a visually stunning and interactive user experience.

My portfolio showcases this unique blend of design and front-end expertise, demonstrating the seamless integration of creativity into functional, user-centric solutions.

For six years, I served as a global marketing/fundraising consultant for SOS Children’s Villages and later for an array of esteemed clients like Stieglbräu, Element3, Coinswap, Rivermate, Vivare Gesundheitszentrum, and more. This extensive experience allowed me to navigate the unique landscapes of both local and international markets.

Key Marketing Tasks Regularly Performed:

  1. Market Research: Conducting in-depth market analyses to identify trends and opportunities.
  2. Strategic Planning: Developing comprehensive marketing strategies aligned with client objectives.
  3. Brand Development: Creating and refining brand identities for maximum impact.
  4. Digital Campaign Management: Overseeing digital marketing campaigns to optimize reach and engagement.
  5. Content Creation: Crafting compelling content tailored to target audiences.
  6. Social Media Management: Utilizing social platforms strategically for brand promotion.
  7. Analytics and Metrics: Tracking and analyzing marketing performance metrics for data-driven decisions.
  8. Fundraising Initiatives: Designing and executing effective fundraising campaigns.
  9. Client Collaboration: Building strong relationships with clients to understand and address their unique needs.
  10. Adaptability: Staying abreast of industry changes and adjusting strategies for optimal results.

 

I’ve managed a few global brand campaigns such as NoChildAlone, Jar of Love as well as a few multinational initiatives. I regularly support clients on local campaigns in different digital spaces.

I Live in Innsbruck, Austria. I spend most of my time here, but am a regular traveler and enjoy working remotely.

 

I am available.

Yes and no. I can work with you continuously for months, even years together, but I prefer to stick to a freelancer basis. However, except for the terms of engagement, for all practical purposes you shall consider it fulltime.

It’s negotiable.

I work alone. However, I am well-connected with some very talented individuals which are always willing to help.

IAMSTEFAN

A Full-Stack Software Designer

March 2022 - Today

InnCredible Studio

DesignOps Specialist & Freelancer

Design SystemsDesign AuditsDesign TokensSEOGenerative AI AccessibilityWebflow WordPressStrategySEAContent

April 2016 - December 2021

SOS Children's Villages International

Apr 2018 - Dec 2021 - DesignOps Lead & Digital Marketing

Design SystemsDesignOpsRequirements EngineeringFront-end developmentAgile Project ManagementEmail DesignDesign TokensSEOWorkshops TrainingsE-Learning

Apr 2016 - Apr 2018 - Global Fundraising Advisor, UX/UI Designer, DesignOps Lead

Design SystemsDesignOpsRequirements EngineeringFront-end developmentAgile Project ManagementEmail DesignDesign TokensSEOWorkshops TrainingsE-Learning

Apr 2016 - Dec 2016 - Fundraising Coordinator, UX/UI Designer

Design SystemsDesignOpsRequirements EngineeringFront-end developmentAgile Project ManagementEmail DesignDesign TokensSEOWorkshops TrainingsE-Learning

November 2011 - January 2015

Bulpros

Front-End Developer

HTMLCSSJSjQueryDrupal

1. Design Systems Acquisition

Understand the needs, set up the team, and define foundational elements.
Design AuditWorkshopsEducational presentationsDesign System MVP Case StudiesShowcase Team SetupFoundationsStakeholder InterviewsRoadmap
FigmaMiroNotionLoomAirtable

2. Design system Аctivation & Еxpansion

Integrate the design system into the product development workflow and company culture.
Visual LanguageDesign TokensDesign principlesDesign System MVP Component libraryDocumentation IterationToolingScalingOnboardingAdvocacyTrainingGovernanceFeedback LoopAccessibility Standards
FigmaTokens StudioSpecifySupernovaStorybookFrontify, AprimoZeroheightGitHubReact

3. Design system activation, expansion

Integrate the design system into the product development workflow and company culture.
workshops & Trainingfeedback loopsOKR Planning & metricsSupport Community BuildingQA GovernanceUpdates & MaintenanceAdoptionOptimizationAutomation
Omlet.devLookerGoogle AnalyticsAmplitudePower BIFigma AnalyticsReact Scanner

1. What we know → 2. What we want to know → 3. How will we know it → 4. Let's know → 5. Synthesis → 6. Preliminary UX report

1. What do we know? Organize all the input we have on the project → Miro, Figjam – Research, analytics and past survey repository

  • Review existing user data and prior research insights.
  • Analyze feedback and product usage insights.
Gathering Product InformationResearch & Competitor AnalysisInformation ArchitectureAnalytics Insights Best practicesCruicial Sections AnalysisWGAC Accessibility
FigjamMiroNotionLoom

2. What do we want to know? Scope agreement, research methods, and reference for quick decision-making.

  • Identify goals and define specific research questions.
  • Prioritize questions based on potential impact.
Qualitative vs. Quantitativeinterviews & Focus groups vs. surveys & analytics

3. How will we know? Define research flow & schedule participants

  • Choose research methods fitting the questions.
  • Plan for participant recruitment.

4. Let’s know – gather insights from interviews

  • Execute research activities and gather data.
  • Organize observations and initial insights.

5. Synthesis – refine insights & prioritize

  • Analyze collected data for patterns and insights.
  • Synthesize findings into key user needs and behaviors.

5. Preliminary UX Report – Stakeholder presentation with action shortcuts & interactive widgets

  • Compile insights and recommendations into a report.
  • Present findings to stakeholders for feedback and discussion.
FigmaBalsamiqSketch

1. Speed → 2. Keywords → 3. Landingpages → 4. Content Outlone → 5. SEO Valid Content → 6. Link-Building → 7. Community Links → 8. Rank Tracking

1. Speed, the time it takes for a webpage to load, is crucial for both user experience and search engine optimization.
Responsive ImagesCSS & JS optimizationsGoogle Tag ManagerFonts Above fold contentAnimation ManagementHTTP Requestscachingrender blocking managementHosting & CDN
WP RocketLiteSpeed cacheWebflow componentsPageSpeed InsightsPageSpeed Insights

2. Competitor keywords analysis – Identify best action keywords & next-best action keywords

SEMRushUbersuggestSearch Metrics

3. Create Unique SEO Landingpages for each use case the business might take.
4. Comprehensive Content Outline

  • target word count x2 from competitor
  • Header Structure: 2-3 changes from the competitor


5. SEO valid content

  • no fluff, every sentence counts
  • hire great writers – ProBlogger & Cult of Copy

 

6. Generic Link Building – social media, TripAdvisor, recruitment platforms

7. Link Building via Communities – Reddit, Quora, Local News

8. Keep track of Rankings – Google Search Console, Ubersuggest, SearchMetrics

Design Systems
Figma, Adobe Suite, Sketch 100%
Miro, Loom 80%
Frontify, Aprimo 100%
Style dictionary 80%
Token Studio, Figma variables 100%
storybook.js 80%
Development
HTML, CSS, Tailwind 100%
WordPress, Webflow, Kentico 90%
JavaScript, React 70%
Vue.js 50%
GIT 50%
OpenAI API 80%
Miscellaneous
Jira, Confluence, Notion 100%
Emarsys, Litmus, MailChimp 100%
SCrum, Kan-ban, prince 2 100%
Google Tag manager & Seach Console 100%
Google Analytics 60%