Professional Experience
Cafe Bazaar: Application Marketplace
Product Design Lead
Nov 2022 – Jul 2023 (9 mos)
At Café Bazaar, a premier smartphone application marketplace serving Persian-speaking countries with a global user base of over 51 million, I assumed a leadership role as a designer. My responsibilities encompassed leading a design team in the development of a brand-new community-based shopping platform, built from the ground up. Furthermore, I actively mentored and guided junior designers to foster their professional growth.
Balad: Maps & Navigation
Product Designer
Sep 2021 – Nov 2022 (1 yr 3 mos)
As an individual contributor (IC) in a cross-functional team at Balad, a local map and navigation service with 10+ million users, I led discovery sessions and tested various solutions for addressing drug shortages. I also played a key role in hiring product designers, collaborated with HR to create an innovative competency model, and established a design toolbox while mentoring junior designers.
Address: Real Estate Platform
Product Designer
Jan 2021 – Sep 2021 (9 mos)
At Address, an online real estate platform committed to enhancing the rental experience through validated listings and high-quality content, I crafted a user-friendly interface for streamlining supply processes, developed numerous prototypes for experimentation and testing, and established a comprehensive integrated Brand guideline and design system.
Studio Shizaru
Designer
Jan 2019 – Jan 2021 (2 yrs 1 mo)
As a designer at Studio Shizaru, a multidisciplinary firm with offices in both Tehran and Los Angeles, I was engaged in a wide array of activities. These included conducting design research, performing brand audits, and refining client briefs. I also had the opportunity to work on visual identities and brand guidelines, as well as the design of digital products and interface guidelines.
Tehran Urban Innovation Center [TUIC]
Intern (Scenariative Team)
Nov 2017 – Apr 2018 (6 mos)
Scenariative is a design collective focusing on scenario-based design. They approach “scenario” as both a context and/or product of design through a range of disciplines. Exploring the marriage of design fiction as a theme and scenario planning as a design thinking method, Scenariative produces alternative plausible futures to study the effects of products yet to be designed and developed.
Khooger: E-commerce Platform
Visual Designer
Jan 2015 – Feb 2016 (1 yr 2 mos)
As a visual designer at Khooger, an E-Commerce platform for home and office furniture, I focused on crafting user interfaces, conducting website photography, and handling graphic design projects.
Freelance Experience
NAKHODA/SAQI (Label)
Partner & Designer
Nov 2022 – Jul 2023 (9 mos)
NAKHODA/SAQI is a joint venture established by Alireza Ebrahimkhani, a graphic designer and developer, and Kasra Ghavidel, a strategic designer. Our team has collaborated with a diverse range of clients across various industries, including technology, culture, and food. Our areas of expertise encompass brand strategy, visual identity, product design, packaging, and communication. Our design approach is centered around strategy, exploration, and experimentation.
Notable clients we have worked with include:
- Eghtesad Novin Bank
- Respect Foods
- Dastan-e-Shab Podcast
- Neever Financial Group
- Future City Innovation Lab
- Nesha Urban Design Agency
- Gera Business Services
- Shahrzad Esfarjani
Education
Master of Arts – MA, Visual Communication
Soore University, Thesis: The role of visual design on trust-building
2020-2023
After gaining some years of professional experience, I made the decision to further my academic expertise in the realm of visual communication. Embracing my multidisciplinary perspective, my master’s thesis project delved into the intersection of various fields, exploring “The role of visual design in trust-building.”
Bachelor of Engineering – BE, Architecture
Azad University, Tehran Central Branch
2015-2019
During my bachelor’s in architecture, I was fortunate to learn from practitioners like Shadi Azizi, Kave Bazrafkan, and Behrooz Mansouri. Throughout this period, I dedicated myself to honing both my technical and theoretical skills within the field of architecture. I actively delved into areas such as circular economy, human-centered design, and object-oriented ontology, integrating these concepts into my project work. Notably, my thesis project involved the design of a Montessori-inspired kindergarten, showcasing my commitment to innovative and holistic architectural solutions.
Architecture School
Caai School of Architecture
2016-2017
I participated in a one-year architecture program led by renowned Iranian architects Homa Farjadi, Alireza Taghaboni, Hooman Talebi, and Farshad Mehdizade. During this immersive experience, our focus was on large-scale experimental projects that encouraged critical thinking and a bottom-up approach. The program emphasized the integration of research and design, fostering a holistic approach to architectural exploration.
Skills and Tools
Design Process
Proficient in Human-centered Design, Design Thinking and derived innovation processes
Comfortable with Agile & Iterative product development methodologies
Comfortable with Facilitation methods and tools for team workshops
Experienced at Experiment Design as a validation and insight gathering method
Experienced in Brand Strategy, Brand Identity & Design Systems
Research & Insight Gathering
Expert in Qualitative Research methods such as interview & field study methods, secondary research, cognitive analysis, behavioral analysis, etc.
Familiar with Quantitative Research methods such as surveys, A/B testing, card sorting, etc.
Digital Prototyping
Proficient with Adobe XD, Figma, SparkAR, some experiences with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, P5.js, Processing (Java)
Modeling & Physical Prototyping
Proficient with Rhino 3d Modeling, KeyShot Rendering, Familiar with Digital Fabrication (3d Printing, CNC, Laser-cut)
Visual Design & Motion Graphics
Proficient with Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects, and Digital Photography
Courses and Certificates
Design Thinking, Social Innovation, and Complex Systems
LinkedIn Learning – Credential ID: AeEebaEGo7TPjDhUy8tycsnAk8zQ
Issued Apr 2023
Systems Thinking for Product Designers
LinkedIn Learning – Credential ID: Ae0vLlZ0PqOVvo4ZLriCrfS7E5hw
Issued May 2022
Systems Thinking
LinkedIn Learning – Credential ID: AS514zLGBerOBGEAL6LBFvSRSSwl
Issued Apr 2022
Advanced Branding
LinkedIn Learning – Credential ID: AdhYOhsO4ukkS-vrZNoUKrKzccVwl
Issued Jan 2022
Branding Foundations
LinkedIn Learning – Credential ID: ARa3GM6fSVlps9YmfWBkvIIyuB9b
Issued Apr 2020
Marketing Foundations
LinkedIn Learning – Credential ID: AZhgeEVcEo3yEifEF5PN9c3crAVQCredential
Issued Apr 2020
Brand Strategy for Designers
LinkedIn Learning – Credential ID: AWlPG6YVfCpSpOWvb8kox1YZX6U1
Issued Apr 2018
Branding for Designers
LinkedIn Learning – Credential ID: AX-nbCCkYgcpPFSZrfoBQuA3iiU
Issued Mar 2018
Design Thinking for Innovation
University of Virginia – Audited on Coursera
Issued Mar 2018
Languages
English
Professional working proficiency
Persian
Native or bilingual proficiency