Designing impactful software for
early-stage startups and founders

Hey, I’m Atilla 📷, an independent software designer from Germany with 15+ years of experience. Today, I partner with early-stage startups and founders to create and ship mobile and web apps that both shine and matter.

I’m open to new projects starting October 2024.

Hey, I’m Atilla 📷, an independent software designer from Germany
with 15+ years of experience. Today, I partner with early-stage startups and founders to create
and ship mobile and web apps that both shine and matter.

I’m open to new projects starting October 2024.

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"I had a lot of fun working with Atilla. He was very thorough, always asked the right questions, and had an effective design process. He was able to take feedback well and iterate quickly. His passion is energizing and he’s dedicated to providing an excellent outcome and I hope to work with him again in the future."

Farhad Noorzay

CEO, Hoopfit

"I had a lot of fun working with Atilla. He was very thorough, always asked the right questions, and had an effective design process. He was able to take feedback well and iterate quickly. His passion is energizing and he’s dedicated to providing an excellent outcome and I hope to work with him again in the future."

Farhad Noorzay

CEO, Hoopfit

"I had a lot of fun working with Atilla. He was very thorough, always asked the right questions, and had an effective design process. He was able to take feedback well and iterate quickly. His passion is energizing and he’s dedicated to providing an excellent outcome and I hope to work with him again in the future."

Farhad Noorzay

CEO, Hoopfit

"Atilla's process is conceptually rigorous, and his expertise in prototyping and user-centered design makes him a valuable asset to any design team."

Phillip Julian

Head of UX, Vodafone

"Atilla's process is conceptually rigorous, and his expertise in prototyping and user-centered design makes him a valuable asset to any design team."

Phillip Julian

Head of UX, Vodafone

"Atilla's process is conceptually rigorous, and his expertise in prototyping and user-centered design makes him a valuable asset to any design team."

Phillip Julian

Head of UX, Vodafone

"Atilla grasps the problems straight away and solves them with uncanny speed and precision. His years of experience have enabled us to transform complex problems into flawless interfaces which our customers love using."

Martin Weber

CEO, Sparetech

"Atilla grasps the problems straight away and solves them with uncanny speed and precision. His years of experience have enabled us to transform complex problems into flawless interfaces which our customers love using."

Martin Weber

CEO, Sparetech

"Atilla grasps the problems straight away and solves them with uncanny speed and precision. His years of experience have enabled us to transform complex problems into flawless interfaces which our customers love using."

Martin Weber

CEO, Sparetech

"I had the pleasure of working and building a product from scratch with Atilla. Being a designer just doesn't mean great at designing but also great at understanding the user problem and iterating to find the best possible UX and Atilla is great at it. It is a lot of fun to work with Atilla and he is also a great mentor."

Sheetij Jain

Product Manager, trivago

"I had the pleasure of working and building a product from scratch with Atilla. Being a designer just doesn't mean great at designing but also great at understanding the user problem and iterating to find the best possible UX and Atilla is great at it. It is a lot of fun to work with Atilla and he is also a great mentor."

Sheetij Jain

Product Manager, trivago

"I had the pleasure of working and building a product from scratch with Atilla. Being a designer just doesn't mean great at designing but also great at understanding the user problem and iterating to find the best possible UX and Atilla is great at it. It is a lot of fun to work with Atilla and he is also a great mentor."

Sheetij Jain

Product Manager, trivago

Tidbits

Child of deaf adults (CODA)
Married, Dad of two
Exploring iPhone filmmaking
Mechanical watch enthusiast
Opted for a 'dumbphone' from '18–'21

Services

0->1 Projects
Concept Visuals
Delightful Enhancements
Design Systems
Interaction Design
Interface Design
Product Design
Product Strategy
Prototyping
Sketch and Paper (Seriously)
Wireframing (Yes)
3D & Motion

Selected Clients & Partners

Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Post
Fressnapf
GoLeasy
Hoopfit
Medion
Mercedes Benz
One Data
Opel
Samsung
Sparetech
Stadtwerke Düsseldorf
Telekom
Trivago
TÜV Austria
Vodafone

Hoopfit iPad App

Hoopfit iPad App

Hoopfit iPad App

Hoopfit, founded by a former Apple engineer, is the most advanced portable basketball training system that combines skill development with fitness workouts. You can set it up in under 90 seconds, use it anywhere, and get up to 1,000 shots per hour. The system includes on-demand training videos and real-time AI feedback to help you improve your game and stay fit.

Role

I joined Hoopfit as the principal designer to create the user interface and experience for the iPad app.
I developed numerous interaction prototypes for key features like shooting and workout sessions, ensuring they were smooth and easy to use. Throughout the process, we followed three design principles to maintain consistency and focus on the user experience:

  1. Use high-contrast UI for outdoor visibility.

  2. Increase touch target size for precise and quick selection.

  3. Start a workout in fewer than 3 taps.

I joined Hoopfit as the principal designer to create the user interface and experience for the iPad app. I developed numerous interaction prototypes for key features like shooting and workout sessions, ensuring they were smooth and easy to use. Throughout the process, we followed three design principles to maintain consistency and focus on the user experience:

  1. Use high-contrast UI for outdoor visibility.

  2. Increase touch target size for precise and quick selection.

  3. Start a workout in fewer than 3 taps.

Services

0->1 Project, Product Strategy, Product Design, Interface Design, Interaction Design, Prototyping

Stadtwerke Düsseldorf App

Stadtwerke Düsseldorf App

Stadtwerke Düsseldorf App

Stadtwerke Düsseldorf App

Stadtwerke Düsseldorf is a municipal utility company based in Düsseldorf, Germany. They provide essential services including electricity, natural gas, drinking water, and district heating to over a million people in Düsseldorf and surrounding areas. Their app serves more than 100k customers, allowing them to submit meter readings, manage their accounts, and access billing information.

Role

I was hired to design and lead the meter reading app and build it up from scratch. The main goal of this initiative was to help customers understand and manage their energy use better through meaningful insights. It aimed to create a business model centered around the customer relationship rather than the product.
Our main focus was on making it easy, quick and delightful to submit meter readings by scanning with a phone camera, ensuring accuracy and clear cost information.

I was hired to design and lead the meter reading app and build it up from scratch. The main goal of this initiative was to help customers understand and manage their energy use better through meaningful insights. It aimed to create a business model centered around the customer relationship rather than the product. Our main focus was on making it easy, quick and delightful to submit meter readings by scanning with a phone camera, ensuring accuracy and clear cost information.

Services

0->1 Project, Product Strategy, Product Design, Interface Design, Interaction Design, Icons, Prototyping

Sparetech App & Design System

Sparetech App & Design System

Sparetech App & Design System

Sparetech App & Design System

Sparetech, founded by two former Porsche engineers, offers an AI-powered SaaS platform for efficient industrial spare parts management. Their solution helps manufacturing companies like Porsche, Bosch and Festo to identify, order, and manage spare parts, reducing costs and environmental impact. Their platform streamlines workflows, enabling smarter decisions and improved sustainability in spare parts handling.

Role

I was hired to help the team enhance the overall user interface design of the SaaS platform, while also developing new product design features in close collaboration with their clients. During a separate phase, I undertook the task of establishing and leading the development of a comprehensive design system kit with over 100+ components, which included the creation of an accessible and perceptually uniform color system, screen design templates and interaction prototypes. This initiative helped the product team to optimize the overall operational efficiency and cut the production cost for developing new features.

Services

Product Strategy, Product Design, Design System, Color System, Interface Design, Prototyping

Medion Apps

Medion Apps

Medion Apps

Medion Apps

Medion, headquartered in Essen, Germany, offers affordable consumer electronics such as computers, smartphones, and home appliances. Known for their high-quality products, they primarily sell through retailers like Aldi.

Role

I was brought on to redesign Medion’s home apps from scratch. The original apps for their air conditioner, air purifier, vacuum robot, and pet feeder were visually unclear, hard to navigate, and inconsistent. We faced two big challenges: aligning the app interface with the hardware’s system status and creating a cohesive design language for all four apps. Through iterative testing and prototyping, we achieved a clear and user-friendly solution by incorporating design components like a control bar within thumb’s reach and using consistent interactions across all apps. This approach made the apps intuitive and a breeze to use.

Services

Product Design, Interface Design,
Interaction Design, Prototyping

Fressnapf Design & Color System

Fressnapf Design & Color System

Fressnapf Design & Color System

Fressnapf Design & Color System

Fressnapf is Europe’s top pet supply retailer, offering a wide range of products and services through 1,900+ stores and online platforms across 13 countries under the Fressnapf and Maxi Zoo brands. Their app has 6 million installs and is active in 5 countries.

Role

I joined to help the design team streamline and unify the fragmented design system, reworking core components to build a solid structure that works for multiple products. One major focus was implementing an accessible, perceptually uniform color system using the OKLCH color space, ensuring it works seamlessly across various products and delivers optimal results. We started by establishing a structured design system framework, utilizing design tokens to create a cohesive design for iOS and Android platforms. This approach ensured a scalable and consistent solution that seamlessly applied across web, app, and various services.

Services

Design System, Color System, Interface Design

One Data App & Color System

One Data App & Color System

One Data App & Color System

One Data App & Color System

Providing a comprehensive data product builder platform, One Data helps organizations like SCHOTT and thyssenkrupp efficiently create, manage, and share data products across departments. Their AI-powered tools like the One Data Map streamline workflows, enhance collaboration between IT and business users, and support modern data management concepts like Data Mesh and Data Fabric.

Role

I teamed up with the design crew to refine One Data’s user interface and created a unified color system for the One Data Map that’s clear, accessible, and scalable for complex data visualizations. The One Data Map is an interactive tool that brings together data visualization and management, offering a single, interactive map to view and navigate data from various sources. In a separate effort, I helped the team set up a solid, future-proof design system structure.

Services

Interface Design, Design System, Color System, Interaction Design, Prototyping

Deutsche Post Identifcation App

Deutsche Post Identifcation App

Deutsche Post Identifcation App

Deutsche Post Identifcation App

Germany’s leading postal and logistics provider Deutsche Post offers a secure and convenient identity verification service through its POSTIDENT app, used by millions annually for tasks such as opening bank accounts or activating SIM cards, whether from home or on the go.

Role

Together with SprintEins, we designed and developed the POSTIDENT app from the ground up. I was responsible for the user interface and interaction design, aiming to make legally-binding verifications as seamless as possible, whether you’re interacting with the app directly or with a call center agent. This involved rigorous testing and prototyping to ensure the app is accessible to everyone, including deaf users, and functional across multiple languages.

Services

0->1 Project, Product Strategy, Product Design, Interface Design, Interaction Design, Prototyping

Vodafone Broadband App

Vodafone Broadband App

Vodafone Broadband App

Vodafone Broadband App

As one of the world’s largest mobile network operators, Vodafone delivers a comprehensive suite of services, including mobile voice and messaging, data plans, fixed broadband, and TV options. With multiple apps supporting these services, the company operates in 22 countries, serving millions of customers globally.

Role

In close collaboration with SMAL GmbH, I helped Vodafone build a design system for their flagship apps, including the Broadband app. My role focused on leading the design direction and ensuring a cohesive design language across all Vodafone apps, creating a seamless connected experience between the hardware and software.

Services

0->1 Project, Design System, Interface Design, Interaction Design, Prototyping

Imagination playground

Beyond my regular job, I enjoy exploring new disciplines that help me become a better designer. I weave these insights into my daily workflow, creating an organic cycle of improvement in my work.

My current experiments are a healthy blend of 3D design, motion, and interaction.

Occasionally updated.

Beyond my regular job, I enjoy exploring new disciplines that help me become a better designer. I weave these insights into my daily workflow, creating a organic cycle of improvement in my work.

My current experiments are a healthy blend of 3D design, motion, and interaction.

Occasionally updated.

What's it like working with you?

Think of me as a trusted friend with your best interests at heart. When we work together, I aim to guide you to the best of my ability. It’s all about mutual growth and learning. I prioritize iterative sharing, providing regular updates through email, Slack or Loom to ensure quick feedback cycles.

How long does a project take?

Projects usually range from 2 weeks to 3 months, though some have spanned up to 2 years. Every design project is unique and its full potential only unfolds over time after launch. I believe in maintaining healthy relationships, so I won’t leave you in the dark once the project is complete. I’m here to provide continued support whenever needed.

Do you accept all projects?

Nope. I only take on projects that align with my values and exclusively collaborate with people who care about the business impact of design and high-quality craftsmanship. Plus, I’ll only accept a project if I’m confident that the value you get from my services exceeds your investment.

How do you price your work?

I’ll dedicate ample time to understand your needs and what works best for your situation, then provide a clear, fixed price. This ensures transparency upfront about your investment, leaving no room for surprises. Project rates typically range between €30,000 and €5,000.

Are you open to receiving files with unnamed layers?

Absolutely, as long as the file itself is structured in some way.

Do you offer simple one-time consultations?

Sure. My clients often hire me for what I call time-to-value projects. Building a tangible prototype to validate a certain idea or creating specific interactions to provide an overall feel are two examples of this type of work. Feel free to contact me with your project details at hey@atillataskiran.com.

Got a design subscription hiding in the shadows?

Nope.