Aleksandr Smetanka

Principal Product Designer

Milan, Italy. Remote, hybrid.

20+ years in design

Extensive expertise in user-focused UI/UX design across gaming, productivity tools, messaging platforms, web design, illustration, and branding.

Complex products

RNBW.agency

Product Design Agency

Founder & Design Lead

2025– present

Launched a product design studio with a clear focus on clarity, rhythm, and depth.

From strategy to UI polish — we work in stereo, not mono.

Key responsibilities

  • Assembled a small design team and partnered with developers
  • Set up the foundation for a product-focused design studio
  • Working on early client projects and building long-term collaborations

Achieved

Strategic Leadership

Built a core team of designers, partnered with select developers.

FinTech Startup

Premium Concierge Service

Premium concierge platform featuring an integrated messenger, media support, CRM, and robust back-end services for partners. From booking a restaurant to buying a yacht, it delivers personalized, high-quality experiences through innovative digital solutions.

Design Director

2024– 2025 (Remote Contractor)

I lead design for all digital products, build and manage an in-house team, foster cross-functional collaboration, align design strategy with C-level goals, and revamp visual identity.

Key responsibilities

  • Build design ops
  • Align with C-level
  • Oversee design operations
  • Manage design team
  • Develop design culture

Achieved

Strategic Leadership

Collaborate directly with C-level executives to ensure design strategies align with broader business objectives, integrating user experience with strategic goals.

Team Building and Cost Optimization

Hired two top notch designers and streamlined the design process, reducing design-related expenses by 50%.

Transition of Outsourced Projects

Transitioned all design projects from external contractors to in-house teams, centralizing operations and significantly improving control over quality and consistency.

Brand Evolution

Led a comprehensive update of visual identity to enhance accessibility across various formats.

Retouch4.me

AI-Powered Photo Retouching Tools

Retouch4.me provides professional AI retouching tools, including cloud retouching, standalone solutions, and secure options, seamlessly integrating with Photoshop or the new AI photo editor, Arams.

Individual Design Strategist

2023–2024 (Remote Contractor)

retouch4.me

Led product design for AI-powered photo retouching tools, focusing on user experience and functionality, while contributing to communication and branding efforts.

Product

  • Redesign of all products
  • Concept of new products
  • Design System
  • Product Management

Communication

  • Branding
  • Visual language
  • Voice and tone
  • Social networks content creation assistance

Achievements

3D Lut Mobile: App Transformation

Relaunched the 3DLUT mobile app, driving 20x in-app purchases, 12x more photos retouched, and 15x ads engagement

Complete Web Relaunch

Revamped the website with a new shop and subscription features, enhancing user experience and functionality.

Rapid MVP Launch for Photo Editing App

Delivered the MVP of Arams, a photo editing app with batch culling and retouching features, in record time. Streamlined workflows for professional photographers, enhancing efficiency and productivity.

Photoshop Plugin Redesign

Redesigned the Photoshop plugin to integrate cloud retouching, boosting functionality and improving usability.

photos4.me: Website Overhaul

Led a complete website redesign, creating a cohesive brand identity and distinctive style while significantly enhancing visual appeal and user engagement.

myshot.ai: Instant Photo Delivery Solution

Developed a platform for instant photo delivery from cameras via FTP, with integrated cloud storage and seamless sharing through unique links.

TraceAir

B2B SaaS Construction Tech Startup

~100 employees

TraceAir is a US-based startup leveraging drone data to automate construction workflows, now implemented in 90% of its clients’ construction projects.

Principal Product Designer

2016–2023 (Hybrid)

traceair.net

I led the design strategy that transformed TraceAir from a startup to the industry standard for America’s top builders. Impact measured in product launches, years of growth, and billions in managed projects.

Product

Communication

  • Branding
  • Visual language
  • Voice and tone
  • Illustrations

Team

  • People OPS
  • Recruiting
  • Vision an culture

Achievements

Overall

Shipped 10+ core products, personally leading launches from concept to release.
Tested and validated 100+ MVPs and prototypes, driving rapid product discovery.
Spent 6 years scaling design and UX as we grew from startup to market leader.
Built intuitive, human-first interfaces that let field teams onboard in minutes.
Helped 50+ companies manage projects worth billions by making adoption seamless.

Initial Core Product Design

Developed the first design for the core product, securing over $12M in seed funding, including significant investment from a key client.

Designed 15+ Products for Clients and Internal Operations

Streamlined processes and created management tools that optimized workflows and improved efficiency.

Maximized Team Output with Lean Operations

Hired and led a team of three designers, reducing product launch time from two quarters to one and cutting marketing material delivery time from four weeks to one.

Leveraged Design for Competitive Advantage

Crafted a seamless UI/UX that drove client preference and caused competitors to be overlooked.

UX Research & Innovation

Conducted UX research and developed POCs/MVPs, leading to higher user adoption, increased sales, and acquisition of top-tier industry clients.

Design System Implementation

Established design principles, a cohesive visual language, and clear guidelines, fostering a stronger design culture and accelerating development speed.

Office Renovation

Transformed an empty building into a welcoming, functional workspace featured in design publications.

Check how it looks

ICQ

Instant messenger

~50 employees

One of the first internet messengers.

Senior Product Designer

2014–2016

icq.com

Worked as a concept designer, creating new features and communication methods to revive a struggling messenger. Also contributed to product design support and enhancements.

Key responsibilities

  • Conducting research on innovative communication techniques
  • UI
  • UX Research
  • Prototyping and tesing

Achieved

Contributed to the development of key features for mobile communication
Chats, calls, group video calls, channels, and stories.

Revamped the ICQ client for Mac OS with a new design
Improved the user experience, better retention.

Explored new ideas for communication
Launched stories, communities, citations, encrypted calls.

Designed concepts and conducted user testing
Resulting in the release of a new messenger based on the prototypes.

Games

Kiiro Interactive

Game studio

UX/UI Designer

2014–2015 (Remote)

Responsible for UI/UX, illustrations,
and marketing materials.

Key responsibilities

  • UI
  • Game Design
  • UX Research
  • Illustrations

Achieved

Designed and Launched Two Free-to-Play Mobile Games

Developed two mobile games from concept to publication on the App Store and Google Play, providing comprehensive post-launch support. Completed full-cycle releases for:

An online word game, engaging players with challenging word puzzles.

A multiplayer online action game, inspired by Agar.io, delivering dynamic real-time gameplay.

Multidisciplinary Designer

Freelancer

Remote individual contributor

Art director, web designer, illustrator

2011–2014 (Remote)

smetanka.me

bangbangstudio.ru

Find projects, execute them as remote teams. Work with a major illustration agency.

Key responsibilities

  • Management of remote employees
  • Web design
  • Graphic design
  • Photorealistic illustrations
  • Branding
  • UI

Achieved

Freelance Projects for Leading Brands

Delivered photorealistic illustrations for digital and outdoor advertising campaigns, as well as high-profile publications for major local and international brands.

Led design and development teams to craft branding and websites for clients across diverse industries, including music, education, entertainment, and opposition politics.

Art. Lebedev Studio

Design studio

~250 employees

Senior Designer

2007–2011

artlebedev.com/smetanka

The largest and most famous design studio in Russia.

Responsible for the implementation
of projects that keep the quality bar of the Studio.

Key responsibilities

  • Monitoring the technical quality
    of illustrations
  • Creative web design
  • Photorealistic illustrations
  • Graphic design
  • Branding and identity

Achieved

Multidisciplinary Designer at Art Lebedev Studio

Worked on 47 web and graphic design projects, showcasing versatility and attention to detail.

Overcame the studio’s most challenging probationary period, achieving accelerated success.

Took on and successfully delivered critical delayed projects.