Insurtech · Fintech · AI-native products

Lead Product Designer. From strategy to system to shipped UI.

I'm the designer founders bring in when an idea needs to become a regulated, shipped product. Three years building Anytime by Interamerican across Greece, Cyprus and Romania. Forensic UX/UI work inside Piraeus Bank. The design system and activation funnel that scaled ZuluTrade. Strategy, system, shipped UI — in one person.

Currently full — next availability June 2026 (1–2 slots).

“Constraints are upstream of design. The best product decisions happen before any tool is opened.”

Valia Lavdogianni

Way of Working

Six Chapters

Six chapters on how the work actually gets done.

Person on a chair holding a sign reading: design shouldn't be a hurdle

Design shouldn’t be a hurdle.

I hate seeing good ideas die in bad interfaces—usually killed by over-designed animations that make the UX difficult to navigate. I prioritize clarity and speed over decorative noise.

Stack of vintage TVs each showing a portrait wearing a spider mask

Speaking your language.

Whether I’m talking to C-level executives or marketing teams, I don’t use design jargon. I get in your shoes to find the right analogy that makes the technical constraints clear. I translate business goals into feasible digital reality.

Founding mode — designing before the spec exists

0→1 founding mode.

I’m the first designer founders bring in when an idea needs to become a regulated, shipped product. That role looks different from what design schools teach. There’s no existing product to redesign, no research function to lean on, no system to extend. There’s a vision, a deadline, and an engineering team waiting for direction. Founding-designer work is what you build when nobody’s looking. The screens are the visible output. The system, the documentation, the upstream-of-design conversations, the negotiated scope — that’s the work that decides whether the product survives the next ten people who join after you. Strategy, system, shipped UI, in one person. That’s the job.

Person reclined with a documentation book over their face

Feasibility by default.

My silent labor happens in the documentation. I audit competitors and read the constraints of your dev framework before I move a single pixel. This ensures the flows I design don’t just look good in Figma—they actually work in code.

Generative tools used deliberately in the design process

Designing in the age of generative tools.

I don’t treat AI as a feature to bolt on. I redesign the product surface around it — what becomes a chat, what stays a form, what disappears entirely. I prototype with Cursor, synthesize research with NotebookLM and Claude, scan markets with Perplexity. The tools change every six months. The discipline doesn’t: AI is a substitute for unavailable resources, never a substitute for human verification on the things that matter. Especially in regulated work, the rule is simple. The model tells me what’s likely. The literature tells me why. The stakeholders tell me what’s acceptable. The user tells me whether it actually works. Anything that touches credentials, transactions, or regulated disclosures gets human verification before it ships. AI-informed, not AI-decided.

Print to products — physical to digital transition

From Print to Products.

After years of studying the shift from physical to digital, I’ve learned to think in products. My background in print taught me that constraints are a gift. Today, I use that discipline to architect AI products and complex digital systems with precision.

Latest Case Studies

Three engagements that shaped how I think about regulated product design.

What people I've worked with say.

8 accounts

Eight people, eight engagements, one through-line.

01

We had been searching for a designer to lead our product for quite some time, someone who could deeply understand both our product and user needs. From the moment we met Valia, it was clear she was exactly what we were looking for. Valia has an extraordinary ability to quickly grasp complex contexts, conduct thorough research, and create thoughtful design solutions. Her work on structuring our design system has been nothing short of transformative, ensuring scalability and adaptability for the future. I'm consistently impressed by her dedication, creativity, and strategic thinking.

Konstantinos Mesolongitis·Marine Engineer & Software Engineer·managed Valia directly
02

I had the pleasure of collaborating with Valia during the rebranding project and the creation of communication materials at Code.Hub. In my capacity as VP of Business Development, I found Valia to be an outstanding UX designer who consistently demonstrated excellent communication skills, accountability, and a strong commitment to quality in her deliverables. Her ability to understand project goals and translate them into effective design solutions significantly contributed to the success of our rebranding efforts.

Yannis Zisos·GenAI Business Lead, AWS EMEA Healthcare·senior to Valia at Code.Hub
03

During our time working together, Valia demonstrated a remarkable balance of design expertise and business acumen. Her deep knowledge of tools and processes, combined with her sharp understanding of business goals, consistently led to impactful solutions. Valia has a strong and well-informed perspective, which she conveys with confidence and grace, always adding value to discussions. Her ability to merge strategic thinking with creative execution makes her a truly valuable asset to any team.

Konstantinos Chatzidakis·Senior Product Designer at Kaizen Gaming·worked with Valia · same team
04

I had the chance to work with Valia when I was leading our team, and she was an absolute joy to have on board. Super easy to work with, always open to feedback, and constantly looking to learn and grow. She picked things up really fast, asked great questions, and was always ready to jump into whatever was needed — all with a great attitude. She's also one of the most hardworking people I've met, which made a big difference on our team.

John Chaniotis·Lead UI/UX Designer at Pandas·senior designer at ZuluTrade during Valia's tenure
05

I had the pleasure of working with Valia on a recent project where they designed all the screens and user flows. The cooperation was smooth, straightforward, and highly professional from start to finish. Their designs were clear, user-friendly, and exactly what the project needed. It was a great experience working together, and I'd be happy to collaborate again in the future.

Nikolaos Giannopoulos·WordPress & DevOps Architect·client
06

Η Βάλια μας βοήθησε ως εξωτερικός συνεργάτης στο κομμάτι του UI/UX για το στήσιμο μίας mobile εφαρμογής. Φαίνεται ότι έχει πολύ βαθιά γνώση και κατανόηση σχετικά με οτιδήποτε σχετίζεται με την ευρύτερη έννοια της εμπειρίας του χρήστη σε μία εφαρμογή. Οι παρατηρήσεις της ήταν πολύτιμες και η συνολική συνεργασία ήταν πολύ αποτελεσματική για εμάς. Ευχαριστούμε πολύ!

Orestis Apostolou·Electrical and Computer Engineer·client
07

Valia is a great and unique designer! We worked with her on several projects and are always impressed with her amazing creativity. Moreover, Valia is a great communicator and a good planner. Lastly and most importantly: she's a nice person who's fun to work with.

Bart van Poll·Founder, Spotted by Locals·client · multiple projects
08

Valia is, first and foremost, a nice person, and I enjoy working with her. She is a great UI designer with a strong understanding of the latest web trends. We have collaborated on several projects, and I highly recommend her!

Yiannis Christodoulou·Full-stack Freelance Web Developer·project collaborator