This is the plain text version of the portfolio. The interactive one is a computer, with a Desktop and a Terminal. It needs JavaScript and a recent browser (the last versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari; on iPhone and iPad iOS 16.4 or newer).

Open the interactive version

Portrait of Marian Kadlec

Marian Kadlec

Senior digital designer for ambitious brands and digital products.

Years at the seam between design and code. Now AI lets me cross it myself.

Prague, CZ · 15+ years in digital design · marian.kadlec@icloud.com

About

With 15+ years of experience in digital design, I bring a unique combination of strategic thinking, technical expertise, and creative vision to every project.

Design systems, design tokens, component libraries, close work with front-end teams: for years my work has sat exactly on the line between design and code.

I'm an AI enthusiast, and it has changed what a designer can do. With AI as a pair programmer I'm back in the front-end: building components, layouts and working prototypes in real code, and delivering straight into a project's codebase instead of only into Figma.

I work alongside engineers, not instead of them: what I hand over is code they can review, not a spec they have to interpret.

Funnily enough, I often ended up working on redesigns of products and brands.

Skills

Design

Build

AI

How AI fits in

AI is not one step in my process, it runs through all of them. The tools change every few weeks, so I describe the workflow by what I do, not by what I use.

  1. Discover: AI reads and clusters the research, I decide what matters
  2. Define: UX copy, specs and edge cases: AI drafts, I edit
  3. Design: states and variants explored with AI, curated by hand
  4. Build: real components in real code, AI as pair programmer
  5. Verify: AI hunts edge cases and accessibility gaps, I check in the browser
  6. Ship: pull requests into the project's codebase, AI-assisted, reviewed like any other code

Delivery: straight into the project's codebase, not only into Figma. Result: idea → testable prototype, ~3× faster.

My design journey and professional background

Over the course of my career, I've had the chance to work as a visual, UI, or UX designer on a wide range of projects across different industries: digital marketing, e-commerce, foodies, insurance, fintech, startups, job markets, low-code platforms, information systems, development.

I've worked with both well-established companies and fast-growing startups, in both async and sync setups. I was usually part of agile teams, responsible for the entire design process and later also for getting it into production.

I have solid experience across the whole design process – from early idea phases, through research, user studies, testing, and iterations, all the way to final prototypes and handoff materials for the dev team. That includes everything from precisely defined styles and components to detailed specs for features and behaviors of individual elements.

I've worked my way up to larger-scale projects, where monthly traffic reaches into the millions and annual turnover is in the billions. This journey gave me the most experience when it comes to scalability and sustainability of design, including a deeper understanding of design systems and how to implement them into products.

Funnily enough, I often ended up working on redesigns of products and brands.

Skills

Generali: Senior UX / UI Designer, 2025 – now

As a senior UI/UX designer in the Digital Sales team, I am contributing to the redesign of the key web channel Generaliceska.cz. My work includes designing and evolving the design system in Figma, creating responsive templates (product, service, category), and collaborating on user journeys and content architecture. It also involves close communication with the frontend team, with a strong focus on accessibility and consistency across online channels.

The project aims to strengthen the customer experience, business performance, and digital communication of one of the strongest brands on the Czech market.

Slevomat: Product Designer, 2025 – now

As a product designer at Slevomat, a brand known across the whole of Czechia and Slovakia, I help improve how users discover and choose experiences on the platform. My work centers on that journey, on making it clearer and easier to find the right experience.

Together with the team, we are building the design system from the ground up, setting up the design process and fine-tuning the design principles that guide our decisions.

We also use AI tools to look for ways to design smarter and to make the work more fun.

Jobs.cz: Senior UX Designer, 2020 – 2025

I was a key member in the redesign and repositioning of the Jobs.cz brand and its web portal. As a senior UX and UI designer, I was responsible for the design direction of the project and other designers. My role was to orchestrate stakeholders, external brand agencies, project teams, and the design system team at the design level. I went through the most complex role in my professional career.

A very significant project was also the Spirit design system, which was created practically alongside the Jobs brand redesign. I dealt not only with the design system as such, but also with its position as a product within the company, because its role was ultimately to serve all products from the Alma family across Europe. I was part of the design vs code automation topic and the sustainability and scalability of the design system.

Atmoskop: Product Designer, 2023 – 2025

After joining Atmoskop, I became involved in an ongoing redesign process, where I took on the role of product designer in an agile, synchronous team. I was able to apply my experience from the extensive redesign process of the Jobs.cz job portal, of which I was a key part. I focused on designing and testing optimal solutions that meet business goals while considering user needs.

Team Assistant / Syca: UX & UI Designer, 2023 – 2025

As part of an agile product team working in asynchronous mode, I participated in the redesign of a cloud-based low-code solution called Team Assistant. The solution enables endless possibilities for process digitalization. My main task was to rework the main part of the web application, and gradually we focused on other functional units, including the mobile application.

Along with the redesign, a comprehensive design system was created that enables easy and sustainable scaling. It contains not only an extensive library of components and design tokens, but also various color skins.

I also participated in the redesign of the brand's visual identity and preparation of the product for expansion into foreign markets under a new brand.

Storyous: UX & UI Designer, 2018 – 2021

In an agile product team, I developed as a UI and UX designer a complete ecosystem of applications and payment systems for retail customers of Storyous (now Teya.com).

I encountered a number of situations arising from the previous absence of a designer in the team and an established design process. Therefore, I gradually introduced a comprehensive design process, which among other things included occasional user interviews.

At the same time, I developed a UI component library and design tokens, which facilitated project scaling and also helped with the planned redesign of the web application.

Services

Comprehensive design services for ambitious projects and premium digital experiences.

UX/UI Design

Comprehensive user experience design from research to final interface, creating intuitive and engaging digital products.

Design Systems

Scalable design systems that ensure consistency and efficiency across all your digital products.

Consulting

Strategic design consulting to optimize processes and achieve business goals.

Redesign of products

Complete product redesigns that transform existing digital experiences into modern solutions.

AI generated design and assets

Leverage AI tools for rapid prototyping and asset creation.

My design process

A proven, collaborative approach that transforms your vision into exceptional digital experiences through research, design, and iterative refinement.

Discovery & Research

Deep dive into your business goals, user needs, and market landscape. I conduct user interviews, competitive analysis, and stakeholder workshops to establish a solid foundation.

Design & Prototyping

Create wireframes, user flows, and high-fidelity prototypes. Develop design systems and component libraries that ensure consistency and scalability across your product.

Testing & Iteration

Validate designs through user testing and stakeholder feedback. Iterate based on real user behavior and business metrics to optimize the user experience.

Handoff & Support

Deliver comprehensive design specifications, assets, and documentation. Collaborate closely with development teams to ensure pixel-perfect implementation.

Why choose me for your next project

With 15+ years of experience in digital design, I bring a unique combination of strategic thinking, technical expertise, and creative vision to every project.

15+ Years of Proven Experience

Extensive experience working with both established companies and fast-growing startups across fintech, e-commerce, and B2B products with millions of users.

Design Systems Expert

Specialized in creating scalable design systems that ensure consistency and efficiency across all digital products, saving months of development time.

Results-Driven Approach

Focus on delivering measurable business results through user-centered design, with proven track record of improving conversion rates and user engagement.

Agile Team Collaboration

Experienced in both synchronous and asynchronous agile environments, seamlessly integrating with development teams and stakeholders.

End-to-End Process

Complete design process coverage from initial research and ideation through to final prototypes and detailed handoff materials for development teams.

Large-Scale Expertise

Proven experience with high-traffic platforms (millions of monthly users) and high-revenue products (billions in annual turnover).

AI-Enhanced Design Workflow

Early adopter of AI design tools and methodologies, combining human creativity with AI efficiency to deliver faster iterations and innovative solutions.

Business Impact Focus

Design decisions backed by business metrics and user data. Proven track record of increasing conversion rates, reducing bounce rates, and improving key performance indicators that matter to your bottom line.

Contact

Availability: open for product redesigns · design systems · AI-assisted front-end · consulting. Response time: <24h.