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"Design with intent. Lead with impact."

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A Full-Spectrum UI/UX Advocate

Quick Summary

With over 20 years of international experience in UI/UX and Product Design, I specialize in crafting intuitive, user-centered solutions for complex enterprise systems. My expertise spans Product Design Strategy, UX Product Management, Design Systems, End-2-End Storytelling workflows, Accessibility (WCAG), User Research, and Usability Testing—with a strong track record in both core Enterprise/Technical and B2B environments. Users come first.

 

I’ve built and led design teams across global enterprise organizations and SMBs, mentoring designers, defining OKRs, and fostering a collaborative culture where creativity and purpose thrive. I believe in empowering designers to become strategic stakeholders in the product lifecycle—not just pixel pushers, but decision-makers fostered through a "Lead by example" approach.

What I do best

  • Design Leadership: Hiring, mentoring, and scaling cross-functional teams with empathy and clarity.

  • Strategic UX: Defining product design strategies that align user needs with business goals.

  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Acting as a bridge between Product, Engineering, and Design to deliver cohesive, scalable solutions.

  • Research & Data-Driven Design: Translating user feedback and use cases into actionable design decisions and End-2-End detailed workflows.

  • Accessibility & Usability: Championing inclusive design and ensuring compliance with global standards (WCAG).

  • Design Thinking & UCD: Embedding iterative, user-centered processes into fast-paced, development-driven environments.​

John Papadami

Portfolio

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Role

Lead UI/UX Designer

Company Challenge: Establishing Scalable UX Practices Across a Fragmented Product Landscape

The organization lacked a centralized UX function with no vision how to build a team,  define consistent design standards, and a unified/scalable research process. With siloed teams and legacy usability issues, there was an urgent need to build a cohesive UI/UX team, implement a scalable Design System, elevate the user experience across multiple B2B platforms and devices, and integrate a UCD process in a Scrum setup.

Role

2 in a Box (Product Design Manager + Lead Product Designer)

Company Challenge: Unifying Design Vision Post-Acquisition

Following a major acquisition, the company faced fragmented design practices, low team morale, and inconsistent user experiences across a complex product ecosystem. There was no centralized design system, and cross-functional alignment was lacking—hindering innovation and scalability in a highly technical dev driven environment.

Role

Sr. Product Designer

Company Challenge: Building UX Capability from the Ground Up in a Complex Enterprise Environment

VMware lacked a local UX presence in Sofia and faced fragmented user experiences across its vSphere platform. The challenge was to establish a high-performing design team, modernize legacy systems, and deliver consistent, accessible, and scalable UX solutions across hybrid cloud management tools—all while aligning with global teams and enterprise-scale engineering efforts to improve usability and address user painpoints.

Role

Product Designer

Company Challenge: Establishing UX Leadership in a Global Enterprise Environment

SAP Sofia had no idea what is UI/UX. They needed to build a UX presence in a new regional hub while ensuring design consistency across mission-critical enterprise tools. The challenge was to establish a local design team from scratch, lead UX for complex administrative platforms, and unify global design efforts—while also driving accessibility, usability, and cross-product alignment in a highly distributed development environment.

About Me

From the U.S. to the EU, my journey has been driven by curiosity, courage, and a relentless pursuit of growth—both personal and professional. I thrive on exploring new cultures, connecting with diverse minds, and diving into unfamiliar domains that challenge and sharpen my Product Design expertise.

I’m not just looking for a job—I’m seeking a company whose values resonate with my own. A place where I can bring my full self to the table, contribute meaningfully, and grow alongside a team that believes in mutual success, recognition, and purpose.

With a strong foundation in UI/UX Product Design, I’ve led transformative projects, built and mentored high-performing design teams, and consistently delivered experiences that make a difference. I take pride in crafting intuitive, end-to-end design solutions that solve real user problems—and in empowering others to do the same.

What Drives Me

  • Designing with empathy: Creating seamless, user-centered workflows that remove friction and add value.

  • Leading with intention: Growing design teams through mentorship, trust, and shared wins.

  • Owning the outcome: Treating every project with the care and commitment as if it were my own company.

 

My Design DNA

  • We rise together: Collaboration is at the heart of everything I do. I believe in lifting others and celebrating their wins.

  • Bridge-builder: I foster transparency and alignment across teams through open dialogue and shared goals.

  • Recognition matters: I make it a point to acknowledge great work—because everyone deserves to feel seen.

  • Lead by doing: I set the tone through action, not just words.

 

Top 5 Soft Skills

  • Communication

  • Thinking outside of the box

  • Collaboration Team work

  • Problem Solving

  • Receptiveness to Feedback

Favorite quote
Hard times create strong people

Strong people create good times

Good times create weak people

Weak people create hard times

Top 5 Hard Skills

  • User Centered Design (UCD)

  • UI Product Design

  • User Research and Usability

  • Information Architecture

  • Accessibility

Contacts

Ping Me

Feel free to get a hold of me. I am always interested to get acquainted with fellow designers, people in the I.T. industry, and outgoing individuals. If you're seeking advice on how to start your career as a UX Product Designer or in need of UX consultation, I'd be happy to help.

Email:  jpapadami@outlook.com

GSM (Viber & WhatsApp): +359-886-313-382

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© 2025 by John Papadami. All rights reserved.

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