Alex Zhurankou

2 years with Nectar! 🤘🔥 My favorite highlights: → Our team’s growth from 23 employees to 90 employees. Product alone grew from 6 of us to 21 strong now 🙌🏼, and we’re a sleek, efficient, resilient team under Brian Cressall and Nate Tingey. → Established Nectar’s Design System and built our component library, significantly improving speed, consistency, and quality of design and implementation. → Completed a massive UI design refresh for the existing product (bless the devs still building it 🫡 ). → Launched Nominations, the largest and most impactful new feature we’ve built at Nectar yet. → Completely scrapped a project, because it was the right thing to do. Grateful to work on a team that’s hyper-focused on our ultimate goals, and is sincerely willing to let sunk costs be irrelevant. → Ideated, designed, and launched our new product Internal Communications in 8 weeks with a small, mighty team 🤯 I’m still amazed we managed it. → $40M Series B funding in April 2024 with PeakSpan Capital. → Saw our efforts, motivation, and passion pay off when Nectar was recognized as the 2nd Fastest Growing Company in Utah County, 1st fastest growing software company in Utah, 8th fastest growing software company in the U.S., and 87th fastest growing company in the U.S. (across all industries). → 300% increase in revenue in Q3 2023 vs Q3 2024 (Q3 was also 50% above our revenue Q2 2024). → Saw every department at Nectar grow in excellence. I’m in awe of the caliber of Engineering, CS, Marketing, Sales, and what they accomplish. → Relished the challenge and variety of asks in the beginning as Nectar’s sole designer, including working on print design (looking at you, 28’ tradebooth) and animations for the first time. That animation announcing Nectar’s new logo a year ago? That was my first animation, and I’m still proud of myself for figuring it out enough to make that 😂. → Spent way too much on Holiday gas station runs (RIP old office). This is a long list, but for the record I cut it in half from what it was 😅. I’m grateful Nate reached out on LinkedIn right at the perfect time when I was looking to switch things up, and that we’ve made a great team ever since. Getting to work closely with our little product design team—Nate, Mason, Tyler, and Maya—and many, many others keeps me growing and keeps me motivated on the daily. Nectar’s mission and way of working resonated with me from the beginning. It’s rewarding to see our company continue to gain momentum and maturity, all while seeing how much room we still have to grow. Very, very grateful to be part of the journey. As we say, it’s still Day 1 at Nectar. 🚀

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🎨 Nathan Curtis shares 16 essential tips for setting up a color design system that lasts. As a systems designer, he emphasizes the importance of stabilizing primary palettes, involving brand teams in color adjustments, and avoiding "wireframey" designs by carefully selecting neutrals. He also highlights the significance of "Digital Blue" for links and clickable items. Curtis advises on stacking tints and shades, naming them by lightness, and limiting their quantity to maintain a stable aesthetic. He discusses the role of secondary palettes, such as feedback colors, and the importance of defining theme variety and how theming works. Accessibility is a core focus, with tips on checking contrast early, exploring accessible color choices, and solving for reverse color treatments. Curtis encourages using color to raise broader accessibility awareness within teams. 🔗https://lnkd.in/e4KuNytV

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It was a privilege to share our best tips for creating accessible representations of data, and the importance of building accessible charts, graphs and visualizations in products. It was an honor to be a part of such an amazing lineup of speakers at the World Usability Congress this morning. #dataaccessibility, #datavisualization #a11y

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What’s Next for Designers in an AI-Driven World? I’ve been designing since the 90s, and I’ve seen a lot of changes. What Michal Malewicz discusses in his article really hits home — it’s a must-read for anyone interested in the future of design. Here’s the thing. Mastering Figma or any other tool doesn’t make you a great designer. What does? Creative thinking. Pushing boundaries. Solving problems. Repeating the same thing isn’t innovation—it’s stagnation. Tools are just that — tools. They are not the source of innovation; your mind is. The article highlights some real challenges in our field, especially for those just starting out. If you’re new, focus on developing your creative thinking skills. Be curious. Ask questions. Connect the dots between different concepts. That’s how you’ll create truly great designs. Remember, the tools won’t do the thinking for you. Take a few minutes to read the article, and then let’s talk about how we can keep pushing design forward. https://lnkd.in/dSpTtkJ4 What’s your take on the future of design in this "AI-driven" world? #AIinDesign #UXDesign #CreativeProcess

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https://lnkd.in/g7NPEdey Material Design is becoming more flexible, but with that comes increased complexity for beginners.

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Mastering the 8-Point Grid System (Real sh*t) Spacing is one of the most underrated aspects of design. Many designers rely on intuition, and while that can work, achieving consistency takes more than guesswork. The Spacing Struggles: --Every product has a unique spacing system. --No strict rules. No shortcuts. This is where the 8-point grid system becomes your best friend. What is the 8-Point Grid System? It’s a simple system for spacing and alignment. ✔️ Divide your layout into a grid. ✔️ Each unit equals 8 pixels or points. ✔️ Use increments like 8, 16, 24, or 32. Why it works: ✔️ Keeps designs cohesive and balanced. ✔️ Ensures consistency across screens. ✔️ Developers will love you for it. How to Use It? Spacing isn’t just technical—it’s about relationships. Think of it as “Spacing Friendship.” Close elements (like headings + descriptions)? ➡️ Best friends. Use 8px. Groups of related content (tags, buttons, images)? ➡️ Friends. Use 16px. Larger sections that need separation? ➡️ Acquaintances. Use 24px or more. This creates a natural visual hierarchy and improves scanning. Dynamic designs often need flexibility. Use a constant (X) based on your smallest element size (usually text). ----For standard spacing, X = font size. Want more breathing room? ➡️ X = 1.25 × font size. Want a compact design? ➡️ X = 0.75 × font size. For example: If your smallest text is 16px: Standard: X = 16px. Hero section: X = 1.25 × 16 = 20px. Consistency is Key👻🛏️ Designs without a clear system often look messy. By limiting options to an 8-point grid, you can: ✔️ Save time. ✔️ Avoid endless tweaks. ✔️ Keep your designs polished. Takeaway Mastering spacing is about creating harmony. ✔️ Stick to the 8-point grid. ✔️ Use “Spacing Friendships.” ✔️ Adjust dynamically with X. ----------------------------------- Your future self (and your developers) will thank you. What’s your go-to spacing tip? Let’s discuss below! 👇 ♻️ Share this to inspire smarter design systems!

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Another interesting opportunity for designers this week. OpenStudio is looking for Designers in Residence to help develop collaborative software for designers! Check out the Just ID Jobs site for more details. Who's hiring in ID this week? OpenStudio Lifetime Brands Rivian Prepara LUNO® And many more. Check them all out on the site! P.S. I use the front page of Just ID Jobs to promote the work of students and young designers. This week's featured image is by Anurag Kurapati Want to submit an image? Send a 1920x1080 image that is <1MB and a link to your website to [email protected] - 🖥️ Just ID Jobs aggregates industrial design jobs from around the web and organizes them in one, easy-to-search place. 🛠️ No UI. No interior design. No engineering. Just ID. 🔔 See new ID jobs daily and sign up for email alerts on justidjobs [dot] com

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So, I've been posting on twitter and threads (https://lnkd.in/gQy4bC2d) these daily bug logs. I'm at 200 now. At 100 I did an analysis with gpt about these and shared that on linkedIn as well. So here is the next 100s analysis. So, just like at 100, I gave GPT the next 100 bugs and asked it to analyse changes and evolution. Here is what it came up with Evolutions: -Shift from result focus to process focus -Increased depth of reflection -Increased acceptance and resilience Themes & insights: -a greater attunement to emotional states and triggers and their impact -understanding the balance between social interactions and need for solitude -stronger focus on being present and mindful (surprised by this coz I dont have a meditation practice rn) Areas to improve: -long term focus, because the bugs are still very disjointed from each other -more structure around health and wellness -trying to understand more about broader culture and global perspectives

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The most poignant and well-written take I’ve read on AI in Design. A must read. https://lnkd.in/gVjkBFaf

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"Your design system isn't just a store of rules and constraints." ✨ Phillip Maggs, Superside's Director of New Horizons, spoke about how to build AI design systems at scale during Figma's #Config2024. Check the full talk: https://lnkd.in/dduYtTts

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There’s a lot of talk about how designers need to communicate differently—especially with non-design peers. If you’re hitting roadblocks, it could be because you’re not explaining the rationale and best practices behind your choices, which builds authority and trust. Clear, strategic communication can make all the difference in aligning teams and getting buy-in. #DesignLeadership #EffectiveCommunication #Collaboration

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Org design and how designers fit within cross functional teams has been at the top of my mind recently. Peter Merholz and John Cutler have an idea that in the future empowered design and engineering leads take on the majority of produce responsibilities. PMs focus on product strategy and in lieu of running daily rituals for 2 pizza sized squads. I’ve actually lived a version of this reality and can say it’s possible — with caveats. 1. The product-thinking mindset and skill set is needed for design and engineering leads. 2. A mature design practice with solid design ops is must. 3. Clear alignment and connection with business stakeholders. 4. An empowered insights practice based on UX research, driven by evidence, generates novel growth opportunities while enhancing current user journeys and experiences. 5. Great relationships across product, design, engineering, business. The truth is skill sets and preferences vary so widely that this model simply can’t work for every company or even every team. A full stack PM/UXDev sounds great on paper but rarely plays out well in reality. However, well supported leads could totally pull it off if well supported by practice area ops squads and empowered PMs.

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If you're a designer and new to AI, I highly recommend watching this video (only 20 mins long if you watch at 1.5x speed), which provides a great primer for the topic of AI in UX. I find the content very well organized and easy to follow. It touches on the concept of AI at a super high level, various use cases, important considerations when designing with AI, and how Booking.com leverages AI to enhance their user experience.

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I talk to senior designers and design leaders every day and there is one thing that became evident to me: In the current market there is no clarity about the career paths and what would be the right step for them. Choosing your future role requires a clear understanding of your aspirations, motivations, and chances for success. For this reason, Dilara Cumhur Neutze, Kate Syuma, and I will be hosting a session to discuss the nonlinear design careers and how these two incredibly successful design leaders have found their path. Join us for this discussion on November 26th. We will cover: - Embracing Non-Traditional Design Careers - Creating Space for Reflection and Vision - Choosing What's Right for You: IC vs. Manager - The Power of Execution in Achieving Success Sign up and share your questions in the comments! We will cover some of them in the session!

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As a VA Lighthouse Alumn, I cannot say enough positive things about Dave and how incredibly impactful this opportunity is. AMA about building the developer experience at the VA. VA’s digital transformation strategy https://lnkd.in/gjPsBBsv

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Career progression

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"We have designers who have innovative hypotheses as they conceptualize projects. What I do as a researcher is study those concepts, collect and analyze data, and verify hypotheses that support our work." Learn more about Mahshid Jalalian—who was recently recognized as a Healthcare Design Rising Star—and her work as a Design Researcher. In this Quick Take, we explore the concepts and projects fueling her passion for design innovation ⬇ https://lnkd.in/enKQzgu3

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If your design team doesn't have a design system, your design maturity is low. No matter how talented your designers are, without a shared design system, your team is constantly reinventing the wheel. This leads to inefficiency, inconsistency, and frustration. A mature design team operates from a unified source of truth. At the heart of any high-functioning design team is a well-integrated design system. It's more than just a library of components—it's the roadmap to cohesive, scalable, and user-centered design. If you're stuck in chaos, here's the reality: Your design maturity is suffering. But it doesn't have to be this way. Take your design team from absent to fully integrated in just two stress-free weeks. With our pre-made, customizable design system template, your team will not only have a solid foundation but will also learn how to properly implement it into your current UI. We even train your team to ensure it becomes a seamless part of your process. Ready to move your team forward? Maturity starts with a design system. Check your UX maturity now: https://lnkd.in/gu2RFKTv

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UX Design for Specialized Domains is something we at Boston UX know a lot about. Check out this great article from my co-worker Dorothy Shamonsky!

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