Open to Lead Product Design · UI/UX & CX roles

Akhil Kumar

Lead Product Designer — UI/UX & CX

Designing complex digital products, customer experiences, e-commerce platforms, enterprise systems and AI-powered experiences.

16+ years
Dubai, UAE
Product Design
UX/CX
Design Systems

View selected work

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Selected impact

+: years experience
+: digital products & platforms
: companies · UAE & India
Web + Mobile: React · Next.js · React Native
UX + CX: Customer journeys · Product design
AI + Design: Conversational · Generative · AI search

( Selected work )

Proof, not
promises

In-depth case studies first: the problem, what I owned, the decisions and what shipped. More work follows.

AI product design
YARA AI — Intelligent Retail & Shopping Assistant
Conversational commerce
Conversational AIVoice & text
E-commerce2020
Home & Furniture Commerce — Web & App
Retail · Omnichannel CX
E-commerceMobile app
Enterprise UX2024
Hexa Store — Showroom Sales & Order Management
Store operations
Enterprise mobileMulti-basket orders
Marketplace
SellerHub — Marketplace Seller Platform
Seller operations
MarketplaceOrder workflow
Enterprise Products2020
Order Management System (OMS)
Dashboard
Enterprise UXUX ResearchReactJS
AI & Innovation
AI Product Search & Shopping Assistant
AI · E-commerce Search
AI UXConversational SearchNext.js
Commerce & Retail
Sleephubz.com — E-commerce
E-commerce
UX ResearchCustomer JourneyNext.js
AI & Innovation
Omnichannel Retail Experience
AI · Omnichannel CX
Product StrategyOmnichannel CXUI Design
Real Estate
Kingdom Bridge — Real Estate Advisory
Web · Real Estate
Web DesignReal EstateAI-Assisted Design
Commerce & Retail
Hamparaa.lux — Luxury Gift Hampers
E-commerce · Luxury Gifting
E-commerce UXWeb DesignNext.js
UI Design
Real Estate — App
Mobile · Real Estate
MobileReal EstateReact Native
UI Design
Electronics Store — E-commerce
E-commerce · Electronics
E-commerceElectronicsAI-Assisted Design
UI Design
Car Rental App
Mobile · Car Rental
MobileCar RentalAI-Assisted Design
Enterprise Products
Product Information Management (PIM)
Web dashboard
Enterprise UXUX ResearchReactJS
AI & Innovation
In-Store Digital Kiosk — AI-Assisted Omnichannel Retail
Mobile app
Omnichannel CXAI UXReact Native
Enterprise Products
Miles Club — Omnichannel Promotion Engine
Web dashboard
Enterprise UXRule Configuration
Enterprise Products
Dynamic Price Tag Editor
Web dashboard
Enterprise UXWorkflow AnalysisReactJS
Enterprise Products
Trade Partner Program — B2B Rewards Platform
Web dashboard
React.jsNext.jsReactJS

{Complex systems}

Designing complex systems

Behind the storefront are the tools that run the business. My role on these products is to simplify complex workflows, information-heavy interfaces and operational processes, so teams can do more with fewer steps and fewer errors.

01
Order operations
OMS
Operations, warehouse, sales & customer support
Challenge · The full order lifecycle, from confirmation to fulfilment, delivery and returns, shared across four teams.
Design · Real-time dashboards, advanced search and status tracking, a single detailed order view, replenishment alerts, and approval workflows with audit logs.
Product information
PIM
Merchandising, marketing & e-commerce teams
Challenge · Product data and digital assets that must stay consistent across websites, apps, marketplaces and ERP.
Design · Bulk editing, hierarchical taxonomy, asset management, validation with approval workflows, version history and CSV/Excel import-export.
02
Marketplace operations
SellerHub
Marketplace sellers
Challenge · Time-bound order decisions, fulfilment states and itemised payouts.
Design · An action-first dashboard, status tabs and statements that add up to the net payable amount.
Case study03
04
Price tags & catalogue
Pricing
Retail operations & merchandising teams
Challenge · Price changes across thousands of products, and printing in-store tags for them in bulk.
Design · Batch tag editing from templates with live preview, print configuration, bulk pricing updates and CSV/Excel import-export.
Promotions engine
Miles Club
Marketing, merchandising & operations teams
Challenge · Rule-based promotions across stores, e-commerce, apps, affiliates and loyalty, for multiple brands and stores.
Design · Guided campaign set-up with configurable rules and reusable templates, segmentation, an approval workflow and performance tracking.
05
Store operations
Hexa Store
Showroom sales staff & managers
Challenge · Customers, stock, pending orders and several open baskets, all needed at once on a busy showroom floor.
Design · One mobile app: KPI dashboard, fast product search with live stock, multi-basket ordering and segmented customer management.
Case study06

Recurring patterns across these products

Role-based access
Real-time dashboards
Search & filtering
Bulk editing
Approval workflows
Audit logs
Import / export
Alerts

( Design systems )

One system, every surface

At a leading home & furniture retailer I established and maintain the design system shared by the website, the mobile app and internal tools. Its UI libraries, reusable components and UX standards keep products consistent, accessible and faster to ship.

Foundations

Tokens for colour, type and spacing.

Colour tokens

--paper
--panel
--line
--inkmuted
--ink
--accent
--coral

Spacing · 4pt

Type scale

Display48px
Heading24px
Body16px
Label11px

Components

Buttons, inputs, chips, cards.

Add to cartSave

What are you looking for?

SofasBedsOutdoor

Sale

States

Tap a state — every component ships with all of them.

you@example.com

Place order

Successfully accepted the order

Something went wrong. Try again

On mobile

Patterns from the shipped app.

Your order is in transit

PlacedDelivered

Sort · Filter

− 1 +Add to cart

Behaviour

Accessibility and responsiveness built in.

AaContrast · WCAG AA4.5:1 for text, checked in both themes
Visible focusEvery control reachable by keyboard
44ptTouch targets44pt minimum, primary actions in thumb reach
Web + mobile parityOne component, adapted per breakpoint

Specimens are redrawn in this site's own tokens. The swatches are live and follow the theme toggle.

See it in the work

Design → Code

From problem to production

Design-led, code-literate. I work in code to protect design quality all the way to production, not to replace engineering.

Product problem

Start from the customer and business problem, e.g. shoppers who know their need but not the product name.

UX

Journeys, information architecture and flows that solve that problem end to end.

UI

High-fidelity screens and every state, designed and prototyped in Figma.

Design system

Tokens and components that web, app and internal tools share.

React · Next.js · React Native

Hands-on front-end (e.g. the Trade Partner Program in React and Next.js), and close collaboration with developers on production apps.

Production

Shipped on the retail website, the shopping app and internal platforms.

How I Lead

Direction, systems,
delivery.

I set the experience direction, build the system that keeps it consistent, and stay close to delivery so it ships the way it was designed.

Set the course
Direction
- Define product experience direction
  Product design, UI/UX and CX across a UAE home & furniture retailer's e-commerce, marketplace, mobile and enterprise products.
- Translate business requirements into UX
  Stakeholder workshops and workflow analysis behind OMS, PIM, Hexa and pricing.
- Lead customer journey thinking
  Journey mapping as the starting point for YARA, the mobile app and the omnichannel concept.
- Establish design principles
  UX standards shared across web and mobile.
Keep it consistent
Systems & quality
- Build scalable design systems
  One system for the website, the app and internal tools.
- Review UX/UI quality
  Design reviews before handoff and during implementation.
- Improve existing products
  Ongoing optimisation of listing, product, cart and checkout flows.
Ship it together
Collaboration
- Partner with product and engineering
  Product, engineering, business, marketing and senior stakeholders.
- Support development implementation
  Hands-on React / Next.js; working alongside React Native and AI engineers.
- Mentor and guide design practice
  Design direction and consistency across projects, from agency lead-designer work to enterprise retail.

( Process )

How a project moves

Tap a step for the detail.

01DiscoverCustomer Journey · Research
Start with the business goal and the user. Stakeholder interviews, competitive teardown, analytics, and AI-assisted synthesis to find where the real friction is.
02DefineIA · User Flows · Requirements
Turn findings into clarity — personas, jobs-to-be-done, and end-to-end customer journeys that align product, CX, and engineering on what to build and why.
03DesignWireframes · UI · Design System
Wireframes to high-fidelity flows in Figma, built on a scalable design system so patterns stay consistent, accessible, and fast to ship across web and mobile.
04ValidatePrototype · Usability Testing
Interactive prototypes and usability testing to de-risk decisions early. AI-powered ideation to explore more directions in less time.
05BuildReact · Next.js · React Native
Hands-on front-end in React, Next.js, and React Native — I bridge design and code, so quality holds from concept through production with a clean handoff.

Professional Experience

012010 — 2013
- Web Design
Web design and front-end builds at Media Crow, Viaweb and Eden Software.
01
2010
022013 — 2020
- UI/UX
Senior UI/UX for UK, European, US and UAE clients at eWoke and Citrus, then UAE e-commerce and marketplaces at Shopinc and Organic & Real.
02
2013
032020 — Present · Home & furniture retail
- Product Design
- CX
- Design Systems
- Enterprise
- AI
Leading UI/UX & CX across e-commerce, mobile, marketplace and enterprise platforms, then AI experiences like YARA.
03Now
2020Today

Sep 2020 — Present

UI/UX & CX Lead Designer · Product Designer · Front-End Developer (React, Next.js, React Native)

at Home & Furniture Retail Group, UAE

Largest furniture and home-improvement brand in the Middle East.

United Arab Emirates · On-site

Aug 2019 — Sep 2020

Senior UI/UX Designer / Magento Front-End Developer

at Organic & Real.com

UAE organic grocery store — certified organic, vegan, gluten-free, keto, and paleo products.

Dubai, UAE · On-site

May 2018 — Jul 2019

Sr. UI/UX Designer / Magento Front-End Developer

at Shopinc.com

UAE e-commerce marketplace connecting buyers and sellers across categories.

Dubai Marina, UAE · On-site

Dec 2016 — Feb 2018

Sr. UI/UX Designer / Front-End Developer

at Citrus Informatics (India) Pvt Ltd

Global IT solutions provider — healthcare apps, desktop apps, and CMS sites for primarily US clients.

Cochin, India · On-site

Oct 2013 — Nov 2016

Sr. Web Designer / Front-End Developer

at eWoke Innovative Solutions Pvt. Ltd

Digital creative agency serving clients across the US, Middle East, Europe, and UK.

Kochi, India

Feb 2013 — Sep 2013

Sr. Web Designer / Front-End Developer

at Eden Software

Kochi, India

Feb 2012 — Feb 2013

Web Designer / Front-End Developer

at Viaweb Solutions

Kochi, India

Apr 2010 — Feb 2012

Jr. Web Designer / HTML Developer

at Media Crow

Thrissur, India

Education

Bachelor's Degree, Mathematics

Sree Sankara College, Kalady

2007 — 2010

Higher Secondary, Science (Biology)

NSS HSS Manikamangalam

2004 — 2006

SSLC

ASRAM Higher Secondary School

2004

About & Philosophy

I design complex digital products and customer experiences that turn business problems into simple, scalable, and high-performing experiences.

With 16+ years across UI/UX, Product Design, CX and Front-End Development, I lead end-to-end product experiences across e-commerce, retail, marketplaces, mobile apps and enterprise platforms.

My strength is connecting UX, CX and technology: from customer journeys, information architecture and user flows to design systems, prototyping and production.

How I work

Customer Journey
UX Strategy
Information Architecture
User Flows
Wireframes
Design System
UI
Prototype
Development
Optimization

Capabilities

What I Bring

Paused

What it covers

01 / 05

UX strategy
User research
Customer journey mapping
Information architecture
User flows
Interaction design
Usability testing
Conversion optimization

In practice

I start with the customer and business problem, not the interface. I simplify complex workflows and translate user needs and business goals into intuitive, scalable experiences.

Sectors I've designed for

Industry Experience

8sectors

01
E-commerce & Retail
Home & furniture retail • SleepHubz • YARA AI • Hamparaa.lux
Omnichannel shopping across web, app and store — product discovery, search, checkout, promotions, loyalty and marketplace journeys.
- Product Discovery
- Checkout
- Marketplace
02
Healthcare & HealthTech
Patient-friendly digital journeys — booking, records and care touchpoints designed for clarity, trust and accessibility.
- Patient Journeys
- Booking
- Accessibility
03
FinTech
Wallets, payments and instalment flows that make money matters feel simple, secure and transparent.
- Wallets & Payments
- Secure Flows
- Data Clarity
04
Enterprise & B2B
Hexa • OMS • PIM • Pricely • Seller Hub
Complex operational platforms simplified into fast, role-based workflows with real-time insight and scalable design systems.
- Dashboards
- Role-based UX
- Design Systems
05
Education
Learning experiences with clear structure and progress that keep students and educators engaged.
- Learning Journeys
- Content Structure
- Progress Tracking
06
Travel & Tourism
Search, booking and itinerary experiences that make planning and managing a trip effortless.
- Search & Booking
- Itineraries
- Mobile-first
07
Real Estate
Real estate app • Kingdom Bridge
Property discovery, project showcases, payment plans and customer portals for buyers and investors.
- Property Search
- Payment Plans
- Customer Portal
08
Hospitality
Guest-centred experiences from reservation to stay — services, requests and loyalty in one place.
- Reservations
- Guest Services
- Loyalty

55+ tools, one stack

Design tooling and the ship-it stack, side by side

From first wireframe to production build — the design apps, front-end stack, AI copilots, and platforms that carry a project from idea to shipped.

Design

Figma · FigJam · Photoshop · Illustrator

Product

UX Research · IA · Prototyping · Design Systems · Usability Testing

AI

ChatGPT · Claude · Figma AI · Google AI tools

Development

React · Next.js · React Native · HTML · CSS

View full toolkit

Design

Adobe XDFigmaPhotoshopIllustratorBalsamiqCanvaGoogle Web DesignerMaterial Icons

Front-End

HTML5CSS3 / SASSJavaScript (ES6+)jQueryReactJSReact NativeNext.jsNode.jsTailwind CSSshadcn/uiFramer MotionGSAPLenisReact Three FiberBootstrapReactstrapMaterial-UI

AI Tools

ChatGPTClaudeGeminiGoogle StitchGoogle WhiskMidjourneyAdobe FireflyFigma AIGitHub CopilotCursorv0

Platforms

MagentoWooCommerceZen CartWordPressJoomla

Practice

Responsive / Mobile-firstCross-browser CompatibilityWCAG AccessibilityDesign Systems

Soft Skills

Team CollaborationTime ManagementProblem SolvingAdaptabilityAttention to DetailMultitaskingClient Relations

Languages

EnglishHindiMalayalam

Design

Adobe XDFigmaPhotoshopIllustratorBalsamiqCanvaGoogle Web DesignerMaterial Icons

Front-End

HTML5CSS3 / SASSJavaScript (ES6+)jQueryReactJSReact NativeNext.jsNode.jsTailwind CSSshadcn/uiFramer MotionGSAPLenisReact Three FiberBootstrapReactstrapMaterial-UI

AI Tools

ChatGPTClaudeGeminiGoogle StitchGoogle WhiskMidjourneyAdobe FireflyFigma AIGitHub CopilotCursorv0

Platforms

MagentoWooCommerceZen CartWordPressJoomla

Practice

Responsive / Mobile-firstCross-browser CompatibilityWCAG AccessibilityDesign Systems

Soft Skills

Team CollaborationTime ManagementProblem SolvingAdaptabilityAttention to DetailMultitaskingClient Relations

Languages

EnglishHindiMalayalam

( Recommendations )

What colleagues say

He has a keen eye for design and a deep understanding of user experience principles, which he seamlessly integrates into his work … and he ensures his designs are not only beautiful but also functional and responsive.
Naveen VarmaD2C & Ecommerce Platform Strategist · Home & Furniture Retail Group, UAE
His commitment to enhancing customer experience is evident in every project … His ability to translate complex ideas into user-friendly interfaces makes him a standout professional and a true asset.
Muhammed ShafeelSolutions Architect — AI & ML
As a UI/UX designer he has a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of what makes a user experience truly exceptional … If you want a designer who can also ship the code, look no further.
Isham AzadFull Stack Developer & Technical Architect

Open to Lead Product Design · UI/UX & CX roles

Let's design something people actually enjoy using.

Based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Open to Lead Product Design, UI/UX & CX opportunities in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

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Akhil Kumar

Selected impact

Proof, notpromises

YARA AI — Intelligent Retail & Shopping Assistant

Home & Furniture Commerce — Web & App

Hexa Store — Showroom Sales & Order Management

SellerHub — Marketplace Seller Platform

Order Management System (OMS)

AI Product Search & Shopping Assistant

Sleephubz.com — E-commerce

Omnichannel Retail Experience

Kingdom Bridge — Real Estate Advisory

Hamparaa.lux — Luxury Gift Hampers

Real Estate — App

Electronics Store — E-commerce

Car Rental App

Product Information Management (PIM)

In-Store Digital Kiosk — AI-Assisted Omnichannel Retail

Miles Club — Omnichannel Promotion Engine

Dynamic Price Tag Editor

Trade Partner Program — B2B Rewards Platform

Designing complex systems

OMS

PIM

SellerHub

Pricing

Miles Club

Hexa Store

One system, every surface

Foundations

Components

States

On mobile

Behaviour

From problem to production

Product problem

UX

UI

Design system

React · Next.js · React Native

Production

Direction, systems,delivery.

Direction

Systems & quality

Collaboration

How a project moves

Professional Experience

UI/UX & CX Lead Designer · Product Designer · Front-End Developer (React, Next.js, React Native)

Senior UI/UX Designer / Magento Front-End Developer

Sr. UI/UX Designer / Magento Front-End Developer

Sr. UI/UX Designer / Front-End Developer

Sr. Web Designer / Front-End Developer

Sr. Web Designer / Front-End Developer

Web Designer / Front-End Developer

Jr. Web Designer / HTML Developer

Bachelor's Degree, Mathematics

Higher Secondary, Science (Biology)

SSLC

I design complex digital products and customer experiences that turn business problems into simple, scalable, and high-performing experiences.

What I Bring

Product & CX Design

Industry Experience

E-commerce & Retail

Healthcare & HealthTech

FinTech

Enterprise & B2B

Education

Travel & Tourism

Real Estate

Hospitality

Design tooling and the ship-it stack, side by side

Design

Product

AI

Development

Design

Front-End

AI Tools

Platforms

Practice

Proof, not
promises

Direction, systems,
delivery.