UX Designer focused on buildable, real world products
I work close to implementation, designing usable solutions within real technical and business constraints.
As a sole UX designer in a startup, I made product decisions with limited time and imperfect data, prioritizing what would move the product forward.
I focus on simplifying complexity and making clear trade-offs between user needs, business goals, and feasibility.
How I work
I start by understanding the problem from a user, product, and technical perspective to focus on what actually needs solving. I design clear, intentional flows, validate early, and stay involved through implementation to ensure decisions hold up in the shipped product.
I design for how products are actually built. By understanding front-end constraints and technical trade-offs, I create solutions that are realistic to ship and maintain. I work closely with developers to make decisions early, ensuring trade-offs happen during design, not in code.
Experience (Professional & Academic)
As the sole UX Designer at Athalos, I owned UX end-to-end, from framing product problems to collaborating closely with developers during implementation. Alongside this, I worked on real-world academic projects with external partners, shaping how I make UX decisions under constraints and align stakeholders around practical solutions.
What employers say
"Christiaan brings a distinct and authentic perspective to UX design, providing valuable insights into user flow and fostering innovation within the team. His contributions have positively influenced both the project and our collaborative environment."
My Design Philosophy
Being a great designer isn’t about sitting in Figma all day. Design is about understanding the problem, making deliberate trade-offs, and helping teams move forward, even with incomplete information.
I focus on learning fast: asking questions, testing assumptions early, and working close to implementation. I use tools like Cursor and Lovable to build functional prototypes, because some decisions only become clear when something actually works or breaks.
I see design as a decision-making tool, balancing user needs, business goals, and technical constraints rather than hiding behind “best practices.”
Design is strategy
Design helps teams make clear trade-offs instead of optimizing for visuals alone.
Details with purpose
I prioritize learning fast and building what matters before refining details.
The kind of teams I do my best work in
I do my best work in small to mid-sized product teams where designers and engineers work closely and UX decisions are shaped through collaboration, not process alone.
I’m most effective when design doesn’t stop at handoff, and being involved in implementation helps turn ideas into realistic, shippable solutions.
Outside of work
Outside of project work, I stay curious about how products grow, emerging technology (especially AI), and continuously improving how ideas move from concept to reality.
Dive Club is the best design podcast and inspires me
Music uplifts mood, increases energy & creativity
UX Designer focused on usable, feasible products
Designing with implementation in mind.
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