Ivan Kalkaev
✌🏻

Ivan Kalkaev

Crafting UX/UI Design Wonders ✨ in Saint Petersburg, He

Turning "meh" into "wow", one project at a time

6 months ago

I'm a design leader and hands-on UX/UI designer with over 13 years of experience. As the founder of Lunapark Agency and co-founder of Unipaws, I've helped startups and brands achieve their goals through impactful design.

My approach is straightforward: understand the problem, collaborate closely with the team, and create solutions that drive results. I'm passionate about sharing my knowledge and building long-term partnerships.

I help startups and design studios with:

  • Creating a strong brand identity that stands out in a competitive market

  • Optimizing user experience to boost engagement, retention, and conversions

  • Developing scalable design systems for efficient product growth

  • Implementing user research and data-driven design decisions

  • Streamlining design processes for faster time-to-market and improved collaboration

If you're looking for a strategic design partner who can bring your vision to life, let's talk 💬.

Projects

2024

Rapidly executed critical upgrades for this Tier-1 project on the Blast chain, focusing on key user-centric features. In a short timeframe, we completely overhauled multiple core functionalities, including staking mechanisms, referral program dynamics, and the platform's internal points system.

Our approach combined technical expertise with creative flair, resulting in a vibrant and engaging user interface that significantly enhances the overall user experience. This project showcases our ability to deliver high-impact improvements efficiently, even within the constraints of established blockchain ecosystems.

2024
Pawtherium at $PAWTH

Completely redesigned and revitalized the corporate website for the $PAWTH cryptocurrency, delivering a modern, empathetic, and visually striking platform. Initially engaged for comprehensive business consulting, we seamlessly transitioned into a full-scale redesign project.

Leveraging the currency's unique value proposition of charitable contributions to animal welfare, we crafted a design that not only strengthened the currency's brand image but also modernized its overall vibe. By placing a strategic emphasis on showcasing rescued animals, we created an emotionally resonant and impactful user experience.

The result is a website that not only meets business objectives but also effectively communicates the project's core values, significantly enhancing user engagement and emotional connection with the brand.

2024
Swedish Crypto Advisory Firm at NDA Project

Developed and deployed a high-converting pitch deck and landing page for a prestigious Swedish crypto advisory firm, whose clientele includes Y Combinator startups.

Despite strict NDA constraints, we delivered a powerful marketing toolkit that significantly boosted their online presence. By creating a concise yet compelling pitch deck and an optimized landing page for paid traffic, we achieved a remarkable 58% increase in conversion rates.

2024
Roketo App at Roketo

Rapidly developed and continue to support, refine, and enhance a Telegram web API tapper application with a mind-blowing visual style. Created the app from scratch and maintain it independently. Within the first month of launch, with minimal marketing expenditure, the app attracted 250,000 users. Currently preparing to launch an L2 Chain for developing new applications within this project framework.

2024

In just two weeks, we designed a full-fledged investment platform for Cybro.io, featuring Vaults where users could invest USDT funds from various networks under different APY indicators. By combining the profitability calculator and deposit/withdraw functionality into a single, user-friendly widget, we streamlined the user experience and delivered a visually appealing, functional, and user-centric platform that met both business objectives and user needs within an impressively short timeframe.

2024
Ante App Landing Page at Ante

Developed a visually striking landing page for Ante's gambling app, steering clear of generic stock photos. Leveraged Midjourney to create captivating visuals that highlight the app's characters in a unique and engaging way.

Incorporated lightmorphism to give the first screen an immersive, cinematic feel reminiscent of a jungle casino film.

The result is a compelling user experience that draws visitors into the app's world from the moment they arrive.

2023

Collaborated with Rockethub, a gambling platform featuring skins from popular video games like CS:GO, Rust, and Dota, owned by an incredibly energetic individual.

Conducted a complete redesign of the platform while optimizing the UX. Developed new flows from scratch, such as multimodal games with 4, 5, or 6 lootboxes in a single line. Assisted the owner, Martinez, in defining the brand identity, which evolved throughout the process.

Created numerous images using Midjourney and designed a chat system and rewards mechanics for user activity on the platform.

2023
Simple Munzen Ecosystem Wallet at Muznen

Developed a simple and elegant wallet for the Munzen holding ecosystem, which I mentioned earlier. Designed and created UI for all basic mechanics, added NFT management, and successfully launched the project.

2023
Multilingual iGaming Website Design at All In Global

The world's leading company in translations and localizations for iGaming, esports, and gambling projects. We created a large corporate website with numerous clever ideas, such as a dollhouse featuring company departments on the main page, numerous micro-interactions and animations, unique department pages, an unusual and memorable UX, and an even more memorable and vibrant UI.

Almost the entire design studio team worked on this project.

2023
Crypto Bridge Swap UX & UI at Megaswap

A web app for exchanging cryptocurrencies from different blockchains using Bridge technology.

An interesting project with a significant UX component and creative solutions.

Although it never launched, we designed the entire UX, including user flows for balance replenishment, multi-bridge and multi-blockchain swaps, contextual currency search, and more.

2023

Collaborated with a startup to redesign their platform based on metrics, indicators, and local research. Conducted a thorough audit to identify areas for improvement, redesigning core service pages, revamping the filter system, navigation, and client request form. The startup focuses on booking and organizing corporate retreats for large companies. A unique challenge was tailoring the design to an older demographic.

Created UX prototypes, designed custom icons for all service sections (similar to Airbnb), developed a new UI design concept, and provided valuable recommendations for the brand's future use of the design.

2023

Transformed Cedro's existing concept for a crypto lending platform into a fully redesigned product. Collaborated with the founders to evolve their initial ideas and create a user experience that prioritizes intuitive navigation and seamless interactions.

The redesigned app makes handling investments and loans simple and enjoyable, showcasing the power of user-centric design in the crypto space.

2023
Rollabit Gambling Platform at Rollabit

Revitalized Rollabit's gambling platform with a vibrant, engaging design. Introduced bright, acid-colored highlights and smooth, rounded edges to create a visually appealing interface that encourages user interaction.

Prioritized both aesthetics and usability, ensuring that the platform is not only stunning but also fun and intuitive to use.

This project demonstrates the impact of combining visual appeal with user-focused design principles.

2023

Overhauled XYRO's crypto platform, introducing a wide range of games from classic favorites to unique originals.

Developed quirky animal mascots for each game using Midjourney, adding a playful and memorable touch to the platform's visuals. Crafted immersive interfaces with lively animations that celebrate every win. Built the platform from the ground up, focusing on UX and UI to ensure smooth, enjoyable interactions throughout.

Incorporated sleek vector illustrations and a distinctive logo to create a cohesive, exciting user experience.

2023

Launched quv.io's landing page, iterating from the MVP to the final release. Created a clean, welcoming design that embodies the simplicity and user-friendliness of the crypto wallet. Focused on making visitors feel at home, establishing quv.io as the most accessible and inviting option in the market.

2023
Retinica Pitchdeck at Retinica

Designed an innovative pitch deck for Retinica, combining familiar elements with fresh, engaging visuals.

Developed a graphic system that effectively communicates the high-end nature of the company's medical service. Translated complex data into easily digestible insights, creating a compelling narrative that showcases Retinica's vision and execution capabilities.

2023
Münzen Merchant's Widget at Münzen

Built Münzen's vendor app from scratch, starting with user flows and simple UX prototypes to ensure a smooth, intuitive experience. Conducted thorough testing and optimization to refine the app's usability. Developed a sleek, modern design that aligns with the Münzen brand, and translated it into a pixel-perfect UI. Optimized the app for web, resulting in a polished, user-friendly product that streamlines vendor interactions.

2023
Poker DAO Design at Poker DAO

Redefined the online poker experience with Poker DAO, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere through a minimalist design approach. Utilized a calming color palette of soft purples and deep charcoals to differentiate the platform from traditional gaming portals. Crafted an intuitive, immersive user interface with engaging visuals and thoughtful layouts to elevate the gaming experience.

The result is a beautiful, user-centric poker platform that sets a new standard for online gaming.

2023

Collaborated with lead designer Masha Melnikova to create a pitch deck that stands out in the NFT space.

Opted for a dark theme to make NFT colors pop and incorporated a mix of design styles, including UI, Swiss, and Neo-brutalism, to keep viewers engaged. Selected Helvetica Neue for its on-screen readability and sharp appearance.

The final design showcases the potential of blending styles while staying true to the essence of NFTs.

2023
NearPay Widget Redesign at Münzen

Redesigned the Near Pay Widget for Münzen, focusing on user-friendliness and visual appeal. Implemented a dynamic 'Vibrancy' background that adapts to different contexts and optimized the layout for improved brand recognition. Streamlined the payment process and ensured a consistent, intuitive experience across screen sizes.

The redesigned widget provides a seamless, enjoyable gateway to crypto transactions.

2022
Promobile Crispy Website at Promobile

Created an attractive and functional website for the Promobile team to complement their analytics platform. The site showcases the company's team, services, and offerings while compellingly explaining why everyone should eagerly await the release of their incredible platform.

2022
Bold Custodial Subscriptions Crypto Wallet at Coin Pipe

Crafted a visually stunning and vibrant wallet with innovative usage scenarios and functionality. Implemented features such as the ability to pay for regular subscriptions using a custodial wallet with an on-ramp.

2022
Sports Advertising Analytics Web-App at Luscid

A startup with a web application that aids in the analytics and management of advertising campaigns related to sports teams, players, and clubs. Users can select the most profitable investments for their advertising campaigns and formats, such as jersey advertising or home arena advertising, using tables filtered by various sports.

This was the first Pixpowder project I led as an invited art director. We designed the entire UX and UI of the platform, developing flows for filtering, budget selection, user data input, result output, registration, and more.

The result was vibrant and sporty, and I'm pleased with the outcome.

2022
Embed Lightweight Poll Widget Design at EasyPoll

A widget project by Denis Balon for testing marketing hypotheses and creating embeddable polls on any website.

Despite its simplicity, we implemented several clever UX and UI micro-solutions, created dark and light themes using tokens, and designed a smooth, optimized UX.

The project's standout features were the speed of design development and the optimized, smooth release.

2022
NDA-project at Big Tech Company

One of the few NDA projects mentioned here, It's is a service that collects and analyzes big data on urban communications and infrastructure at the level of individual buildings, streets, districts, cities, and even entire regions. It provides insights into popular products in specific areas, credit usage, road traffic, utility payments, and more.

Pixpowder designed the entire client and administrative interface from a UX perspective, prototyped and optimized user flows, created the UI, graphics, and metrics, and developed responsive versions for web and mobile use.

This challenging project was one of the most extensive in my career.

2022

Developed a pitch deck for a metaverse project featuring a full-fledged city with apartments, suburbs, parks, office centers, and more.

While the project was relatively straightforward, the pitch deck helped the client raise nearly a million dollars in the first round of investment.

Focused on effectively packaging the project's value proposition, clearly presenting the roadmap, and refining the business positioning to ensure the unique selling point was concise, clear, accessible, and relatable to the target audience.

2022

Streamlined Tokapi's NFT marketplace by revamping the checkout flow and optimizing navigation elements. Despite budget constraints, the targeted improvements led to a 39% increase in repeat purchases, demonstrating the significant impact of strategic UX enhancements.

2022

Created a visually stunning launchpad for Meadow, overcoming limited client input and the absence of brand guidelines. Trusted instincts and creative expertise to design one of the most attractive launchpads in the web3 space, prioritizing flexibility and innovation in the MVP development process.

2022

Developed Horizon's launchpad with a limited budget, delivering a functional and efficient platform that meets the client's needs.

2022
Promobile Analytics Platform at Promobile

Designed a comprehensive, large-scale analytics platform for app marketing and promotion. Collaborated with the Pixpowder team to create a feature-rich solution, including extensive analytics, toggles, metrics, reports, asynchronous campaign launches, multi-language support, a custom design system, and a dark theme.

Worked closely with the development team to ensure accurate implementation and optimal performance.

2022

Transformed a challenging project with rough user flows into a successful, user-friendly app. Radically optimized the UX through iterative design and collaborated with the client on the concept, UI, and states.

Assisted with the app's launch, email campaigns, and ongoing design support, contributing to its continued growth and success.

2022
Coin Pipe Embed Acquiring at Coin Pipe

Developed a highly customizable acquiring for Coin Pipe that automatically adapts its appearance based on the connected vendor's website. Implemented a dynamic system that pulls assets from the vendor's site to generate a fully branded look and feel on the fly.

This innovative approach enhances the user experience by creating a seamless, tailored wallet interface for each vendor.

2022
Coin Pipe Website at Coin Pipe

Designed a warm, inviting landing page for Coin Pipe that breaks away from the complexity often associated with crypto platforms. Employed a story-led design with calming visuals to guide users through the Coin Pipe experience, fostering a friendly, accessible introduction to the crypto space.

2022

Crafted a small corporate website for Münzen, striking a balance between a strict aesthetic and signature design elements. Incorporated engaging illustrations, a memorable UI, and subtle design metaphors to create a unique and captivating online presence.

This website served as the foundation for the development of the broader Münzen brand identity.

2022

Developed a sophisticated corporate website for iRest, a Dubai-based real estate and capital management firm.

Incorporated impressive effects, video headers, and an understated luxury aesthetic to showcase iRest's unique services.

Prioritized a seamless user experience while highlighting the firm's expertise in Dubai real estate and financial management, striking a balance between functionality and exclusivity.

2022
EZ Wallet Platform Design at Denis Balon

Designed the user experience and interface for EZ Wallet, a platform that seamlessly converts cash into crypto, in collaboration with Only Fans.

Created a simple, enjoyable user journey that aligns with the partnership's spirit, incorporating thoughtful details and intuitive design elements throughout the platform.

2022

Reimagined the Faeng website, transforming it into an immersive, adventurous experience.

Collaborated with designer Masha Melnikova to create striking visuals using Midjourney and incorporated lightmorphism for added depth and impact.

The redesigned website takes users on a captivating journey through data and mountain landscapes, featuring an animated night sky that serves as a memorable focal point.

2019
Publisher Subsidiary Identity Development at Bombora

Another book publisher with whom we worked extensively on numerous releases. Developed brand identities for subsidiary publishers Inspiria and Audrey, designed the Inspiria launch website, created dozens of book trailers for important releases, and developed design guidelines for the publisher's Instagram content and other branches.

2019
Book Publisher Festival Branding at EKSMO

Russia's largest book publisher at the time. Collaborated through my design studio to create dozens of book trailers for significant releases, assist with website metric analysis, and develop the complete corporate identity and design production for the "What to Read Next" (CCD) online festival for its first two years. This annual event, organized in partnership with VK.COM and other business leaders in Russia, was groundbreaking in many ways, with a live online audience of 500,000 people.

2019
Corporate Bank Design Overhaul at Severgazbank

Worked with this top-20 federal bank in Russia through my design studio, Lunapark. Developed a simple online banking system, managed print and advertising materials, analyzed website metrics, and optimized design processes for digital and print advertising products. Created a year-long anniversary design for the bank's 25th anniversary and several important special projects.

2019
Foreign Brand Marketplace Advertising at Big Red Yellow Company

The second NDA project, working with the well-known Russian tech giant. My studio created special projects for a marketplace catering to foreign brands, developing advertising campaign concepts, designing materials, and ensuring compliance with the marketplace's guidelines. While not particularly groundbreaking, collaborating with such a large company is a rare opportunity for young studios.

2019

Led an outsourced team that performed local UX optimizations and created a UI kit for the service's design system. Our tasks included analyzing user research data to implement interface improvements and editing non-critical components of the service's design system.

Side Projects

2024

Got fed up with the same ol' Unsplash pics and decided to shake things up for my fellow Midjourney enthusiasts. No more stock photo snooze fest. We're making brand visuals for clients that are legit unique and jaw-dropping. Welcome to the era of designing with flair and a punch of uniqueness. Because who said you can't stand out and wow your clients without digging through stock galleries? Not us, that's for sure. Let's ditch the generic and make some design magic. 🎨✨

Work Experience

2024 — Now
Co-Founder | Art Director at Unipaws

Currently, I am the founder of Unipaws, a boutique design studio established in collaboration with Marie, lead designer from Pixpowder, and Alice, an exceptional project manager.

We are building our studio at our own pace, prioritizing quality, creativity, and a love for our craft over rapid expansion.

Our focus is on creating work that reflects our passion and values.

2022 — 2024

Joining Pixpowder as an experienced art director, I found an exceptional product design studio and the best team I've ever worked with. In this supportive and inspiring environment, I not only forged genuine friendships but also co-created a thriving studio from scratch.

I developed numerous processes at both macro and micro levels, and contributed to over 50 projects.

2018 — 2021
Co-Founder | Art Director at Lunapark

Co-founding Lunapark, a design studio built from the ground up, I gained comprehensive experience in all aspects of the design and project management process. Our diverse clientele ranged from small businesses to large corporations, including Severgazbank, EKSMO, Yandex, VK, and Wargaming. I'm happy to provide a separate presentation detailing our projects upon request.

2016 — 2018
Creative Director at Tesla Media

Starting as a senior designer and advancing to the role of creative director, I spearheaded numerous projects at Artonica. I developed my leadership skills, managing creative teams, engaging with clients at all levels, and presenting products effectively.

Our client roster included prestigious brands such as Suzuki, VK, Haval, Efes, and Sony.

2015 — 2016
CEO at LOOK3

I turned a unique opportunity into a thriving venture when I convinced a popular VK community admin to fund my idea for an online magazine. Assembling a talented team, I launched LOOK3, effectively monetizing it through advertising and special projects.

2013 — 2015
UX/UI Designer at Plusmedia

Joining Plusmedia as a designer for two massive web projects, gorko.ru and svadba-msk, I quickly realized the complexity of the challenge ahead. Rising to the occasion, I rapidly acquired new skills and adapted to the fast-paced environment, delivering successful results.

2011 — 2013
Designer at ArtCream

Transitioning to an in-house designer role at ArtCream, a pioneering web design company known for its cutting-edge work, I collaborated closely with clients on website design and iterative improvements. This experience sharpened my client communication and project management abilities.

2010 — 2011
Design / Copywriting at Freelance

As a freelancer, I experienced the full spectrum of challenges: endless revisions, non-payments, and occasional chaos.

Working primarily through freelance marketplaces, I honed my skills in graphic design, copywriting, and content management, tackling a diverse range of projects.

Contact

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