Hey, I'm Alborz!

Senior AI Product Designer

I design AI-first, research-driven experiences that make complex systems intuitive and trusted by users, drawing on 13 years of experience.

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Experience

Every team I've designed with, stuck on my laptop, oldest to newest. Click a sticker to see the work.

    Personal Projects

    Side projects, apps I shipped solo, and design resources I've open-sourced. Below the line: what I'm usually doing when I'm not designing software.

      Writing

      Articles and talks on design, AI, Apple, and the future of product thinking.

        Say hello

        My resume, email, and the places I post, pinned to a corkboard.

          Alborz Heydaryan

          Hey, I'm Alborz!

          Senior AI Product Designer
          I design AI-first, research-driven experiences that make complex systems intuitive and trusted by users, drawing on 13 years of experience.

          Experience

          Every team I've designed with, oldest to newest. Follow the line, or jump in anywhere.

          Personal Projects

          Side projects, apps I shipped solo, and design resources I've open-sourced. Below the line: what I'm usually doing when I'm not designing software.

          Writing

          Articles and talks on design, AI, Apple, and the future of product thinking.

          Crowdbotics - Senior Product Designer

          Enterprise B2B
          Artificial Intelligence
          - Designed interfaces that surface AI-powered insights across developer, architect, and business layers
          - Translated AI system outputs into intuitive workflows for requirement capture, architecture, and specs
          - Optimized user paths for developers, architects, and business analysts by tailoring designs to distinct technical skill levels
          - Contributed to system prompt design, accounting for LLM constraints such as token limits and context windows
          Read Case Study
          Crowdbotics dashboard screenshot

          Meridio - Senior Product Designer

          Coming Soon
          Details coming soon.

          Borneo - Senior Product Designer

          Enterprise B2B
          Data Security
          Led platform redesign initiatives as senior product designer:
          - Conducted comprehensive user research to identify pain points and opportunities
          - Developed and maintained a scalable design system in Figma
          - Collaborated with stakeholders to create and validate high-fidelity prototypes
          - Documented design patterns in Confluence for developer handoff
          Borneo app showcase
          Unit21 company logo

          Unit21 - Senior Product Designer

          Enterprise B2B
          FinTech
          Key contributions as founding designer:
          - Established comprehensive design system and documentation
          - Created user-centered workflows through research and testing
          - Collaborated with CS and sales to improve platform usability
          - Delivered consistent designs for new and existing features
          Unit21 dashboard showcase

          App Annie - Senior Product Designer

          Enterprise B2B
          Analytics
          Animated logo of App Annie showing a 3d gem spinning
          - Own the end to end design of the Ascend project
          - Work closely with stakeholders and PMs to create a brand new information architecture
          - Gather and evaluate user requirements in collaboration with product managers and engineers
          - Develop UI mockups and prototypes that clearly illustrate how sites function and look like
          - Create a design system for the project from scratch which would then act as the starting block for App Annie DSM
          Read More
          2 screenshots of the dashboard project for App Annie Ascend

          AltumView - Senior Product Designer

          Mobile App
          AI-Senior Care
          - Created an official 56-page brand guideline including logo variations, templates, font and colour hierarchy
          - Designed a react-native iOS/Android mobile app for caregivers to monitor elderly well-being and receive incident notifications
          - Designed for users with different access levels while protecting the privacy of the person-in-care
          - Created an easy in-app onboarding process for users of any age or technical skill
          - Industrial design of an enclosure for a palm sized computer with ML capabilities

          Pocket Social - Lead Product Designer

          Mobile App
          Events
          Pocket social logo.
          - Conceptualize, wireframe, design and prototype PocketSocial's web app following best practices and design trends
          - Collaborate with the product team, business analysts, project managers, and developers in an agile environment
          - Re-design the PocketSocial mobile app to make it easier to use, adding new features to engage the audience
          - Design 3D achievement badges for users to help with user retention during and after events
          Read More
          picture of a person holding an iphone with the screen showing the pocket social app

          Pocket Live - Lead Product Designer

          Mobile App
          Live Streaming
          Pocket live logo
          - Re-design the PocketLIVE mobile app to maximize focus on main functions and reduce distractions
          - Changed the layout from 5 tabs to 3 while keeping all the functionality
          - Conduct user experience research
          - Re-design the web app for both platforms to be intuitive and easy to navigate
          2 screenshots of the pocket live app showing a live streaming screen and the explore tab
          logo of two tall totems

          Two Tall Totems - Product Designer

          Agency
          Mobile App
          A design and development agency in Vancouver creating iOS, Android, web and enterprise software for clients. Worked with 20+ clients and teams, creating wireframes and interactive prototypes, conducting UX interviews, and ensuring timely delivery in an agile environment.

          * Due to confidentiality I cannot showcase the work I did at Two Tall Totems.
          picture of the two tall totems team

          Scope Media - UI UX Designer

          Mobile App
          Social Media
          Scope Media app logo
          - Work with the founder of the company and build a vision for the product together
          - Execute UX research on all micro-interactions inside the app
          - Create interactive prototypes of every iteration of the design
          - Take complex user flow problems and distill them into simple, intuitive solutions
          - Write and conduct usability tests to create UX solutions to interface bottlenecks
          an iphone showing the scope media app on the map screen

          Woodshed - UI UX Designer

          Mobile App
          Music
          woodshed app icon
          - Design a platform from scratch for guitar enthusiasts of all levels to learn how to play guitar
          - Explore various approaches to an interface that makes learning guitar fun
          - Create an interface that promotes learning and provides the right information at the right time
          - Re-thinking the video player to accommodate both videos and guitar notes at the same time
          a mockup of 2 iphones showing the woodshed app

          Easy Reps

          Personal Project
          Cursor (Swift)
          Mobile App
          Easy Reps app icon
          As a designer who codes, I took on the challenge of creating Easy Reps from initial concept to App Store launch. I handled every aspect of the project - from user research and wireframing to Swift development and UI implementation. The design process focused on solving core user problems through minimalism. I conducted user interviews with gym-goers, created rapid prototypes, and iteratively refined the interface based on feedback. The final design strips away unnecessary complexity while maintaining powerful functionality. This project showcases my ability to own the full product development cycle, make data-driven design decisions, and write production-ready code. The result is an intuitive workout companion that puts users first.
          Visit Website
          View on App Store
          Easy Reps app screenshots showing workout tracking interface

          SterlingCharts

          Personal Project
          Next.js
          Web & iOS App
          SterlingCharts app icon
          SterlingCharts is a financial analytics site I designed and built end to end. It brings curated company KPIs, sector research and hosted SEC filings together in one place, with charts that make it easy to compare a company with its peers. Everything on the site is free to read with no login: company pages, sector books, side-by-side comparisons and chart export. A Pro subscription unlocks Ask Sterling, an AI assistant for questions about the companies and sectors. I handled the product, the design and the code: a Next.js and TypeScript app with Postgres, Stripe billing and AI chat, plus an iOS app that wraps the live site, so every web release reaches the app at once.
          Visit Website
          SterlingCharts: explore company and sector financials, beside a grid of company logos

          Easy Rush

          Personal Project
          Cursor (Swift)
          Mobile App
          Easy Rush app icon
          Easy Rush is a sliding block puzzle game I designed and built from the ground up. The goal is simple: slide blocks to clear a path and escape. But the challenge scales from beginner-friendly warm-ups to 60-move brain teasers across 13 difficulty levels. With over 188,000 puzzles, smooth animations, and satisfying haptic feedback, every interaction was crafted to feel intuitive and rewarding. No ads, no timers, no clutter. Just pure puzzle-solving. Available free on the App Store.
          Learn More
          View on App Store
          Easy Rush app screenshots showing puzzle game interface

          Easy Cam

          Personal Project
          Cursor (Swift)
          Mobile App
          Easy Cam app icon
          I created Easy Cam from scratch, handling everything from the initial sketches to pressing 'Publish' on the App Store. The journey took me through designing the UI/UX, coding with Swift and cursor AI, to navigating App Store Connect to make it all come alive. This project was a personal challenge to streamline the photography experience for everyone, especially those less comfortable with technology.
          Learn More
          View on App Store
          Easy Cam app screenshots showing simplified camera interface

          Minesweeper Frontier

          Personal Project
          Game
          Mobile App
          Minesweeper Frontier app icon
          A modern take on the classic Minesweeper game — a personal project I built from scratch, with a clean, polished dark-mode interface.
          Learn More
          View on App Store
          Minesweeper Frontier screenshots showing the Deep dark theme, the theme picker, and the classic light theme

          CIDP Tracker

          Personal Project
          Health
          Mobile App
          CIDP Tracker app icon
          A symptom and treatment log for people living with CIDP, a personal project built from scratch. It shows how symptoms rise and fall between infusions, alongside sleep and activity from Apple Health.
          Learn More
          CIDP Tracker screenshots: stacked symptom trends rising between IVIg infusions, and a calendar of daily symptom dots

          Figma Community

          Open Source
          Design Assets
          Free
          Figma logo
          I love supporting other designers by streamlining their work. I've created a range of design resources available for free on the Figma Community. They're there for anyone to use in their projects, and I'm thrilled to see they've been downloaded more than 120,000 times!
          View Design Assets
          Showcase of free Figma community design resources by Alborz

          Seymour Support Charity

          Founder & President
          Charity
          Seymour Support logo
          Seymour Support is dedicated to supporting Vancouver's homeless population, guided by principles of transparency and efficiency. We are focuses on direct handouts of essential items and food to make a tangible impact. With a commitment to transparency, Seymour Support ensures that every donated dollar is fully accounted for, promoting an environment where community feedback leads to continuous improvement. We aims to not only meet immediate needs but also to restore dignity to those we serve.
          Visit Instagram
          Seymour Support charity showcase

          Otter Script

          Personal Project
          AI Product Design
          Otter Script logo
          Together with a friend, we built Otter Script to harness the power of large language models for generating long-form, structured content that maintained a natural, human quality. The project evolved from an ambitious workflow builder into a streamlined blog post generator in its second iteration. While we attracted a dedicated group of recurring users, our full-time commitments ultimately led us to sunset the project. The lessons learned and connections made along the way were invaluable.
          YouTube Channel

          Growth Guru

          AR
          Case Study
          Growth Guru project logo
          This case study explores the potential of AR in enhancing the task of plant care through a detailed design process. Discover the journey from problem statement to user journey map, including persona creation, brainstorming, sketching, information architecture diagram, and design visualization. See the potential of AR in improving a familiar task in a fresh and innovative way.
          Read Case Study
          GrowthGuru AR plant care app showcase images

          Visper

          Contract
          Product Design
          Mobile App
          Logo of Visper app
          VISPER is a secure messaging platform designed with privacy at its core. The project focused on creating an intuitive yet highly secure communication experience across iOS and Android platforms.
          Read More
          VISPER secure chat app preview screens

          Moola

          Contract
          Product Design
          Mobile App
          Moola app icon
          - Work with the founder of the company and build a vision for the product together
          - Execute UX research on all micro-interactions inside the app to ensure a smooth user experience
          - Create interactive prototypes of every iteration of the design for the team to test and give feedback on in scrum
          - Take complex user flow problems and distill them into simple, intuitive, easily implemented solutions
          - Write and conduct usability tests and use the gathered information to create UX solutions to interface bottlenecks.
          Moola app design preview screens

          Credit Card Template

          Open Source
          Design Assets
          Free
          Sketch app logo
          I needed to create a few credit card designs for the checkout screens in the PocketSocial app. After creating them I realized I could share these assets with other designers and help them save time during their projects as well.
          I shared the project on Sketch App Sources and so far it has more than 25,000 downloads!
          Visit Page
          9 credit card designs in a 3 by 3 grid

          Ours! This Time, It's Different...

          Personal Project
          PaintCode
          iOS App
          Ours app logo
          A simple clock app with more than 20,000 unique combinations of customizations.

          Ours started as a side project while I was learning how to use PaintCode. I designed a functioning responsive clock in PaintCode with all of the customizations including colour, clock style, language, and level of details. The video you see above is actually rendered 100% using PaintCode!
          A developer friend of mine helped me put the app on the iOS App Store.

          CookOut

          Contract
          Product Design
          Mobile App
          Cookout app logo - a simple white fork on a blue background
          - Worked closely with a passionate founder who wanted to create a local home-made food delivery service in 2016
          - Spend a few hours talking about the long term vision of the app and discovering potential untapped areas of the market
          - Research and define the user demographic, user's goals, and their challenges
          - Create detailed user personas and use them to create detailed user scenarios
          - Create wireframes and test them against the user scenarios and user challenges
          - After finalizing the wireframes create an interactive high fidelity mockup that was used to do small scale usability testing
          - Deliver all of the assets and specs for a smooth hand-off to developers
          a person holding an iphone with the cookout app showing on the screen

          Steps++

          Personal Project
          Product Design
          Watch App
          steps plus plus app icon
          Steps++ was a side-project that a friend of mine and I worked on. With the introduction of the Apple Watch, I wanted to experiment with designing an app following Apple's guidelines. My friend who is an iOS developer wanted to try his hands at creating an Apple Watch app with the new version of Xcode. So we decided to work together and work on this project with the primary goal of learning as much as possible about the new Apple Watch.
          a raised hand showing an apple watch with the steps plus plus app

          Cycling

          Endurance
          Vancouver → Seattle
          In 2021, I took up biking as a form of exercise and set a goal to complete a 100km ride in one day, which I was able to achieve. In 2022, I aimed to ride 150km in one day in preparation for a future plan to bike from Vancouver to Seattle in two days. After some contemplation, I decided to go for it and started my two-day journey from Vancouver on September 30th, 2022. Despite feeling like giving up at several points during the ride, I kept pushing and focused on the road ahead. I pedaled for over 12 hours, burned over 5800 calories, and consumed 2400 calories during the ride. Finally, after covering 250km, I accomplished my goal and checked off the bucket list item of "Bike from Vancouver to Seattle."
          Cycling adventure photo

          Motion Graphics

          3D Renders
          230k+ Followers
          I'm always fascinated by 3D renderings and physics simulations. On April 2016 I started learning motion graphics and I've been sharing the videos that I create with my 230,000+ followers on TikTok and Instagram.
          TikTok
          Instagram
          A grid of 36 images showing the thumbnails of a series of instagram posts

          Featured on Unbox Therapy

          I was really excited when Tesla announced the Cybertruck. So I created a few videos comparing its size to other Teslas and other pickup trucks. One of my videos got featured on Unbox Therapy's LaterClips YouTube channel.

          Featured on Zoomin.tv

          I had the honour of being featured on Zoomin.tv. I hope you enjoy watching the video as much as I do every time. It is a nice collection of my works from 2016 to 2019 with some nice music!

          Automotive Design

          Cinema 4D
          Gravity Sketch
          Concept Cars
          Ever since I was 13 I dreamed of being a car designer. At 22 I got to be a car designer partnering with a very talented engineer who was working on a custom car project. I quickly realized that car design is not what I thought it would be. But that was ok. It led me to a different kind of Product Design (UI/UX design) which did end up being what I was looking for.

          Car design however remained a passion of mine. I still design cars when I get a chance. Be it on paper with a pen, on my computer with Cinema 4D, or in VR using Gravity Sketch.

          Tesla Roadster and Semi concept

          McLaren Hatchback

          I modelled this car on the iPad Pro with Apple Pencil with the uMake app in about 2 hours. One of the most funs I've have modelling a car. Mostly because it was the first time that I actually managed to do it.

          Mazda Miata Bodykit Concept

          A geometric one seater

          Rendering of a 3d car. side view. minimal design with very few surfaces Rendering of a 3d car. rear quarter view. minimal design with very few surfaces

          Ferrari Explorer

          React
          TypeScript
          Side Project
          A side project of mine — an interactive explorer of Ferrari's model lineage. You can browse every model by category, from the vintage front V12s through the mid-engine V8s and hybrids to the new EV, and dig into the details of each one.
          Open Ferrari Explorer
          Ferrari Explorer: Ferrari models in columns by category, from the Halo cars to the mid-engine V8 and V6 hybrids and the front-engine V12s

          TimeTrek

          Open Source
          Vanilla JS
          Canvas
          An interactive timeline that spans from a single hour to the entire history of the universe. Events and durations render on a zoomable canvas across 15 time scales — from Hour all the way out to Billion Years — so the same timeline holds both Tuesday's 3pm meeting and the formation of Earth. Items nest into hierarchies you can expand and collapse, so a decades-long life story can drill down into a single afternoon.

          No build step, no dependencies, no server. It's vanilla JavaScript ES modules and a canvas element. Open source under the MIT licence.
          View on GitHub
          TimeTrek showing its sample project: a life story from birth to a final chapter, with childhood, college, career phases and family life nested on a zoomable timeline

          3D Splat

          Gaussian Splatting
          Spline
          WebGL
          A Gaussian splat of me on a park bench, captured from photos and rebuilt as a real 3D scene you can orbit around. Click and drag to move the camera.

          Early Maladaptive Schemas

          Writing
          Static Site
          Side Project
          A site I wrote exploring the 18 Early Maladaptive Schemas — deeply ingrained patterns of thought and behaviour that develop early in life, usually from unmet emotional needs. Each one covers where it comes from, how it shows up, and a path toward healthier ways of living. Published in English, Farsi, and Traditional Chinese.
          Read the Guide
          The Early Maladaptive Schemas site: a grid of the 18 schemas, each with an abstract painting and a short description

          How I Use AI to Synthesize User Research Calls in 10 Minutes

          Article
          AI Workflow
          As a product designer, I've explored various user research tools designed to streamline the process of extracting insights from user call recordings. Here's my workflow that reduces synthesis time from 2 hours to 10 minutes.
          Read Full Article
          AI workflow for user research synthesis

          iOS 26's Liquid Glass UI: A Dumpster Fire or Just a Flicker?

          Article
          Apple
          X was a circus today, lit up with reactions to iOS 26's Liquid Glass UI. The vibe ranged from "meh, it's fine" to "who greenlit this abomination?" Here's my take.
          Read Full Article
          iOS 26 Liquid Glass UI analysis

          Creating an App Icon with Midjourney

          Article
          AI Design
          As a product designer, I know the importance of having a visually appealing and memorable app icon. Here's how I used Midjourney and Figma to create one.
          Read Full Article
          Article cover showing Midjourney-generated app icon designs

          6 Tips for Updating Your Design Portfolio After a Layoff

          Article
          Career
          With the recent layoffs in the tech industry, many designers are finding themselves in a difficult position. Here are tips to stay productive while updating your portfolio.
          Read Full Article
          Article cover for portfolio tips after layoff

          Design Without a Designer

          Article Series
          Design Thinking
          A 3-part series on design thinking for non-designers. From questioning everything, to logo design basics, to a hands-on logo design tutorial.
          Read Full Article
          Design Without a Designer series cover

          Does your app need a night mode?

          Article
          Mobile UI
          With the introduction of OLED screens to the iPhone X, more and more people are requesting night themes in their favourite apps. But should you add this option to your app?
          Read Full Article
          Article cover discussing dark mode for mobile apps

          Sketch's new update is too little too late

          Article
          Tooling
          Sketch announced Sketch 49 with basic prototyping features and an Apple iOS 11 UI kit. It sounds great, but if you take a closer look it starts to fall apart.
          Read Full Article
          Article cover reviewing Sketch 49 update

          What I learned as a design mentor at a hackathon

          Article
          Lessons
          About 2 years ago I volunteered as a design mentor for the Van{Hacks} hackathon in Vancouver. Here are 3 patterns that slow designers down.
          Read Full Article
          Article cover about design mentoring at VanHacks hackathon

          Why the Future Has No Room for UI Designers

          Article
          Future of Design
          In a few years the interface of most applications will be redundant. Here's why the future of apps is contextual, voice-driven, and has no room for traditional UI designers.
          Read Full Article
          Article cover on the future of UI design

          The right way to make a dashboard for self-driving cars

          Article
          Automotive UX
          Car manufacturers need to stop building fragmented platforms and start integrating with the digital ecosystems their customers already use.
          Read Full Article
          Article cover about self-driving car dashboard design

          The Inevitable iPhone 8

          Article
          Concept
          A designer's exploration of what the iPhone 8 could look like, from edge-to-edge displays to wireless charging and ceramic finishes.
          Read Full Article
          Article cover predicting the iPhone 8 design

          Why Apple is the only company that can make the iPhone killer

          Article
          Apple Strategy
          How Apple plans to kill their most profitable product with the Apple Watch, AirPods, and Siri combo.
          Read Full Article
          Article cover about Apple creating the iPhone killer

          Get Started with iPhone's Taptic Engine

          Article
          Haptics
          You're a UI designer who's heard about the Taptic Engine on iPhones. Here's everything you need to know to get started with haptic feedback in your designs.
          Read Full Article
          Article cover about iPhone Taptic Engine for designers

          Does your app really need on-boarding screens?

          Article
          UX
          The on-boarding experience is very important in every application. But which approach is right for your app? It depends on how you want users to feel.
          Read Full Article
          Article cover about mobile app onboarding screens

          Spotify finally fixed the most annoying thing about their app

          Article
          Mobile UX
          Spotify replaced the burger button with a tab bar, and here's why that's a massive improvement for discoverability and the mental model of the app.
          Read Full Article
          Article cover about Spotify navigation redesign

          Why Instagram's decision to go black and white is great for their users

          Article
          Visual Design
          Instagram has been testing a black and white UI. Here's why reducing color in the interface is perfect for letting users focus on the content that matters.
          Read Full Article
          Article cover about Instagram black and white redesign

          How can Apple fix its shift key problem once and for all

          Article
          iOS
          A design analysis of Apple's iOS shift key problem and a proposed solution using clear visual states instead of switching between uppercase and lowercase letters.
          Read Full Article
          Article cover about Apple shift key design

          4 Reasons Design in Marketing Matters More Than You Think

          Video
          Design & Business
          "Think of your branding as an outfit. It tells a lot about you. Even if you're the most qualified person for a job, if you dress poorly for an interview, you might not get the job."

          100+ Research-Backed Articles on Exercise & Health

          Blog
          Easy Reps
          I've created an extensive library of over 100 articles focused on exercise science, health optimization, and fitness. Each article is research-backed and written to help people understand the science behind effective training, nutrition, and wellness. From workout techniques to recovery strategies, these articles cover everything you need to know about improving your health and fitness journey.
          View Articles
          EasyReps Blog - Exercise and Health Articles

          WWDC Vancouver Panel Discussion

          Public Speaking
          Panel
          After the 2018 WWDC event, Lighthouse Labs and ViDIA held a panel discussing the new announcements just made by Apple. I was honoured to be invited to be part of the panel! We had an amazing 1 hour conversation followed by a Q&A.

          Design Without a Designer

          Public Speaking
          ViDIA Meetup
          I gave a quick 8 minute speech about how design thinking can be applied to even the smallest parts of your project called "Design without a Designer" at ViDIA's 2018 May meetup.

          The Inevitable iPhone 8 — Talk

          Public Speaking
          ViDIA Meetup
          I was honoured to be asked to speak at the 2018 February ViDIA meetup group to talk about an iPhone 8 concept design that I've been working on, for a 20 minute presentation.

          Presentation on PaintCode (ViDIA)

          Public Speaking
          PaintCode
          In 2015 I decided to start using PaintCode instead of Photoshop for UI design. I know! What was I thinking? Photoshop? Anyway. I started to explore the possibilities of PaintCode and even made a fully working and customizable clock in it! I decided to share my knowledge and what is possible in PaintCode with the attendees on ViDIA during one of the meetings.

          About Me — Ice Breaker Speech at Toastmasters

          Public Speaking
          Toastmasters
          Every Toast Masters member's first speech is the Ice Breaker, where they talk about themselves, their background, what motivates them and where they want to go in life. This is my ice breaker speech. I hope you enjoy it.

          Winning Speech at Table Topics Contest

          Public Speaking
          Toastmasters
          Table Topics are one of the more challenging parts of being a Toast Master. You are asked a random question and have two minutes to give an answer in a proper public speaking format. My question (luckily) was about dealing with difficult customers. I had a lot of experience dealing with *cough* *cough* I mean all of the people I have worked with are very professional and never have I ever had any problems with anyone. Anyway, I managed to "make something up" and my speech won me the "Best Table Topics" badge.