I'm Val — a Lead Product Designer with 15+ years taking SaaS products from zero to acquisition. My enterprise workflows displaced EY's internal solution, drove 2× growth in 6 months (4× in 12) and led to an acquisition by Zurich Insurance.
Now I lead AI Experience (AX) design on a confidential, pre-market SaaS platform, where my guided AI concept was preferred by 5 of 5 test users and reached MVP in 4 months.
I work lean and hypothesis-driven, and iterate fast with engineers. I've also lectured in Communication Sciences at La Sapienza University of Rome and mentored designers through Revive and Aston University.
Twenty years before AI, I was asking the same question: what do people need when the tools change underneath them?
Dino Audino Editore · 2005 · Now in its 3rd reprint
Vedere Digitale
Dal processo produttivo all'estetica del film: introduzione al D-cinema
From production process to film aesthetics: an introduction to D-cinema (in Italian)
A book about the shift from analogue to digital technology: not just the technical transition, but how it was reshaping the entire creative and production process, and the tools people would need to navigate changes that hadn't happened yet.
Designed a guided AI interaction model for complex, data-heavy workflows, replacing open chat with targeted questions; preferred by 5 of 5 test users, including the 2 who expected a chat. Took it from concept to MVP in 4 months and turned its interaction patterns into the product's pattern library. Led UX through multiple strategic pivots, driven by continuous pilot-user discovery, and introduced AI-augmented design workflows and quality standards across the design team.
2021–2022
Senior UX Designer
Kaleidoscope
Shaped early UX for a pre-market SaaS product and set up the first pilot-user feedback loops. Designed core workflows for complex, data-heavy use cases; promoted to Lead within 6 months.
2019–2021
Senior UX/UI and Product Lead
SPICA Technologies
Designed and validated enterprise workflows that displaced EY's internal solution, contributing to 2× company growth in 6 months and 4× in 12. Built and managed a design team from scratch (2 designers), contributing to multi-million-pound enterprise deals and the app's acquisition by Zurich Insurance. Replaced RFP feature lists with discovery workshops, growing captured client requirements from 24 to 210, and established UX foundations: personas, research practice, design principles, reusable UI patterns and WCAG AA guidelines.
2016–2019
UX/UI Designer
Jayley
Led the end-to-end UX/UI redesign of B2B and B2C eCommerce, contributing to +35% conversion, +300% engagement and +17% returning customers. Restructured IA, navigation and product naming using analytics and usability testing.
2014–2016
Product Designer
ICG (Inter City Group)
Designed products for Superdry, ASOS, Debenhams and River Island, leading seasonal trend research.
2009–2014
Product Designer
Ab Haute Couture (Valentino, Gattinoni)
Led design teams from concept to production on Valentino and Gattinoni collections.
Kind words
What people say
TS“
Val is an experienced and hugely passionate UX leader with a wealth of industry knowledge. [She] revolutionised how we thought about UX for our clients, and importantly helped us win many global corporate contracts for our B2B Employee Workplace app solution.
Former CEO
LG“
Val was integral to developing the UX discipline within the company… from mentoring junior team members and customer education through to improvement of our design thinking maturity and practices. … using methodically collected data to get buy-in for change from both internal and external stakeholders.
Former manager
CK“
Valeria and I worked in an agile way on UI/UX. I learned a lot from her and enjoyed her open, solution-oriented, and collaborative working style. The fully branded App … takes care of the needs of visually impaired people and is easy and fun to use.
Client
RJ“
Valeria was a Lead UX/UI Designer and my manager — not just a manager, but a mentor for me at the start of my UI/UX design career. Valeria is the person, to whom you may ask all questions about UX/UI field, and 100% you will get a reasoned, explained answer back.
Designer, managed by Valeria
OC“
Her amazing mentoring skills helped me navigate complex topics… We had regular meetings to debate designs and best practices for user experience. Those meetings became the foundation of regular knowledge-exchange meetings — a ‘design tribe’ — for everyone involved in the design process.
