Elevating User Experience Through Strategic Design Leadership
Hi! I'm Vesna Planko, a Principal Product Designer with over 15 years in the industry. My expertise lies in UX/UI design, product development, and strategic design leadership. I excel in driving cross-functional teams and initiatives that align closely with business objectives, data insights, and user-centric methodologies.
I've had the privilege of leading design at well-known firms like Galileo FT (a SoFi Company), PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sodexo, TaxAct, Treasure Financial, Her, and App Annie(now Data.ai). My track record includes boosting user satisfaction scores, contributing to multimillion-dollar acquisitions, and implementing design systems that have had a transformative impact on product offerings.
In addition to my professional roles, I'm passionate about sharing knowledge and inspiring the next generation of designers. I've served as a mentor at programs such as UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley Extension, Hexagon UX, and Designlab, and have lectured on design and research methods at various institutions and international conferences.
I've completed a specialized course in Python, Pandas, Scikit-Learn, Keras, and TensorFlow, enriching my UX design skills with a deep understanding of neural networks. My expertise extends to the dating industry, improving matching algorithms and designing user-friendly anti-money laundering (AML) tools, it was also used in creating a process video generation platform.
I am always open to new opportunities and collaborations that challenge me to push the boundaries in design and innovation.
Treasure Finance
Principal Product Designer - 2023
WHAT I DID
Vision & Conceptualisation
Guiding Research & Analysis
Design Strategy & Planning
Turn company's idle cash into revenue
Guided the strategic redevelopment of key user interfaces, prioritizing trust and safety, which enhanced overall user interaction and alignment with business goals. Played a pivotal role in optimizing financial engagement metrics, significantly improving platform trust and user investment. Drove impactful design initiatives that correlated with a notable uptick in user financial activity during the first half of the year.
GALILEO (a SoFi Company)
Principal Product Designer - 2021-2023
WHAT I DID
Vision & Conceptualisation
Guiding Research & Analysis
Design Strategy & Planning
Expanding the financial frontier
Created the overarching design vision aligned with corporate objectives. Oversaw analytics and user research to inform design choices. Developed the roadmap for design implementation. Continuously evaluated design quality and made iterative changes based on performance metrics.
PwC
Lead Product Designer - 2018-2021
WHAT I DID
Strategic Planning
Guiding Research & Analysis
Lead the Design Team
Your guide to collecting sales tax across the U.S.
Defined the vision for the tool, ensuring it met client requirements and user needs. Directed the research phase to understand U.S. sales tax laws and users' pain points. Developed a phased design plan, aligning with development and marketing goals. Mentored and managed the design team, overseeing wire-framing prototyping, and visual design. Regularly reviewed designs, providing constructive feedback and ensuring adherence to quality standards.
PwC
Lead Product Designer - 2018-2021
WHAT I DID
Design Strategy & Planning
Guiding Research & Analysis
Vision & Conceptualisation
Simplified AI Governance
Defined the vision for Model Edge to meet client and regulatory standards. Led research on AI governance and compliance tool and developed a phased design plan that met development and user experience goals. Directed the UX design team, overseeing research, wireframing, prototyping, and visual design. Ensured exceptional quality through systematic and regular reviews. Model Edge streamlines AI model lifecycle management, ensuring a user-centric approach with transparent documentation and comprehensive audit trails.