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Interview with Lidiia Suslova |
Home > Designer Interviews > Lidiia Suslova |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Lidiia Suslova (LS) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Lidiia Suslova by clicking here.
FS: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
LS: I have over 15 years of experience in Product Design, UX, and User Research. My journey into design was driven by my love for problem-solving, structuring information, and creating intuitive experiences. I have always been fascinated by how systems work and how people interact with them, which naturally led me to UX design.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
LS: I specialize in UX Design for complex products in Fintech, E-commerce, Logistics, and SAAS. My focus is on crafting user-centered solutions that align with business goals while enhancing usability and conversion rates.
FS: What is "design" for you?
LS: Design is problem-solving with empathy. It’s about structuring information, creating seamless user experiences, and making products more intuitive and efficient.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
LS: I enjoy working on complex products that require deep user research, strategic thinking, and an understanding of behavioral psychology. Fintech, SAAS, and E-commerce projects excite me the most.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
LS: One of my favorite projects was designing an online insurance subscription model that transformed how people perceive home insurance. The challenge was to make it feel accessible, friendly, and affordable while ensuring trust and clarity.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
LS: The first major project I designed for a company was the complete UX flow and UI for DesignContest.com, a high-load crowdsourced SaaS platform for custom graphic design contests. With 200,000+ registered users and 7,000 daily active users, the platform required a seamless and scalable experience for both designers and clients. I started by analyzing user behavior and pain points, then built a structured UX flow to streamline contest creation, designer participation, and winner selection. The goal was to make the process effortless while ensuring clarity at every step. Once the UX foundation was set, I designed a modern, intuitive UI that enhanced usability and engagement. This project was a deep dive into multi-language, multi-currency systems, country-specific payment options, and high-performance design — a real test of scalability and precision. After 20,000+ development hours of a team, the result was a 98% client satisfaction rate, solidifying the platform as one of the most effective ways to get custom designs online.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
LS: I love working with Figma for design and prototyping. I also rely on Notion and Miro for structuring research and ideas.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
LS: When I’m walking in a park that feels like a forest. Nature helps me clear my mind and organize thoughts.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
LS: User experience, information architecture, and conversion optimization. Every design decision must have a purpose.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
LS: A mix of curiosity, excitement, and deep focus. Solving complex problems gives me a sense of accomplishment.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
LS: Satisfaction, especially when I see the impact on users and business goals.
FS: What makes a design successful?
LS: Clear problem-solving, user-friendliness, and measurable results.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
LS: Usability, clarity, and how well it aligns with user needs.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
LS: To create ethical, inclusive, and sustainable designs that improve people’s lives rather than manipulate or overwhelm them.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
LS: Design is becoming more data-driven, AI-assisted, and focused on personalization. The future is in automation, accessibility, and human-centered experiences.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
LS: I don’t hold exhibitions, but I regularly post my designs on my Dribbble portfolio available by link https://dribbble.com/cls I write about UX and design insights on Medium at https://medium.com/@lidacls
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
LS: From user research, psychology, nature, and well-designed products that prioritize usability.
FS: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
LS: Minimal, structured, and user-focused. I aim for clarity and seamless interaction.
FS: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
LS: I’m currently living abroad in Baku, Azerbaijan. My perspective on design has been shaped by working in different industries and cultures and adapting to diverse user needs. I'm adopting the best values from each culture I'm diving into. My native country is Ukraine, it has very deep and interesting culture, going far with it's history. The Ukrainian nation is a powerhouse of innovation and entrepreneurship, consistently creating products that people love and value by addressing real-world needs with ingenuity and excellence. Ukrainian product design is highly valued worldwide.
FS: How do you work with companies?
LS: I collaborate with teams, lead UX strategy, conduct user research, and optimize product experiences.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
LS: Hire designers who understand business goals and user behavior, not just aesthetics.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
LS: Research → Strategy → Wireframing → Prototyping → Testing → Iteration → Implementation.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
LS: My ergonomic chair, notebook, Kindle, Moleskine sketchbook, and noise-canceling headphones.
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
LS: Morning walk → Deep work (design/research) → Meetings → More design → A break to recharge.
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
LS: Learn to communicate your design decisions. Focus on problem-solving, not just visuals. Always test your designs with real users.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
LS: Positives: Creativity, impact, variety. Negatives: Tight deadlines, managing stakeholders, and proving design’s value.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
LS: Design for clarity — if people don’t understand it, it doesn’t work.
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
LS: User research, UX strategy, communication, problem-solving, and adaptability.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
LS: Figma, Notion, Miro, Google Analytics, Hotjar for user insights, and sometimes AI tools for efficiency.
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
LS: Prioritization and structured work blocks with deep focus.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
LS: It depends — simple projects take weeks, complex ones months.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
LS: "Can we make this simpler?"
FS: What was your most important job experience?
LS: Leading UX in a fintech company where I transformed a complex product into a user-friendly experience.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
LS: Various fintech, logistics, and SAAS companies.
FS: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
LS: Designing products that improve everyday experiences and solve real-world problems.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
LS: Exploring more leadership roles in design and possibly mentoring designers.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
LS: I collaborate with teams but also work independently on UX strategy.
FS: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
LS: Yes, I’m working on UX improvements for a fintech product.
FS: How can people contact you?
LS: Through LinkedIn or my Medium articles.
FS: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
LS: Design isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about making things work better for people.
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A’ Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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