alisa smelkova
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Game UI/UX Designer with 10 years shipping complex interactive systems — FTUE design, F2P monetisation UX, progression loops, HUD-inspired navigation, and reward economies. My methods were built for games. Now I'm building games with them.
Game UX Designer
Jul 2025—Present
CDMX, Remote
Independent UX study — Console Cursor Navigation Patterns: Analysed cursor navigation mechanics across 235 console game releases — documented pattern types, measured cross-studio persistence, and proposed design hypotheses for observed conventions. Full dataset published openly here.
PC-to-Mobile Adaptation (Morrowind) — UX Contributor, OpenMW open source: Designed thumb-zone-aware HUD and menu system for PC-native RPG on mobile. Built interactive prototype in Cursor; ran think-aloud usability sessions (4–6 participants, no prior game exposure). Iterated 2 rounds based on findings.
F2P Monetisation UX (Dungeon Valley): Audited IAP entry points via heuristic evaluation and competitor benchmarking across 8 F2P mobile titles. Rebuilt store information architecture around the purchase moment — reduced friction at 3 key drop-off steps. Redesign validated through task-based usability playtesting (3–4 participants, think-aloud protocol).
Localization-first UI Design (Expedition 33) — console concept case: Demonstrated early integration of localization constraints — text expansion, RTL, locale-specific layout — from wireframe stage. Readability playtests showed measurable improvement in task completion post-redesign.
Principal UX Designer, Design System
Sep 2023—May 2025
CDMX, Remote
HulyOS — game-informed OS UX: Applied game HUD logic to a productivity OS — persistent control layer (HUD), spatial navigation model (Viewport), contextual work planes (Slices). Shaped visual identity and interaction language; co-defined architecture with engineering using object-oriented and state-based principles.
Design system: Built and maintained design system across one of the world's largest open-source projects built with Svelte (~25K GitHub stars) — interaction rules, component behaviour logic, accessibility standards. 80% adoption on new features; 6 MVP features shipped in parallel.
Cross-application UX: Established navigational consistency at scale — reduced cognitive friction and improved predictability across a complex multi-context desktop environment.
Lead UX Designer, Product & Systems
Nov 2018—Jun 2023
CDMX, On-site
Dialogue Co-pilot (MVP): Designed NPC-inspired branching dialogue system replacing static dashboards — adaptive guidance loop with contextual decision branches. Shipped MVP; drove +30% demo conversion. Direct application of RPG dialogue tree mechanics to B2B product UX.
FTUE optimisation: Identified critical drop-off at the permission-request gate through funnel analysis and behavioural analytics. Rebuilt the full registration sequence — achieving +25% onboarding completion and +18% trial-to-paid conversion.
Retention loop iteration: Led evolution of the 1:1 re-engagement module through 3 major releases — refining notification timing, flow structure, and feedback loops via quantitative research and UX interviews, driving +60% DAU increase among engineering managers.
Design system — 0 to 350+ components: Architected design language surviving two pivots and full rebrand with zero structural rework. 2-week designer-to-developer handoff cycle; −40% time-to-market. Migrated intact into new product after company pivot.
First enterprise client: Led Product Hunt launch — achieved Product of the Day, 2× session activity in 48 hours. Directly resulted in first enterprise contract: design org of 50+ at a major bank, providing the revenue foundation for continued product development.
Design culture & team leadership: Built design practice from scratch as co-founder — hired and led design team, defined cross-functional processes with engineering and product. Championed design system investment at product inception, enabling rapid iteration and pivot execution without structural rework.
Hipo
Lead UX & Gamification Designer
Aug 2017—Nov 2018
Moscow, Part-time, On-site
Quest-based L&D platform (sole designer): Designed full game loop for enterprise gamification — branching quest chains, GPS-triggered contextual tasks, tiered achievement system, reward economy. Launched across 100+ retail locations; later adopted by global enterprise clients in consumer electronics.
Configurable gamification engine: Designed no-code admin tooling for L&D teams — quest chain builder, skill assignment, reward economy configuration, progression threshold controls. Collaborated with a gamification architect on motivation system design; mapped reward mechanics into progression data models for metric tracking.
Validation & rollout: Validated with both field employees and L&D teams through extended testing. Launched simultaneously across 100+ retail locations in a single rollout day. Platform subsequently adopted by multiple global enterprise clients including consumer electronics manufacturers for retail and factory employee training.
Lead UX Designer & Art Director
Apr, 2016 – Jul, 2017
Moscow, On-site
Game HUD & menues UX — global toy brand IP (NDA): Designed HUD layout, interaction flow, and customisable in-game menu mechanic (cosmetics system: colours, charms, stickers) for mobile/console IP concept targeting ages 8–12. Delivered interaction prototypes, final UX specs, and motion guidelines. Portfolio visuals available under NDA on request.
Gymnasium — student achievement & progression app: Designed variable reward loop (Forza Horizon-inspired) where achievement unlocks triggered personalised collectible customisation — turning each reward into a social sharing moment. Validated with students. Achievement system drove organic community content loop.
Monetisation UX (F2P-transferable): Redesigned D2C checkout and subscription flows for global FMCG brand via A/B testing and funnel analysis — −15% cart abandonment, +15% conversion. Same purchase-moment methodology applied directly to F2P IAP flow design.
Clients: Mars, Royal Canin, Reckitt Benckiser, Durex, Philips.
Process leadership: Migrated agency design workflow from Photoshop to Sketch — rebuilt production process and component standards. Grew from junior designer to Art Director over 2.5 years.
