site.md· 597 linesDownload # Hristo Butsev
> Complex products. Clear direction.
Product design & leadership for complex B2B software
I design complex B2B products and lead the teams behind them.
From untangling a critical workflow to leading design across your product, I help your team decide what to build and see it through.
[Find your starting point →](https://hristobutsev.com/#diagnosis)
---
## The plan got lost
Products start simple Requests add up Features pile on Priorities compete The focus gets lost You keep building **The plan got lost**
A sketch of a house next to the finished painting of a rocket.
the idea · what got built
---
## Selected work
The decisions behind each project.
Eleven projects: three case studies, seven previews and one internal tool.
| Project | Label | Card line | Tag |
|---|---|---|---|
| neoshare | Banking & real estate | A shared space for every side of the deal. | Case study |
| Invest.com | Trading & brokerage | A place to trade. A brokerage to run. | Case study |
| CarHub | Automotive · customer & merchant apps | Two apps. One service between them. | Case study |
| IoTX | Smart cities & infrastructure | A city of systems. A shared view. | Preview |
| Big Happy | Ad tech · internal operations | Every campaign. Everything behind it. | Internal tool |
| ThinkMarkets | Multi-asset trading | A trading desk you make your own. | Preview |
| DAHA SEIN | Real estate & technology | Many people. One built environment. | Preview |
| productPal | Own venture · AI | An idea, shaped. A product to try. | Preview |
| Garten | Workplace food & wellbeing | A better workday. Where does the app fit? | Preview |
| DROP | Consumer rewards | Points with somewhere to go. | Preview |
| Sesame | Own venture · art & investment | One artwork. More than one owner. | Preview |
### neoshare
**Banking & real estate** · 2022–present · Head of Design
**Complex financing. Shared understanding.**
A financing deal brings banks, businesses and a lot of information together. I helped bring their conversations into one shared space.
[Read the case study →](https://hristobutsev.com/portfolio/neoshare)
**Timeframe:** 2022–present
#### Same deal. Different pictures.
As neoshare grew beyond syndicated loans, more people joined each deal. The bank handles financing, the business supplies project details and the reviewer checks documents. Each sees a different part of the deal. How could they work together without following the same process?
The financing discussion
The project material
The information to check
#### We built the work around the financing case.
The case became the place for documents, discussion and the right people.
A shared financing case
##### Start with the kind of deal.
Banks and real-estate businesses enter deals differently. We designed four flows to match, keeping project, documents and people connected.
##### Keep the document in the conversation.
In the chat, the document under discussion was one click away.
##### Invite people into the right deal.
Each invitation was tied to a specific project, so people joined the deal they were needed for.
The flow changed from deal to deal. The work stayed in one place.
#### From the first document to the credit decision.
The chat and invitations were part of a much bigger product.
##### Collect the documents.
Teams gather files in the case and request what’s missing.
##### Fill in the details.
Autofill pulls information from documents, with a reference to the source.
##### Work through the questions.
AI-assisted review helps find answers and inconsistencies. People still check the sources and decide.
##### Prepare for a decision.
Roles, tasks and working documents get the case ready for a credit decision.
#### My part in the work.
As Head of Design, I worked across Atrium, from document intake and Autofill to AI-assisted review, credit preparation and collaboration.
I designed the deal flows, chat and invitations myself. Elsewhere, I managed the designers and helped the pieces fit together.
#### About this case study
Drawings explain the ideas. Interface examples use fictional data. The product overview draws on neoshare’s public description of Atrium.
[Explore the deal flows and chat →](https://hristobutsev.com/portfolio/neoshare#changes)
[Atrium on neoshare.com ↗](https://www.neoshare.com/en/atrium)
### Invest.com
**Trading & brokerage** · 2021 · Founding Product Designer
**A place to trade. A brokerage to run.**
I worked on desktop and mobile trading and the CRM behind the brokerage, organising everyday tasks around what people needed to see and reach.
[Read the case study →](https://hristobutsev.com/portfolio/invest-com-trading)
**Timeframe:** 2021
**Product scope:** Trading apps & brokerage back office
#### A capable product. Too much effort to use.
Frequent trading actions took too many clicks, and web and mobile worked differently. Back-office tools assumed expert knowledge, so new colleagues needed time to learn them. The goal: make both easier without losing detail.
Where I focused
#### Start with the work people do every day.
I prioritised the most frequent trading actions. With the risk team, I mapped daily responsibilities to see which information and tools belonged together.
From market to order
Familiar on another device
From overview to review
Desktop trading
#### Keep the market beside the decision.
Watchlist, chart and order controls share one workspace, so traders don’t lose their place.
##### See what matters.
The chart leads, with instruments and orders beside it.
##### Make room for analysis.
Side panels slide away for a closer look at the chart, then return.
##### Review before acting.
Direction, quantity and protective prices sit together in the order.
Mobile trading
#### A new device shouldn’t mean a new product.
Actions and labels stay familiar, arranged around one task at a time.
##### Read first. Act when ready.
Buy and Sell stay within reach while traders read the details.
##### Give the order its own space.
Orders open in a focused view and close back to the instrument.
Brokerage operations
#### Help the team see what needs attention.
With the risk team, I organised the CRM around monitoring exposure, inspecting instruments and reviewing customers.
##### What needs attention?
The dashboard groups exposure and client activity.
##### What’s behind it?
Colleagues open quote records or instrument settings to investigate.
##### What’s still outstanding?
Customer details, documents and review status sit together.
#### My part in the work.
As Founding Product Designer, I shaped the design direction across web, mobile and the CRM. I worked through the flows with the technical team and tested CRM features with the risk team.
#### About this case study
The demos recreate selected flows with paper trades and fictional data. They aren’t connected to a real brokerage.
[Try desktop trading →](https://hristobutsev.com/portfolio/invest-com-trading#invest-desktop)
[Try mobile trading →](https://hristobutsev.com/portfolio/invest-com-trading#invest-mobile)
[Try the brokerage workspace →](https://hristobutsev.com/portfolio/invest-com-trading#invest-back-office)
### CarHub
**Automotive · customer & merchant apps** · Product Designer
**A service to book. A business to run.**
I helped redesign both CarHub apps: one for customers booking services, one for merchants running the work.
[Read the case study →](https://hristobutsev.com/portfolio/carhub)
**Project length:** 3 months
**Team:** 2 designers, 1 product manager
#### Every booking has someone on the other side.
CarHub connects car owners with service providers through two apps. The brief called for easier onboarding, simpler payments and data entry, more online transactions and reasons to return. We had three months.
#### Understand both sides first.
We started with journey maps, usage data and stakeholder workshops.
##### Map both journeys together.
We mapped the driver’s and the merchant’s journeys to see where they met.
##### Give the wishlist an order.
In workshops, we used MoSCoW (must, should, could, won’t) to agree what came first.
##### Design for both sides.
Wireframes covered finding and paying for a service, plus merchant profiles, offers, sales and schedules.
##### Give people a reason to come back.
Points, membership status and rewards became visible, and merchants got space to promote offers.
#### Two redesigned apps. A customer journey to try.
A high-fidelity prototype connects booking, car selection, payments and loyalty.
#### My part in the work.
I was one of two designers, working with a product manager and client stakeholders from journey mapping to detailed design.
#### About this case study
Details come from my original case study, which reports qualitative improvements, not measured results.
[Try the customer prototype →](https://hristobutsev.com/portfolio/carhub#carhub-prototype)
[CarHub today ↗](https://carhubapp.com/)
[Abdul Latif Jameel ↗](https://alj.com/en/)
### IoTX
**Smart cities & infrastructure** · 2024 · Founding Product Designer
**A city of systems. A shared view.**
IoTX brings city infrastructure into one management platform. I was its Founding Product Designer at Infosystems International.
[View preview →](https://hristobutsev.com/portfolio/iotx-platform)
Full case study coming soon.
### Big Happy
**Ad tech · internal operations** · 2024 · Senior Product Designer
**Every campaign. Everything behind it.**
I worked on an internal system for tracking client campaigns and mapping everything connected to each one.
[View preview →](https://hristobutsev.com/portfolio/big-happy)
[What the team said →](https://hristobutsev.com/#big-happy-testimonials)
An internal tool, so its screens aren’t shown.
### ThinkMarkets
**Multi-asset trading** · 2018 · Senior Product Designer
**A trading desk you make your own.**
Years of new screens made the platform hard to navigate. I helped rethink it as a modular workspace traders arrange themselves.
[View preview →](https://hristobutsev.com/portfolio/thinkmarkets)
Full case study coming soon.
### DAHA SEIN
**Real estate & technology** · Lead Product Designer
**Many people. One built environment.**
I was Lead Product Designer at DAHA SEIN, a business bringing technology into how real estate is created.
[View preview →](https://hristobutsev.com/portfolio/daha-sein)
Full case study coming soon.
### productPal
**Own venture · AI** · Founder
**An idea, shaped. A product to try.**
I’m building a workspace that connects product direction, feature planning and AI-generated prototypes.
[View preview →](https://hristobutsev.com/portfolio/productpal)
Full case study coming soon.
### Garten
**Workplace food & wellbeing** · 2023 · Product Designer
**A better workday. Where does the app fit?**
I worked on discovery for a new employee app, finding where it could help in someone’s workday.
[View preview →](https://hristobutsev.com/portfolio/garten)
Full case study coming soon.
### DROP
**Consumer rewards** · 2022 · Product Designer
**Points with somewhere to go.**
I designed crypto redemption for Drop’s shopping rewards, plus an invitation flow for new members.
[View preview →](https://hristobutsev.com/portfolio/drop)
Full case study coming soon.
### Sesame
**Own venture · art & investment** · 2020 · Founder & Product Designer
**One artwork. More than one owner.**
A venture exploring shared ownership of artworks. The prototype placed third at the 2020 Paysafe hackathon.
[View preview →](https://hristobutsev.com/portfolio/sesame)
Full case study coming soon.
---
## Find your starting point.
Three questions. We’ll confirm the scope together.
### What’s getting in the way?
Choose the closest match to continue.
- **We can’t agree what to build next:** Priorities keep changing and decisions keep reopening.
- **Important tasks are too difficult:** People need too many steps, explanations or workarounds.
- **Every change adds more complexity:** Features, rules and exceptions have become difficult to manage.
### How much of the product is affected?
Choose the closest match to continue.
- **One critical journey:** The problem is concentrated in a specific task.
- **Several connected workflows:** The difficulty crosses different parts of the product.
- **We’re not sure yet:** We can see the symptoms, but not where they begin.
### What kind of help do you need?
Choose the closest match to continue.
- **Find the problem and set a direction:** We need clarity before committing to a solution.
- **Redesign and test the experience:** We know what needs attention and want to improve it.
- **Lead the work through delivery:** We need someone to keep design, product and engineering aligned.
[Take the assessment →](https://hristobutsev.com/#diagnosis)
[Design, strategy & development services](https://hristobutsev.com/services)
---
## A closer look. Or a longer commitment.
### Product Complexity Audit
€2,500 · Focused review
I review your product and workflows. You get the problems, priorities and next step.
**Includes:** Product review · Core workflows · UX & information architecture · Priorities · Next steps
Book a Product Clarity Sprint within 30 days and the fee counts towards it.
[Book an audit →](https://hristobutsev.com/start/complexity-audit)
### Product Clarity Sprint
€10,000 · 2–3 weeks
Untangle one critical workflow and prototype the way forward.
**Includes:** Discovery · Problem mapping · Workflow simplification · Direction · Prototype
[Start a sprint →](https://hristobutsev.com/start/clarity-sprint)
### Product Transformation
€25,000 · Scoped project
A simpler architecture for products weighed down by years of additions.
**Includes:** Product direction · UX architecture · Workflows · UI · Validation · Engineering support
[Scope a transformation →](https://hristobutsev.com/start/product-transformation)
### Fractional Product Design Lead
€8,000/month · Ongoing
A senior design lead in your team, from direction to delivery.
**Includes:** Direction · Leadership · Hands-on design · Prototypes · Quality · Delivery
[Discuss a fractional role →](https://hristobutsev.com/start/fractional-lead)
---
## Clear direction matters more when building gets easier.
AI adds another layer of decisions. I help teams agree what to build, then see it through.
[Hristo Butsev · Product design & leadership →](https://hristobutsev.com/about)
### From the people I’ve worked with
> Hristo was a great thought partner in iterating a fresh design for our product. He was given some legacy work that was bloated and all-over-the-place. He assisted with research, competitor benchmarking, and at the end of the day was able to **streamline the vision** and deliver a beautiful and clean design in a short timeline.
— [Heather Stever Waibel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherwaibel/), Tri-State Woman STEM Entrepreneur of the Year. Recently acquired. LP @Ganas Ventures.
> He created intuitive, user-friendly applications and established strong processes that improved how the team delivered products. […] He’s an incredibly talented designer who **elevates both products and processes**.
— [Jennifer Lea Klein](https://www.linkedin.com/in/leaklein/), Head of Design / VP · Big Happy
[Also recommended by Big Happy’s CEO, Jonathan Frohlinger (Inc. 5000, 2025) ↗](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hristobutsev/details/recommendations/?detailScreenTabIndex=0)
> Hristo has **a solid understanding of the entire UX process**, from concept, to research, hi-fidelity wireframes, and post-production testing. […]
— [Anna Istomina](https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaistomina/), Head of Product Design · Swiirl
> I highly recommend Hristo as a Product designer and **would love to work together again**. […]
— [Mejdi Gharrad](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mejdigharrad/), Senior General Manager - Head of SW Development / Digital Department · Abdul Latif Jameel
---
## About
### It started at my dad’s agency.
2003–04
As a kid, I spent time at my dad’s advertising agency, watching the designers and asking questions. They taught me Photoshop and Illustrator. I wanted to know how an empty screen became something a client would pay for, so I started trying things myself.
### Learning to see things differently.
School years
Art became a bigger part of my life at school. It taught me to look closely and express ideas I couldn’t explain before. Several national awards gave me the confidence to take design seriously.
### Then we had to make it work.
Student years
I was studying, working and running a small company with my nephew. Suddenly design wasn’t enough: we had to make the product, sell it and find people who wanted it. That’s when I became interested in the whole process, and in product design.
### A wider world of products.
Since 2016
I’ve worked in UI, UX and product design across fintech, trading, healthcare, automotive and other industries. Each field taught me about a different part of people’s lives. Through Toptal, I worked with clients worldwide and learned a lot, especially from teams who thought differently from me.
### What stayed with me.
Today
Looking back, it connects. The agency made me want to make things people like. Art gave me the skills. Business taught me how things get made and sold. Product design brought it together.
I still enjoy making things. I just ask more questions before I start.
### A little more about me.
Nine years of aikido, starting at seven, and a black belt. I’m a father with a deep interest in financial markets. Design has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, but it isn’t all of it.
[More about Hristo](https://hristobutsev.com/about)
---
## Philosophy
Clear direction matters more when building gets easier.
AI makes building faster and cheaper, so it’s easier to build more than a product needs. I help teams decide what’s worth building.
### Execution gets cheaper. Complexity adds up.
Every addition still creates rules, dependencies and decisions people have to live with.
**One more feature.** Easy to build. Easy to justify on its own.
**More connections.** New states, rules and exceptions across the product.
**More to navigate.** The effort shifts from building to using and maintaining.
### The product grows. The focus slips.
More output can hide a lack of progress.
- **For the team:** A longer roadmap. Less agreement on what matters.
- **For the people using it:** More capabilities. More effort for the same job.
- **For the business:** More releases. No stronger reason to choose the product.
### Clear direction. Then execution.
Agree who the product is for and what should improve. Then decide what to build, simplify or leave out.
- **Purpose:** Whose problem are we solving?
- **Focus:** What deserves our attention now?
- **Progress:** What gets better for the person using it?
### Find the direction worth building towards.
Tell me what you’re building and where the focus has slipped.
[Get in touch →](https://hristobutsev.com/contact)
---
## Practical notes on building products
[Product clarity is a decision, not a deliverable](https://hristobutsev.com/articles/product-clarity-is-a-decision)
The work is not making more screens. It is deciding what deserves to exist.
[Read the articles →](https://hristobutsev.com/articles)
Most complex products do not need a larger backlog. They need a clearer decision.
The useful question is rarely *what can we add?* It is: **what must be true for the product to become easier to understand, use and evolve?**
That means looking at the business, the people using the product, the workflows between them and the technical constraints as one system. Then choosing what matters now.
Good product direction gives the whole team a small number of choices to move with. The interface comes after.
---
## Contact
Where is your product stuck?
Tell me what you’re building. I’ll reply personally.
[Get in touch →](https://hristobutsev.com/contact)
- Email: [hristo@hristobutsev.com](mailto:hristo@hristobutsev.com)
- [LinkedIn ↗](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hristobutsev/)
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