Product Designer | AI & Algorithmic UX | Enterprise Systems
Product Designer | AI & Algorithmic UX | Enterprise Systems
Design is…
Design is…
human
business
emotional
holistic
ethical
human
human
business
strategic
holistic
ethical
human
Building the trust layer between humans and algorithms
Building the trust layer between humans and algorithms
11 years
Mobility, Healthcare, Pharma, E-commerce
M.Des in Design for Services
4 industries
11 years
M.Des in Design for Services
FTWK GmbH
FTWK
GmbH
Junior Product Designer
Junior Product Designer
Berlin, 2015 - 2018
Accenture Song
Product Designer
Product Designer
Hamburg, 2018 - 2020
Flix
Senior Product Designer
Senior Product Designer
Berlin, 2020 - present
Selected Work
For the past six years, my work has focused on taming operational complexity. The projects below represent an evolution from executing feature design, to architecting domain-level systems, to ultimately reshaping how an organisation approaches design culture and AI integration.
Greenfield
Multi-user Design
Enterprise AI
UX Strategy
UX Strategy
Enterprise AI
AI Operations Cost Calculator
AI Operations Cost Calculator
From spreadsheet chaos to confident decisions
From spreadsheet chaos to confident decisions
Operations teams were making million-euro decisions using a tangle of disconnected Excel files that only one person understood. Knowledge was siloed, assumptions were buried, and nobody could challenge the numbers because nobody could read them.
I led the research and design of an AI-assisted cost calculation tool that made complex financial models inspectable, shareable, and trustworthy — without dumbing them down.
Operations teams were making million-euro decisions using a tangle of disconnected Excel files that only one person understood. Knowledge was siloed, assumptions were buried, and nobody could challenge the numbers because nobody could read them.
I led the research and design of an AI-assisted cost calculation tool that made complex financial models inspectable, shareable, and trustworthy — without dumbing them down.
"You cannot delegate a million-euro decision to something you can't inspect"
"You cannot delegate a million-euro decision to something you can't inspect"
6 months (2025 - 2026)
6 months (2025 - 2026)
Timeline
Timeline
10
10
Users
Users
AI + Human
AI + Human
Judgement Model
Judgement Model
Company: FlixTrain
Company: FlixTrain
Team: 2 designers, 1 PO, 3 Engineers, 1 SME
Team: 2 designers, 1 PO, 3 Engineers, 1 SME
My role: Research, UX strategy, Design decisions
My role: Research, UX strategy, Design decisions
Application: Web platform
Application: Web platform
Design Research
UX Strategy
Design Ops
Design System
Design Leadership
Enterprise AI
UX Strategy
OneUI: From fragmented tools to one unified planning experience
OneUI: From fragmented tools to one unified planning experience
How I helped reshape how Europe's largest bus network is planned - from the inside.
How I helped reshape how Europe's largest bus network is planned - from the inside.
Network planners were juggling 6 disconnected tools with no single source of truth. Nobody owned the end-to-end flow, and the fragmentation was invisible to leadership because each tool "worked" in isolation.
Over 3 years, I ran the research that made the problem visible, facilitated the hard conversations that got 5 product owners aligned, and designed the unified experience that replaced the patchwork.
Network planners were juggling 6 disconnected tools with no single source of truth. Nobody owned the end-to-end flow, and the fragmentation was invisible to leadership because each tool "worked" in isolation.
Over 3 years, I ran the research that made the problem visible, facilitated the hard conversations that got 5 product owners aligned, and designed the unified experience that replaced the patchwork.
"The best design decision was not a design decision at all - it was choosing to have the uncomfortable conversation before drawing a single screen."
"The best design decision was not a design decision at all - it was choosing to have the uncomfortable conversation before drawing a single screen."
The project where I founded the domain's first design function, a model other Flix teams later adopted.
6 —> 1
6 —> 1
Tools Unified
Tools Unified
70+
70+
Users
Users
13%
13%
Efficiency Increase
Efficiency Increase
Company: FlixBus Network Planning
Company: FlixBus Network Planning
Timeline: 3 years (2023 - 2025)
Timeline: 3 years (2023 - 2025)
My role: Research, UX strategy, Design decisions
My role: Research, UX strategy, Design decisions
Application: Web platform
Application: Web platform
Greenfield
Algorithm UX
Operations Research
Design Research
UI Design
Enterprise AI
UX Strategy
Bus & Route Optimisation: When the algorithm needs a human voice
Bus & Route Optimisation: When the algorithm needs a human voice
The real design challenge wasn't the interface – it was making complex algorithm output legible, trustworthy, and actionable.
The real design challenge wasn't the interface – it was making complex algorithm output legible, trustworthy, and actionable.
A new optimisation algorithm was being introduced to planners who hadn't asked for it and didn't trust it. The system could suggest better routes, but planners were cross-checking every output against their own spreadsheets or ignoring it entirely.
I led the research that uncovered why (distrust, not resistance), designed the trust layer that made algorithmic suggestions inspectable, and navigated the politically charged conversation about automation and job security.
A new optimisation algorithm was being introduced to planners who hadn't asked for it and didn't trust it. The system could suggest better routes, but planners were cross-checking every output against their own spreadsheets or ignoring it entirely.
I led the research that uncovered why (distrust, not resistance), designed the trust layer that made algorithmic suggestions inspectable, and navigated the politically charged conversation about automation and job security.
"The planners weren't resistant to change. They were resistant to losing control – and that's completely different."
"The planners weren't resistant to change. They were resistant to losing control – and that's completely different."
1 Year (2022 - 2023)
1 Year (2022 - 2023)
Timeline
Timeline
70+
70+
Users
Users
4 rounds
4 rounds
Usability Testing
Usability Testing
Company: FlixBus Network Planning
Company: FlixBus Network Planning
My role: Research, UX strategy, Design decisions, Stakeholder Facilitation
My role: Research, UX strategy, Design decisions, Stakeholder Facilitation
Application: Web platform
Application: Web platform
Recognition
Where the thinking travels: talks, writing, and the people I bring along.
Where the thinking travels: talks, writing, and the people I bring along.
SPEAKING
FlixTech Talk
Presented OneUI company-wide; the model spread to other Flix teams.
SPEAKING
Industry Talks
On bus-planning software as a mobility edge, and design thinking.
WRITING
Published on Medium
Essays on algorithmic trust and enterprise UX, in UX collective, Bootcamp.
MENTORING
Design Mentor
Mentored 3 people at Flix (including a designer on my team) and through Ladies that UX Amsterdam.
Design Principles
Five convictions that shape every decision: from research through to systemic change.
Five convictions that shape every decision: from research through to systemic change.
01
01
Research the organisation, not just the user.
Research the organisation, not just the user.
Research the organisation, not just the user.
The hardest design problems are political, not visual. I map ownership gaps, incentive structures, and decision-making patterns before I open Figma.
The hardest design problems are political, not visual. I map ownership gaps, incentive structures, and decision-making patterns before I open Figma.
02
02
Make complexity legible, not simple.
Make complexity legible, not simple.
Make complexity legible, not simple.
Enterprise users need interfaces that respect how hard the problem actually is – and give them enough control to trust what the system suggests.
Enterprise users need interfaces that respect how hard the problem actually is – and give them enough control to trust what the system suggests.
03
03
Trust is designed, not declared.
Trust is designed, not declared.
Trust is designed, not declared.
When humans work alongside algorithms, trust comes from three things: showing what the system doesn't know, letting people override it, and being honest about where the data came from. If you can't show the reasoning, you haven't earned the delegation.
When humans work alongside algorithms, trust comes from three things: showing what the system doesn't know, letting people override it, and being honest about where the data came from. If you can't show the reasoning, you haven't earned the delegation.
04
04
Have the hard conversation first.
Have the hard conversation first.
Have the hard conversation first.
Alignment problems don't resolve in Figma. I facilitate the uncomfortable conversations about ownership, scope, and trade-offs before designing anything.
Alignment problems don't resolve in Figma. I facilitate the uncomfortable conversations about ownership, scope, and trade-offs before designing anything.
05
05
Build the culture, not just the feature.
Build the culture, not just the feature.
Build the culture, not just the feature.
A shipped screen without a design function around it decays immediately. I build the rituals, processes, and shared language that keep quality compounding.
A shipped screen without a design function around it decays immediately. I build the rituals, processes, and shared language that keep quality compounding.
Previously worked with:
Three Hard Lessons From Building a Domain-Level UX Team
We were saving individual users when we should've been saving the whole ecosystem.
The best job you’ve never heard of: Enterprise Product Design
5 things I love. 5 things that test my patience. An honest breakdown.
So I Tried Letting AI Do My UX Job. Here Is What Actually Happened
I was convinced AI was coming for my job. So I did the only logical thing: I paid for it and invited it in.
Do You Really Need a Design Degree to Be a UX Designer? Let’s Spill the Tea
Here’s the thing about hackathons: any Tom, Dick, or Harry can join. No one checks if you’ve got the designer’s mindset. Am I gatekeeping? Maybe. Am I right? Also maybe.
Experience
Experience
Senior Product Designer and design leader with 11 years’ experience building and mentoring teams, founding design functions, and driving UX strategy across complex enterprise products. Background spans AI-driven tools, large-scale B2B platforms, and cross-functional delivery across product, engineering, and business stakeholders.
Senior Product Designer and design leader with 11 years’ experience building and mentoring teams, founding design functions, and driving UX strategy across complex enterprise products. Background spans AI-driven tools, large-scale B2B platforms, and cross-functional delivery across product, engineering, and business stakeholders.
11
11
Years of experience
7
7
Years focused on B2B
4
4
Pharmaceutical, e-commerce, mobility, healthcare industries
Flix
Flix
Senior Product Designer
Berlin, 2020 – present
Led design for AI and algorithmic systems, including a machine-learning-driven route optimisation tool
Designed the trust layer between complex automated outputs and the planners acting on them
Designed the trust layer between complex automated outputs and the planners acting on them
Unified 6 separate planning tools into 1 experience, reducing time spent per line planning by 13%
Unified 6 separate planning tools into 1 experience, reducing time spent per line planning by 13%
Founded the design function; built the team, rituals, and design culture from scratch
Founded the design function; built the team, rituals, and design culture from scratch
Embedded user-centred design across network planning tools used by one of the world’s largest intercity transport networks
Embedded user-centred design across network planning tools used by one of the world’s largest intercity transport networks
Presented OneUI company-wide at FliXtech 2024; afterwards, other Flix domains adopted the same model — placing one or two designers across a whole domain rather than inside single product teams.
Presented OneUI company-wide at FliXtech 2024; afterwards, other Flix domains adopted the same model — placing one or two designers across a whole domain rather than inside single product teams.
Accenture Song
(SinnerSchrader)
Product Designer
Hamburg, 2018 – 2020
Led product strategy for Volkswagen’s car configurator platform, supporting the launch of their first electric I.D. vehicle
Led product strategy for Volkswagen’s car configurator platform, supporting the launch of their first electric I.D. vehicle
Coordinated across 3 specialised squads, from concept through to design delivery
Coordinated across 3 specialised squads, from concept through to design delivery
Bridged business strategy and UX execution across cross-functional teams
Bridged business strategy and UX execution across cross-functional teams
Facilitated Design Sprints and design-led workshops to align stakeholders and move quickly from insight to concept
Facilitated Design Sprints and design-led workshops to align stakeholders and move quickly from insight to concept
FTWK GmbH
Junior Product Designer
Berlin, 2015 – 2017
Designed end-to-end iPad app for Thermo Fisher Scientific: a greenfield B2B tool for scientific sales reps to sell medical devices, released to hundreds of users across multiple global regions
Designed end-to-end iPad app for Thermo Fisher Scientific: a greenfield B2B tool for scientific sales reps to sell medical devices, released to hundreds of users across multiple global regions
Set up design and research processes from scratch as the sole designer, working closely with developers and educating clients and stakeholders on user-centred design
Set up design and research processes from scratch as the sole designer, working closely with developers and educating clients and stakeholders on user-centred design
Ran user interviews, usability testing, and focus groups to inform design decisions throughout
Ran user interviews, usability testing, and focus groups to inform design decisions throughout
Synthesised research into journey maps, service blueprints, wireframes, and prototypes
Synthesised research into journey maps, service blueprints, wireframes, and prototypes
What feels intuitive to one person is invisible friction to another.
What feels intuitive to one person is invisible friction to another.
What feels intuitive to one person is invisible friction to another.
Hi! I'm Hanshuman
Hi! I'm Hanshuman
What feels intuitive to one person is invisible friction to another - I learned that designing buildings before apps, and working across cultures before settling into UX. Now I specialise in systems that are too complex to explain but too important to get wrong.
What feels intuitive to one person is invisible friction to another - I learned that designing buildings before apps, and working across cultures before settling into UX. Now I specialise in systems that are too complex to explain but too important to get wrong.
Outside of work, I’m usually learning something new (singing, playing piano, DJing, German), building a neo-vintage bike, or exploring Europe in a camper van.
Outside of work, I’m usually learning something new (singing, playing piano, DJing, German), building a neo-vintage bike, or exploring Europe in a camper van.
Outside of work, I’m usually learning something new (singing, playing piano, DJing, German), building a neo-vintage bike, or exploring Europe in a camper van.
Product Strategy
Enterprise Design
Design Ops & Culture
Design Leadership
AI Product Design
Stakeholder Management
AI & Algorithmic Systems
Mentoring & Coaching
BASED IN
Berlin, Germany
WORK PERMIT
PERMIT
EU Citizen
EDUCATION
Master of Design (M.Des), Design for Services
AVAILABILITY
Currently exploring Staff roles tackling high-stakes, algorithmic, or complex B2B challenges.
Testimonial
"Hanshuman gave me concrete, constructive feedback on my projects along with actionable insights for improvement. He provided a great overview of UX research methods and how they’re practiced in the industry - his passion for UX research, empathy, and expertise as a service designer were evident throughout. He always made sure the mentorship was genuinely useful for me."
Anmol, mentee via Ladies that UX Amsterdam
Digital Product Designer
"It’s relatively easy to design research for mainstream topics - but navigating complex, unique product spaces takes true skill. Hanshuman does exactly that, while remaining one of the most approachable and generous colleagues I’ve worked with.”
David, Flix Colleague
Senior UX Researcher
"I found Hans(-Human-Centered-Designer) as a patient listener and a very good observer that turned his observations into actionable insights and recommendations that helped the whole team to move into the right direction. He is curious about new ways of working and is always questioning facts beyond the obvious. I confidently recommend Hans to any team as a dedicated and knowledgeable employee and an all-around great person. His human-centered design skills would be beneficial to every organization."
Lutz, Former Manager
CEO
"Hanshuman gave me concrete, constructive feedback on my projects along with actionable insights for improvement. He provided a great overview of UX research methods and how they’re practiced in the industry - his passion for UX research, empathy, and expertise as a service designer were evident throughout. He always made sure the mentorship was genuinely useful for me."
Anmol, mentee via Ladies that UX Amsterdam
Digital Product Designer
"It’s relatively easy to design research for mainstream topics - but navigating complex, unique product spaces takes true skill. Hanshuman does exactly that, while remaining one of the most approachable and generous colleagues I’ve worked with.”
David, Flix Colleague
Senior UX Researcher
"I found Hans(-Human-Centered-Designer) as a patient listener and a very good observer that turned his observations into actionable insights and recommendations that helped the whole team to move into the right direction. He is curious about new ways of working and is always questioning facts beyond the obvious. I confidently recommend Hans to any team as a dedicated and knowledgeable employee and an all-around great person. His human-centered design skills would be beneficial to every organization."
Lutz, Former Manager
CEO
"Hanshuman gave me concrete, constructive feedback on my projects along with actionable insights for improvement. He provided a great overview of UX research methods and how they’re practiced in the industry - his passion for UX research, empathy, and expertise as a service designer were evident throughout. He always made sure the mentorship was genuinely useful for me."
Anmol, mentee via Ladies that UX Amsterdam
Digital Product Designer
"It’s relatively easy to design research for mainstream topics - but navigating complex, unique product spaces takes true skill. Hanshuman does exactly that, while remaining one of the most approachable and generous colleagues I’ve worked with.”
David, Flix Colleague
Senior UX Researcher
"I found Hans(-Human-Centered-Designer) as a patient listener and a very good observer that turned his observations into actionable insights and recommendations that helped the whole team to move into the right direction. He is curious about new ways of working and is always questioning facts beyond the obvious. I confidently recommend Hans to any team as a dedicated and knowledgeable employee and an all-around great person. His human-centered design skills would be beneficial to every organization."
Lutz, Former Manager
CEO