DENIS EFREMOV
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Product Designer  ·  AI Architect

Make
it
feel.
Make
it
work.

Good interfaces
are invisible.

Good AI
is inevitable.

I build both.

Keep scrolling

(01) — Manifesto

I build products end to end — the interface people touch, and the AI they never see. Designed to disappear. Engineered to last.

(02) — Profile

Ex-Alibaba & AliExpress. 16 years making digital products — designing the interface and building what's behind it, AI included.

Denis Efremov

Formally trained in fine art (MFA). Based in Portugal, working remotely.

Open to work — freelance & fractional

16Years in UX/UI design
200Brands & startups
10Countries served

(03) — Now

Right now I'm vibecoding full products from scratch — iOS, macOS, web — and wiring the AI inside them: agents and automations that actually run.

End-to-end products

From first flow to shipped — design, front-end, backend and AI, by one person.

AI agents & automation

Put n8n, Hermes and OpenClaw to work — automate the busywork, not the people.

Fractional product design

Embed with your team and move fast — strategy, UX and UI on demand.

Start a project

(04) — Expertise

A full stack of design & intelligence.

(05) — Selected Work

Selected work.

Tap to open the case study.

(06) — Journal

Latest thoughts & insights.

View all articles

(07) — Contact

Open to work · available for projects

Let's make something that works.

[email protected]
What exactly does a "Product Designer & AI Architect" do?

I oversee the entire product lifecycle—from competitive research and product strategy to design, production-ready code, and AI automation. Hiring a single specialist who codes and designs eliminates the friction between design handoff and development, saving businesses time and budget. Essentially, you get a Product Manager, Designer, and Full-Stack Developer in one person.

Do you design only, or do you also build the production code?

I handle both. I design interfaces in Figma and build them using a modern, AI-augmented workflow (vibecoding) to write front-end and back-end code. This lets me prototype, test, and ship fully functional features at a speed that traditional teams can rarely match.

What does your typical design and development process look like?

It starts with a kickoff meeting to map out your product's pain points and goals. Then, I perform deep competitor research, create mood boards, and build initial design concepts. We align on the first iteration, and once approved, I design and build the remaining features, run end-to-end tests, gather final feedback, and launch it to production.

How can you help integrate AI or automate operations in our business?

While standard automation platforms like n8n are shifting, I leverage them by layering autonomous AI agents (like OpenClaw or Hermes) on top of them. I design custom agents that handle complex business operations, automate manual workflows, and seamlessly integrate into messaging channels (Telegram, Discord, Slack) or your existing internal tools.

How do we collaborate and what formats of engagement do you support?

I am highly flexible depending on your team's needs, but I prefer hourly-based contracts. My standard rate is €50 per hour. I am open to discussing fixed-price milestones for well-defined, short-term projects.

Do you sign NDAs, and how do you handle IP (Intellectual Property)?

Yes, I operate fully legally. I routinely sign NDAs before discussing confidential project details, and I ensure that all intellectual property and assets created during our engagement are fully transferred to you upon payment.

Where are you based and what time zones do you work in?

I am based in Lisbon, Portugal (WET/GMT). While working with European clients is my sweet spot, I am fully equipped to collaborate with US-based teams by aligning my schedule to support afternoon and evening syncs.