Forward Deployed Engineer · AI Product Developer
Hello, I’m Vlad.
I work with customers to turn unclear requirements into working software, from discovery and product design to AI applications and integrations.
Available now for forward deployed, AI product and customer engineering roles. Remote across the US.
Work
Fourteen years of designing for Fortune 500 companies and for teams small enough to fit in a van. Lately, building the software too: a live AI product, two conference sites, a redesign for a publisher, and a client site on the way.
See workWorked with
Writing
Essays on design and building with AI.
Why designers make good forward deployed engineers
Why the instinct a designer runs on is the one forward deployed work needs.
September 2026AI-assisted development, with every change reviewed
How I actually work with Claude, Codex and Lovable, and where I stay in the loop.
September 2026What fiction can teach you about briefing AI
Asking AI for a feeling gets you a mood. Fiction shows how to describe the situation that creates it.
Testimonials
From the people I’ve worked with.
Vladimir, I wanted to take a moment to express how much I’ve appreciated working with you over the past two years. Your talent as a designer has truly made a significant impact on our projects, and your creativity and dedication have been inspiring. It’s been great to see how you bring that same creativity and enthusiasm to everything you do.
All the very best for your future endeavors! You will be greatly missed by the team. I have always appreciated your design vision and attention to aesthetics. Keep rocking!
Career
From creative direction to forward deployed engineering.
More than a decade in the seat where customers, design and engineering meet. Always closest to the people who use the product.
Forward Deployed Engineer & Director of UX
2026- Scoped, designed, built and shipped AI-powered web applications end to end: Mastering SAP Collaborate (live) and Autonoma (in development).
- Technologies
- React
- Supabase
- Postgres
- Server-side AI functions
- Swoogo API
- AI-assisted development
- Mastering SAP Collaborate Autonoma
Principal Product Designer
2018 – Present- Product design, prototypes and brand work for client engagements; recently development too, including Center City Dermatology.
- Center City Dermatology
Senior Experience / Product Designer
2022 – 2024- Led the FM.com redesign for the 2024 rebrand and its design system; usability research on the FM Resilience Index; mentored a junior designer.
- FM Digital
Senior Experience Designer
2021 – 2022- Discovery and user research for BankofAmerica.com initiatives; contributions to the enterprise design system.
UI/UX Designer, then Art Director
2020 – 2021- Landing pages and marketing kits for national brands including Everlane, Ritual, Keeps and Lennar.
Creative Director
2012 – 2018- Hired and led a six-person documentary team producing films for university programs.
Let’s talk about what you’re trying to build.
Full-time, contract or fractional. Remote across the US, with occasional travel for customer work.
Get in touch