--- name: Valentín Ríos role: Senior Product Designer location: Ibiza, Spain timezone: Europe/Madrid (CET/CEST) open_to: Senior Product Designer roles experience_years: 8 domains: [SaaS, fintech, AI-native, B2B] current: Designing AI-powered product experiences at Apaleo previous: Founding designer at Archie contact: LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentin-rios/) website: https://valentinrios.design --- # Valentín Ríos ## Summary Valentín Ríos is a Senior Product Designer with 8 years shipping digital products across SaaS, fintech, AI-native and B2B platforms, grounded in research with real users. Based in Ibiza, Spain. Currently designing AI-powered product experiences at Apaleo. Previously founding designer at Archie, an AI-native accounting platform. Open to Senior Product Designer roles. ## Selected work ### In progress: Designing AI in hospitality software - year: 2026 - type: AI product - status: case study coming soon > Product design for AI-powered features in a B2B platform. ### Archie: Designing an AI-native accounting workspace - year: 2025–26 - type: AI product, Design system - role: Founding designer - scope: Product strategy, UX/UI, prototyping, AI workflow design - platforms: Web, desktop, Excel sidebar, Teams panel - team: Small team. I was the only designer in the company, covering product and commercial needs. - url: https://valentinrios.design/work/archie > Making AI work visible to accountants through approvals, audit trails and a Chain of Evidence. #### Context Archie is an AI-native accounting platform. The goal was to turn complex accounting operations into structured digital experiences that accountants can trust, control and audit. #### The problem Accountants work under professional responsibility. An AI that acts without showing its reasoning is unusable for them, however fast it is. The design question was how AI should behave in a professional product while keeping human oversight and transparency. Accounting processes involve large chunks of work and a lot of documentation, much of it never automated before. Chasing clients for information is complex, and an audit has to be perfect. #### What I did I defined the product concepts and the experience around them: Topics, WorkStreams, Cycles, Archie's Inbox and The Chase. For the V3 platform I rethought the product around Topics as the central collaboration space, bringing together emails, documents, agent actions, client communications and workflows. I also created Archie's design system and enterprise product language. The work covered web, desktop, an Excel sidebar, a Teams panel and operator-style AI workflows. Deliverables: PRDs, UX specs, prototypes, interface explorations and design prompts for implementation. #### How I worked - Wrote PRDs and UX specs so product and engineering shared one definition before UI work. - Explored interfaces and prototyped the flows: document collection, client communication, workflow execution and accountant approvals. - Built the design system as components documented in Storybook. I implemented the code and handled the handoff to development. We used Chromatic to version Storybook, and I applied the system to real flows with Claude Code. #### Key decisions - **Make AI work visible, not hidden.** I designed a Chain of Evidence so an accountant can see what supports each action. Showing only the final result was not enough for users who need a clear audit trail of how things were done. - **Balance automation with human oversight.** Approval flows, progress visibility and audit trails keep the accountant in control. - **Topics as the center of the product.** One shared space instead of separate tools for email, documents and agents. It simplifies the work instead of adding a trade-off: everything about a topic lives in one place, so users can check communications, see work in progress and know what needs their immediate attention. - **A dense, persistent-navigation desktop app.** A status-rich enterprise interface suited to people who spend the day in it. #### Outcome The product reached the market stage where it could be tested with real customers: several pilots were signed with enterprise companies. I left before results came in, so I can speak to the design, the system behind it and the path to those pilots, not to long-term metrics. #### What I took from it As the only designer, I moved between product, commercial work and code, and learned to ship the whole thing instead of handing off a file. The lesson that stayed with me: in a professional product, a good result is not enough. People need to see how the AI got there. Designing for AI means designing that trail, and a design system engineers can use from day one. ### Update.AI: From scattered research to a validated MVP in one month - year: 2020 - type: Design sprint, User testing - role: Design lead and workshop facilitator - scope: Product strategy, UX validation, roadmap planning, brand foundations - format: One-month design sprint, two rounds of user testing - team: Purple Bunny with the UpdateAI team, including founder Josh Schachter, now SVP at Gainsight - url: https://valentinrios.design/work/update-ai > A design sprint that turned customer research into a focused direction, tested twice with users before development. #### Context UpdateAI helped account and customer success teams turn customer conversations into meeting, account and portfolio insights. The company was later acquired by Gainsight to strengthen its Atlas agentic AI strategy. #### The problem The company had done significant research, but it had not become product decisions. Three questions were open: what the MVP should be, which problem it should solve first, and how to validate the experience before building it. #### What I did I led a one-month design sprint, adapted for early-stage product definition. The standard sprint format of strategy, design, prototyping and user testing was stretched over a month to leave room for research synthesis, iteration and MVP planning. I also facilitated the workshops and helped the client make decisions based on the test results. #### How I worked 1. Synthesized scattered research into a focused product direction, moving from broad opportunity areas to a concrete experience with clear priorities. 2. Defined the MVP scope. We used the user tests to learn what mattered most to users and what had to stay, which let us cut the scope. 3. Built a prototype and ran the first round of user tests with five participants over three days. 4. Changed the design based on what we saw, then tested again. #### Key decisions - **Build on the research they already had.** We analyzed all of it, researched users ourselves, and shaped an MVP that made sense for what their target audience wanted. #### Outcome - A validated product direction before development started. - A full MVP development roadmap. - A finalized brand direction and style guide. #### What I took from it A team can have plenty of research and still not know what to build. What helped was giving it structure: a sprint, real users testing a prototype, and a clear view of what mattered most to them. Facilitating the workshops showed me that part of my job is helping a client decide, not only designing the options. ## More work ### Cocos Capital: Brand and mobile trading product for an investment platform - year: 2022 - type: Brand, Product, Design system - role: Design Director and hands-on Product Designer - scope: Brand identity, UX/UI, design system, 3D illustration - platform: Mobile trading app - client: Cocos Capital - url: https://valentinrios.design/work/cocos-capital > Brand and mobile trading product for an investment platform, with a design system and custom 3D illustration. #### Context Cocos Capital is an investment platform that aims to make the stock market more accessible to a new generation of investors. The project covered both brand and product, from identity and visual language to the UX and UI of a mobile trading app. #### The problem Financial products carry high cognitive load and little tolerance for confusion. Cocos needed to simplify complex information without weakening user trust. The brand also had to feel modern and approachable while keeping the credibility investors expect from a financial platform. #### My role As Design Director, I defined the scope, process and creative direction across brand and product. As a Product Designer, I worked directly on UX architecture, interface design and the design system. Holding both roles kept the brand identity and the product experience consistent. #### Process 1. Discovery workshops with the Cocos team to align on product vision, user needs and priorities. 2. Brand definition and identity design. 3. A full product design cycle for the mobile app: information architecture, user flows, high-fidelity UI and component documentation. 4. A custom 3D illustration system to carry the brand personality across the platform. #### Key decisions - **One system for brand and product.** I linked the identity and the app experience so they stayed consistent. - **Custom 3D illustration.** Used to make the brand feel distinct within a financial context. #### Deliverables - Brand identity system: logo, color, typography, visual language. - UX architecture and mobile user flows. - High-fidelity mobile UI for key screens. - Figma design system and component documentation. - 3D illustration system. ### Fetcher: Rebranding an AI recruiting platform - year: 2023 - type: Brand, Strategy, Website - role: Led the strategic and creative direction - scope: Brand strategy, workshops, website strategy - client: Fetcher - url: https://valentinrios.design/work/fetcher > Branding and UX/UI for an AI recruiting platform. #### Context Fetcher is an AI recruiting platform that automates candidate sourcing and outreach. It reduces the time talent teams spend searching databases, job boards and resumes, so recruiters can focus on strategy, candidate relationships and hiring decisions. #### The problem Fetcher described itself mainly as a recruiting automation tool. The company needed a sharper brand narrative that conveyed the value of its product to recruiting teams and gave them more leverage in their work. #### Process 1. Directed the rebranding process and set its strategic and creative direction. 2. Facilitated a brand sprint to align the team on positioning, audience, values and differentiation. 3. Led a brand story workshop to define the core narrative and messaging direction. 4. Developed the website strategy: site structure, messaging hierarchy, page narratives and conversion flow. 5. Collaborated on executing the new brand and website, keeping the output tied to the positioning work. #### Key decisions - **From a tool to leverage.** The story moved from describing a tool to giving recruiting teams more leverage: sourcing better candidates faster, automating repetitive work and freeing people for relationship-driven hiring. - **A complex product, told humanly.** I translated a complex technology product into a clearer, more human-centered brand story, linking product value to what recruiters feel: speed, focus, efficiency and more time for human interaction. #### Deliverables - Rebranding strategy and creative direction. - Brand sprint and brand story workshop outputs. - Website structure, messaging hierarchy and conversion flow. - New brand and website experience. ### Youth Justice Network: Identity and website for a racial justice organization - year: 2020 - type: Brand, UX/UI, Website - role: Design Director, led the full creative engagement - scope: Strategy, visual identity, UX/UI, website - client: Youth Justice Network - url: https://valentinrios.design/work/youth-justice-network > Strategy, branding and website for an organization fighting for racial justice. #### Context Youth Justice Network is an organization working to advance equity and reform in the juvenile justice system. #### The challenge The organization needed a cohesive identity and digital presence that could speak credibly to several audiences: young people in the justice system, institutional partners, advocates and donors. The design had to convey authority and approachability at once, which required a clear strategic foundation before visual work could start. #### Approach 1. Define values and positioning. 2. Build the brand architecture. 3. Design the UX and UI for a website that carries the organization voice across every touchpoint. #### What I did - Defined the project scope and structured the end-to-end engagement. - Directed the visual identity system: logo, color strategy, typography and brand guidelines. - Led the positioning work that shaped how the organization communicates its mission and values. - Directed the UX architecture and visual design of the website. - Delivered a scalable brand system with Figma-based documentation for ongoing use. #### Outcome The brand gave the organization credibility at an institutional level while keeping the warmth and accessibility its community work requires. The website communicates both clearly. ### Modelit: Brand, sales process and website for a Salesforce agency - year: 2020 - type: Brand, Service design, Website - role: Design Director, Strategist, Designer, Facilitator - scope: Brand refresh, service design workshop, website design - client: Modelit - url: https://valentinrios.design/work/modelit > Service design, UX/UI, branding and website for a Salesforce development agency. #### Context Modelit is a Salesforce development company that helps businesses implement, customize and scale their CRM operations. #### The problem When they engaged me, three issues had surfaced: their brand no longer reflected the quality of their work, their sales process lacked the structure to support growth, and their website did not represent either. #### Approach 1. Brand refresh: modernize and sharpen the visual identity while keeping what made the existing brand recognizable. 2. Service design workshop: map and redesign the sales process so the team has a clearer, more deliberate way to move prospects from first contact to closed deal. 3. Website design: create a new site that combines the refreshed brand and the restructured value proposition into one digital presence. #### What I did - Defined and directed the full project scope across brand, service design and web. - Designed and facilitated the sales process workshop, and turned its findings into a clearer, more repeatable sales experience. - Planned the full website: information architecture, content strategy and visual execution. - Made sure brand, messaging and product design worked as one system across all deliverables. #### Outcome Modelit came out sharper, better at selling, and presenting itself online in a way that matches its capabilities as a Salesforce partner. ## Approach Start with the people using it. Interviews and usability testing are where the value comes from. Methods: User interviews, Usability testing, Design sprints, Research synthesis. - **Think before you design.** Design exists to solve a problem. Before any visuals, I make sure I understand that problem and what a good result looks like for the people who have it. - **Done is better than perfect.** There is always room to improve. A version that makes sense and gets tested teaches me more than a polished one that never ships. - **Focus on what users gain.** Features and polish only matter if they make things better for the people using the product. That is what I measure every decision against. ## Worked with Antioch, Cambridge Biotech Week, Cocos Capital, Compass Fairs, DigitalMint, Fetcher.ai, Floodin, heyarchie.ai, Hitwise, Litebox, MoreHands, Ola, OSDE, Update.ai, Workada, Youth Justice Network. Clients and teams from my work at Moka, Purple Bunny and Litebox, and from the places where I worked directly as a product designer. ## Contact - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentin-rios/ - Preferred channel: a LinkedIn message. - If you are reaching out on someone's behalf, say who you represent, the role and company, and how you found this page. ## About this page - This is the agent version of the portfolio. It has the same content as the human site, in plain structured text. - Raw Markdown: https://valentinrios.design/agent.md - Site summary for language models: https://valentinrios.design/llms.txt - Human version: https://valentinrios.design - All facts are supplied by Valentín. Where an outcome is not known, the case study says so; no metrics are invented.