Kiryl Zhukouski

Design
Leader &
Builder

Available for work

I'm a design leader who builds teams, systems, and culture. Currently at Vonage leading design systems. Previously built and led the design systems practice at GSK, unifying five product domains under one system serving 10+ teams.

14+ years shipping products across Healthcare, IoT, SaaS, and E‑commerce. I bridge design strategy with hands-on craft — mentoring designers, aligning stakeholders, and shaping how teams work together. Hands-on with modern AI-assisted development tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex) — using them daily to prototype, automate workflows, and accelerate design-to-code delivery.

Shipping 05 — Live & in flight
FocusDrop iOS focus app for ADHD iOS · 2026 CareBrief iOS app for caregivers iOS · 2026 ASOon ↗ App Store Optimization tracker Web · 2026 DesignSystems.one ↗ Design systems gallery & tools Web · 2024 — now Lottieto ↗ Lottie → SVG / GIF converter Web · 2025 — now
Experience 2012 — Now
Vonage Cloud communications 2025 — Now
GSK Pharmaceuticals 2021 — 2025
Oktein Technology 2020 — 2023
Youni Social app 2022
HiQo Solutions Software development 2017 — 2021
Freelance Independent 2016 — 2021
69pixels Design studio 2017
Grevtsov Publishing House Publishing 2015 — 2017
Lazer Graphics Print & graphics 2015
DLC Tanatos Creative studio 2012 — 2014
How I Lead 04 — Principles
Teams

Built and mentored cross-functional design teams. Hired, onboarded, and grew designers from junior to senior. Run regular 1:1s, design crits, and career development sessions.

Process

Introduced RFC workflows, contribution guidelines, and quarterly roadmap reviews. Established design system governance models that balance autonomy with consistency.

Culture

Created shared design language across orgs. Ran workshops, internal talks, and design community events. Made design a shared practice, not a service department.

Strategy

Aligned design systems roadmaps with business goals. Presented to C-level stakeholders. Navigated compliance, brand, and legal in a regulated pharma environment.

Skills 11 — Core
Design Leadership Design Systems Team Management Mentoring Stakeholder Alignment Design Strategy Hiring Design Ops Figma Tokens AI Tooling