_Website not available. Sign in: https://www.twine.net/signup_ Some years ago, I made a pivotal decision that changed the trajectory of my career. Despite graduating from Political Science in college, I found myself drawn to UX Design. It wasn’t an easy shift, but I taught myself how to code, explored tools like Sketch & Figma, and eventually got accepted into the UX Engineering graduate program in London. Before the shift I was working as a PM at a startup, after having built a diverse career in industries like pharmaceuticals, marketing, and even acting. While I was hitting milestones I didn’t feel connected to the work. It lacked meaning & the daily 9-5 grind left me craving freedom and a sense of belonging. One day, while working with a designer, I realized I didn’t want to brief someone else—I wanted to create. That moment sparked a shift in me. After graduating with distinction from Goldsmiths University of London, my first challenge came at a large enterprise. Navigating between stakeholder expectations & user needs, I saw firsthand how design could transform the way people interact with technology. It was the perfect blend of creativity and problem-solving, but I wanted something more dynamic. That’s when I joined a global startup. It was a fast-paced environment where ideas were currency, I began to see UX not just as a functional discipline but as a creative force that could drive business strategy. My journey took a turn when I realized that not everyone appreciated the power of UX. At one point, a co-founder casually referred to UX as "cosmetic makeup" a sentiment that made me rethink my position. I made a bold decision to join another startup as the Head of Product, where I had the freedom to shape the entire product process from the ground up. That experience gave me the confidence to launch my own brand. Landing the first client became a testament to the fact that I had turned a dream into something real. There are moments of pure freedom, but also days of struggle. Owning your path is empowering but it also means taking full responsibility for your success. Why I’m Sharing This I believe that the power of UX lies in its ability to bridge the gap between users and businesses, creating experiences that are not only functional but impactful. Today, I help businesses achieve that through tailored UX consulting services. Whether it’s managing complex UX workflows, designing intuitive products, conducting in-depth user research, or building scalable design systems, I’m here to collaborate with you.

Talya Kaya

_Website not available. Sign in: https://www.twine.net/signup_ Some years ago, I made a pivotal decision that changed the trajectory of my career. Despite graduating from Political Science in college, I found myself drawn to UX Design. It wasn’t an easy shift, but I taught myself how to code, explored tools like Sketch & Figma, and eventually got accepted into the UX Engineering graduate program in London. Before the shift I was working as a PM at a startup, after having built a diverse career in industries like pharmaceuticals, marketing, and even acting. While I was hitting milestones I didn’t feel connected to the work. It lacked meaning & the daily 9-5 grind left me craving freedom and a sense of belonging. One day, while working with a designer, I realized I didn’t want to brief someone else—I wanted to create. That moment sparked a shift in me. After graduating with distinction from Goldsmiths University of London, my first challenge came at a large enterprise. Navigating between stakeholder expectations & user needs, I saw firsthand how design could transform the way people interact with technology. It was the perfect blend of creativity and problem-solving, but I wanted something more dynamic. That’s when I joined a global startup. It was a fast-paced environment where ideas were currency, I began to see UX not just as a functional discipline but as a creative force that could drive business strategy. My journey took a turn when I realized that not everyone appreciated the power of UX. At one point, a co-founder casually referred to UX as "cosmetic makeup" a sentiment that made me rethink my position. I made a bold decision to join another startup as the Head of Product, where I had the freedom to shape the entire product process from the ground up. That experience gave me the confidence to launch my own brand. Landing the first client became a testament to the fact that I had turned a dream into something real. There are moments of pure freedom, but also days of struggle. Owning your path is empowering but it also means taking full responsibility for your success. Why I’m Sharing This I believe that the power of UX lies in its ability to bridge the gap between users and businesses, creating experiences that are not only functional but impactful. Today, I help businesses achieve that through tailored UX consulting services. Whether it’s managing complex UX workflows, designing intuitive products, conducting in-depth user research, or building scalable design systems, I’m here to collaborate with you.

Available to hire

Website not available. Sign in: https://www.twine.net/signup

Some years ago, I made a pivotal decision that changed the trajectory of my career. Despite graduating from Political Science in college, I found myself drawn to UX Design. It wasn’t an easy shift, but I taught myself how to code, explored tools like Sketch & Figma, and eventually got accepted into the UX Engineering graduate program in London.

Before the shift I was working as a PM at a startup, after having built a diverse career in industries like pharmaceuticals, marketing, and even acting. While I was hitting milestones I didn’t feel connected to the work. It lacked meaning & the daily 9-5 grind left me craving freedom and a sense of belonging.

One day, while working with a designer, I realized I didn’t want to brief someone else—I wanted to create. That moment sparked a shift in me.

After graduating with distinction from Goldsmiths University of London, my first challenge came at a large enterprise. Navigating between stakeholder expectations & user needs, I saw firsthand how design could transform the way people interact with technology. It was the perfect blend of creativity and problem-solving, but I wanted something more dynamic.

That’s when I joined a global startup. It was a fast-paced environment where ideas were currency, I began to see UX not just as a functional discipline but as a creative force that could drive business strategy.

My journey took a turn when I realized that not everyone appreciated the power of UX. At one point, a co-founder casually referred to UX as “cosmetic makeup” a sentiment that made me rethink my position.
I made a bold decision to join another startup as the Head of Product, where I had the freedom to shape the entire product process from the ground up.

That experience gave me the confidence to launch my own brand. Landing the first client became a testament to the fact that I had turned a dream into something real. There are moments of pure freedom, but also days of struggle. Owning your path is empowering but it also means taking full responsibility for your success.

Why I’m Sharing This
I believe that the power of UX lies in its ability to bridge the gap between users and businesses, creating experiences that are not only functional but impactful.

Today, I help businesses achieve that through tailored UX consulting services. Whether it’s managing complex UX workflows, designing intuitive products, conducting in-depth user research, or building scalable design systems, I’m here to collaborate with you.

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Experience Level

Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Intermediate
Intermediate
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Language

English
Fluent
Turkish
Fluent
Spanish; Castilian
Beginner

Work Experience

Lead Product Designer (Contract) at PWC
October 2, 2023 - Present
- Led the redesign of 151 digital e-services as part of an e-transformation initiative, modernizing and automating workflows. - Delivered an 88% user satisfaction rating, improving ease of use, clarity, and overall design quality. - Reduced average service processing time from 30+ days to 3 days (90% improvement). - Streamlined user experience, cutting t he number of required steps by 50% , from 10 to 5, significantly improving accessibility and reducing friction. - Revamped the Design System, increasing adoption and reducing inconsistencies.
Head of Product and Design at Boatmate, Istanbul, Turkey
June 6, 2022 - January 6, 2023
- Defined & executed the product vision, ensuring brand and UX consistency. - Built & maintained Design System with 400+ components, improving scalability. - Delivered 200+ product screens, optimizing user flow and experience. - Led a team of 2 and delivered an MVP within 2 months. - Managed bi-weekly sprint planning , ensuring timely product development . - Improved design-to-development handoff, reducing production delays.
Produc t Designer at Visage Jobs, San Francisco, USA
November 1, 2021 - May 6, 2022
- Led UX /UI for company applications, collaborating with cross-functional teams - Increased user engagement by 30% through iterative UI enhancements based on usability testing.
UX / UI Designer at Kariyer.net , Istanbul, Turkey
October 5, 2020 - November 19, 2021
- Conducted 20+ user interviews, leading to key insights for a core feature redesign
Product Manager at Segmentify, Istanbul, Turkey
November 6, 2017 - November 22, 2018
- Optimized product recommendation algorithms, increasing contribution ratio from 8% to 10%.
Marketing Specialist at Eli Lilly and Company, Istanbul, Turkey
May 1, 2017 - October 1, 2018
Marketing Specialist at Turkcell, Istanbul, Turkiye
September 4, 2025 - Present
Marketing Specialist at Turkcell, Istanbul, Turkiye
June 3, 2013 - July 25, 2014

Education

MSc UX Engineering (Graduated with Distinction) at Goldsmiths, University of London, London, United Kingdom
September 2, 2019 - September 4, 2020
BA International Relations at Koç University, Istanbul , Turkey
September 7, 2009 - January 3, 2014
Erasmus Program - Economics at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
February 13, 2012 - June 29, 2012

Qualifications

McKinsey.org Forward Program
July 7, 2025 - July 7, 2025
Earners of this badge have completed the McKinsey.org Forward online learning program. This program enables participants to develop practical skills for success in the future of work. Participants learn how to apply the McKinsey approach to problem-solving, become more effective and influential communicators and develop adaptable and resilience mindsets and habits. They also learn how to plan for and develop a foundational digital toolkit.
IxDF - Interaction Design Foundation - Conducting Usability Testing
September 4, 2025 - September 4, 2025
Mastered how to: - Design a user test and set test goals to evaluate products and interfaces. - Build a user test plan using industry best practices. - Run a user test smoothly and effectively, avoiding common mistakes throughout. - Provide actionable insights to stakeholders through reports on the results of usability test observations.
IxDF - Interaction Design Foundation - UX Management: Strategy and Tactics -
December 19, 2020 - December 19, 2020
The IxDF Course Certificate above is awarded to Talya Kaya with a Top 10% Distinction in formal recognition of their coursework surpassing the rigorous benchmarks of exceptional performance established by the IxDF Educational Codex. Mastered how to: - Create and execute a user experience (UX) strategy that ensures all UX work across an organization is aligned with business values. - Ensure that UX values, such as focusing on customer needs, are embedded into the company culture, thus growing the organization's UX maturity. - Manage and support a UX designer and wider UX team. - Effectively hire for, position and empower a UX team.

Industry Experience

Healthcare, Computers & Electronics, Consumer Goods, Government, Media & Entertainment, Software & Internet, Telecommunications
    paper Goldsmiths: A mobile app redesign

    A grad school redesign project for Goldsmiths, University of London student application, that includes user research, product design & prototyping

    Problem
    The application was holding a vast amount of content but was failing to deliver it efficiently, in other words, its information architecture was failing the students from achieving the information they needed.

    Please read the full details of the case study in the following link:

    https://www.twine.net/signin

    paper Re-engineering 151 digital services: An e-transformation project to automate health services

    Overview
    Re-engineering a healthcare regulatorʼs (will remain anonymous due to NDAʼs) 151 digital e-services, as part of the e-transformation project to automate all services with a modern and streamlined solution that increases efficiency and productivity.

    Objectives
    ‍Improved Accessibility:
    Ensuring people from diverse backgrounds with varying levels of digital literacy can access and use the services with ease‍
    Enhanced Efficiency:
    Reducing the time and effort required to complete tasks, leading to more efficient processes for both government agencies and citizens‍
    Encouraging Digital Adoption:
    Leading to a greater shift towards digitalization of user-friendly service systems‍
    Enhanced Decision & Policy Making:
    Enabling collection of more accurate data on service usage to inform better policy making and decision making

    Scope of the project
    Redesigning and developing service blueprints and process flows for 151 Services on mobile, kiosk and desktop channels.
    Identifying all potential improvements, priorities and best practices to provide a user-centric and consistent experience across service channels.
    Enhancing the overall UI and UX of Core Portal and mobile app and delivering the final UI screens.
    Testing the enhanced services with users and providing user feedback reports.

    Please read the full details of the case study in the following link:

    https://www.twine.net/signin

    paper "Ahoy" Design System: Designing & documenting a design system for Boatmate

    Ahoy is the design system for the Boatmate application, created to increase efficiency through a structured process (design thinking) since clear Design Systems result in less back-and-forth between designers and developers, reduce friction and make creating products easier by providing guidelines and frameworks for designers and developers to reference.

    Problem
    Different versions of the product, iterations, and new features were scattered all over various Figma files making it challenging for designers and developers to work on a consistent product.

    Solution
    Designing and documenting a design system for Boatmate aimed to ensure that it can be easily understood by any designer or developer by creating a library of UI components & making it available to the team of designers.

    Please read the full details of the case study in the following link:

    https://www.twine.net/signin

    paper Email template library: A new feature design that allows users to create & use email templates

    Visage.Jobs is an HR Tech company that helps recruiters find candidates through their passive talent recruitment platform with the power of artificial intelligence. As the product designer of the project, I was part of the pitch team and was responsible for the experience strategy and the interface design of the feature. I lead the UX/UI work, producing all major deliverables.

    Problem
    Users had a pain point regarding always having to copy-paste email sequences and not being able to customize when publishing a job.

    Solution
    Allowing customers to use existing email sequences when publishing a job, or creating a template that can be re-used to facilitate the job posting task.

    Please read the full details of the case study in the following link:

    https://www.twine.net/signin

    paper Otto: A car-to-car communication technology

    Otto is an exploration of technology and user experience. The challenge was to create a system and interface that can create a safer driving environment. Otto’s main task is to address and explore the usability of car-to-car communication technology.

    Problem
    Driving is physically & mentally demanding and current methods of communication between drivers - waving, flickered car lights and honked horns - can be easily misinterpreted or simply missed by drivers.

    Solution
    Otto proposes a more efficient way for drivers to communicate and aims to accommodate the social and physical demands of our drivers’ environments, using technology that allows drivers to communicate with and notify each other in cases of emergencies and other occurrences.

    Please read the full details of the case study in the following link:

    https://www.twine.net/signin