Hi, I'm Ilyas Zholdasbay, a Senior Product Designer with 8+ years of experience blending visual craft with technical reality. I'm the founder of Margaw Design, partnering with US/UK startups to validate ideas and launch shipping-ready MVPs through a 'design-as-subscription' model. I bridge design and engineering by delivering scalable Design Systems and production-ready implementations in Framer and Webflow, with a focus on complex B2B SaaS and AI interfaces. I've led GovTech redesigns for Gov.kz, FinTech ecosystem work at Jusan.kz, and growth-oriented product initiatives like the QazPost superapp. I mentor teams, guide stakeholder strategy, and am passionate about turning ambitious ideas into measurable outcomes for millions of users.…

Ilyas Zholdasbay

Hi, I'm Ilyas Zholdasbay, a Senior Product Designer with 8+ years of experience blending visual craft with technical reality. I'm the founder of Margaw Design, partnering with US/UK startups to validate ideas and launch shipping-ready MVPs through a 'design-as-subscription' model. I bridge design and engineering by delivering scalable Design Systems and production-ready implementations in Framer and Webflow, with a focus on complex B2B SaaS and AI interfaces. I've led GovTech redesigns for Gov.kz, FinTech ecosystem work at Jusan.kz, and growth-oriented product initiatives like the QazPost superapp. I mentor teams, guide stakeholder strategy, and am passionate about turning ambitious ideas into measurable outcomes for millions of users.…

Available to hire

Hi, I’m Ilyas Zholdasbay, a Senior Product Designer with 8+ years of experience blending visual craft with technical reality. I’m the founder of Margaw Design, partnering with US/UK startups to validate ideas and launch shipping-ready MVPs through a ‘design-as-subscription’ model. I bridge design and engineering by delivering scalable Design Systems and production-ready implementations in Framer and Webflow, with a focus on complex B2B SaaS and AI interfaces.

I’ve led GovTech redesigns for Gov.kz, FinTech ecosystem work at Jusan.kz, and growth-oriented product initiatives like the QazPost superapp. I mentor teams, guide stakeholder strategy, and am passionate about turning ambitious ideas into measurable outcomes for millions of users.

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Skills

Experience Level

Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Founder / Product Designer at Margaw Design
April 1, 2024 - Present
Partner with US/UK startups to validate ideas and launch shipping-ready MVPs using a 'design-as-subscription' model. Bridge the design-engineering gap by delivering scalable Design Systems and production-ready implementations in Framer/Webflow. Specialize in complex B2B SaaS and AI interfaces, ensuring technical feasibility and rapid iteration.
Product Design Lead at Kazpost JSC
March 1, 2023 - September 1, 2024
GoVTech Growth: Led the design of the QazPost superapp, doubling session time and increasing MAU from 800 to 1,700. Product Launch: Designed and shipped QazPost Keruen (dropshipping), acquiring 800 paying users within months of launch. Conversion: Redesigned Qazpost.kz architecture, projected to increase conversion rates by 25% based on user research.
Product Designer -> Product Design Lead at Uxstone LLP
October 1, 2018 - March 1, 2023
GoVTech Impact: Redesigned Gov.kz (20M+ users), helping improve Kazakhstan’s global e-government ranking from 39th to 28th. FinTech Success: Unified the Jusan.kz ecosystem (1M+ users) and redesigned the Jusan Invest app, directly increasing departmental income by 75%. Team Leadership: Advanced from Designer to Lead, mentoring interns to full-time roles and managing high-level stakeholder strategy. Telecom: Reduced Kcell/Activ call center load by 50% through the design of self-service superapps.
Founder & Educator at Dizaingér School
June 1, 2022 - May 1, 2023
Launched the first Product Design course for Kazakh speakers. Developed the full curriculum and mentored 30+ paid students.

Education

Master of Science (Thesis) - Design Informatics at The University of Edinburgh
September 1, 2017 - September 1, 2018
Bachelor of Engineering - Information Systems at International Information Technology University
September 1, 2012 - June 1, 2016

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Financial Services, Government, Software & Internet, Telecommunications

Skills

Experience Level