Product & UX Designer

Nerija Balan

I turn tangled requirements into clear, well-crafted tools.

Visual design

  • More than aesthetics: clarity, consistency, and confidence in complex software.

Understand the domain

  • I spend time learning the language and constraints before designing.

Prototype early

  • Working code answers questions static mockups can't.
View experience

Experience

Introduction

Complex systems, made clear

Enterprise software doesn't have to look like enterprise software.

I'm a product designer with eight years of experience building enterprise platforms and AI-powered tools.

Most of my work has been in the places people don't see: SIM management platforms, IoT connectivity dashboards, admin centers, traffic monitoring tools. Interfaces that run quietly while millions of users experience only the surface.

The craft matters as much as the system. Clear hierarchy, restraint, and interfaces that stay calm under heavy data are what make complex tools usable.

I lead initiatives end-to-end: discovery research, prototyping (often with Claude Code now), user validation, and close collaboration with PMs and engineering through delivery.

Templafy · October 2024 - Present

Product Designer

  • Lead designer on an AI-powered admin governance product enabling enterprises to create brand-compliant presentations and documents, reducing document creation time by up to 80%.
  • Designed an AI assistant shortcut menu in Microsoft PowerPoint, increasing feature adoption by 50%.
  • Designed admin controls for AI-generated presentations, allowing governance over approved slide layouts and eliminating manual technical setup processes.
  • Own discovery and end-to-end design, working closely with PM; presenting direction to the CPO and shipping features to private preview.
  • Partner with the front-end foundation team to improve design system documentation and support Storybook workflows.
  • Built rapid prototypes with Claude Code to test ideas and improve product development speed.
  • Collaborate with engineering on feasibility and implementation.
  • Conduct unmoderated usability tests and surveys via Lyssna to validate concepts and guide roadmap decisions.

Full case study on the Custom Documents Agent available on request.

Onomondo · March 2022 - May 2024

Senior UX Designer

  • Lead designer for a SIM management platform used by enterprise customers to monitor and control connectivity across millions of IoT devices, with individual customers managing up to 500,000 SIMs.
  • Led redesign of the Network Marketplace, surfacing mobile network pricing and cost analytics directly in workflows; post-launch, support tickets related to network cost rates decreased while engagement with Network Lists increased up to 50%.
  • Redesigned connectivity management workflows with bulk actions and improved troubleshooting tools, reducing operational effort for customers managing large device fleets.
  • Designed monitoring capabilities giving admins visibility into SIM activity, usage trends, and connection status across global deployments.
  • Led product-led growth research and designed upgrade-path experiences; Network List creation became a key signal used by Customer Success to identify expansion opportunities.
  • Maintained weekly customer discovery sessions with Customer Success and Product Management to continuously validate pain points and shape roadmap priorities.

Queue-it · January 2021 - March 2022

UX Designer

  • Led redesign of enterprise queue management tools used by global brands such as Ticketmaster and large public-sector organisations. Reworked the Waiting Room monitoring experience with customers. Improved access to key admin tasks during high-traffic events and reduced reliance on Customer Success support.
  • Designed real-time monitoring features for queue activity and traffic anomalies. Removed the need for post-event reporting by the Customer Success team.
  • Worked with engineering on the Admin Center migration to an Angular design system. Improved UI consistency and scalability.
  • Partnered with Marketing on research and sales-form improvements. Helped prospects better understand Queue-it's value.
  • Mentored a product design intern. Supported her transition into a full-time junior front-end developer role.

Nordija · May 2017 - August 2020

UX Designer

  • Designed Electronic Program Guide and content discovery interfaces for multiscreen TV platforms deployed by European telecom operators including T-Mobile, Swisscom, and Lattelecom.
  • Adapted TV, mobile, and web experiences to each operator's brand ecosystem and collaborated with developers to maintain UI consistency across deployments.

Talent Garden · March 2021 - March 2022

User Research Lecturer

  • Taught UX research practices: interviews, usability tests, surveys, and synthesis, to classes of 15-20 students transitioning into UX and product design.