mashigndesign
Video coming soonMaria Shaykhutdinova

I’m Maria. Designer since... well, all my life.

Now Senior Product Designer, background in Brand and Communication.

10+ years in product teams, B2B, AdTech and complex digital products. AI-powered.

ICF coach-to-be. Based in Belgrade.

Balance good UX, systems thinking, speed, and business goals
with good vibes

Helping advertisers find the right campaign

My role: I led the redesign of a legacy selector for 30+ campaign types, driving cross-functional alignment. Organized campaigns into a clear, logical hierarchy to simplify navigation and defined how new features would fit into the structure. Early usability testing showed that users could find familiar campaign types, while the catalog helped them discover new options. Used an AI-built prototype to test filter behavior.

Direct serves 600K+ platform users and is part of Yandex’s advertising business, which generated €4.7B in revenue in 2025.

Fast campaign setup for SMB e-commerce

The legacy e-commerce flow, used by nearly 50K advertisers in a year, had become too complex for beginners.

My role: I designed a simpler flow for desktop and mobile to help users understand how ads are automatically assembled, choose a strategy, and set a budget. Testing AI-built prototypes with users’ own store content highlighted the need to rethink ad previews, simplify strategy wording, and explain how order estimates were calculated.

Yango Ads Space — project imagery

Advertising platform, designed from launch to scale

My role: Owned end-to-end UX/UI design for Yango Ads Space, ML-powered advertising platform conceived to capture a share of the global digital advertising market.

The product generated €4.2M in revenue in 2025, growing ×2.6 year over year.

Yango Retail Media — project imagery

Turning retailers’ audiences and advertising inventory into a new opportunity

Led product design for the launch of Yango Retail Media, enabling enterprise retailers to monetize audiences and ad inventory. Created workflows for campaign setup, product selection, wallets, and reporting across banner, sponsored-product, and offsite advertising. From Q1 to Q4 2025, quarterly active advertisers grew ×5, while quarterly ad turnover grew ×3.7. Redesigned campaign setup and launch flows — the cross-functional initiative contributed to 30% revenue increase in that segment.

Yandex Ads App Boost — project imagery

Bringing app analytics and monetization together

Designed a unified interface Yandex Ads App Boost, app analytics and monetization services through shared information architecture and navigation. Redesigned onboarding: registration-to-monetization conversion increased from 11% to 17%.

Boost served near 9K client accounts.

RouteQ — project imagery

Making complex logistics clear, across every touchpoint

Owned all brand and communication design as the sole designer, from website and landing pages to exhibition stands, presentations, and merchandise.

Built deep understanding of logistics operations by translating complex processes into clear diagrams, presentations, explainers, and other communication materials.

AI-powered delivery route planning platform

Bringing a new identity into everyday use

Developed concepts for 4 major projects (2 selected for implementation), created product and packaging branding guidelines, and designed and oversaw the adaptation of corporate brand assets to the new Hitachi Energy identity.

New identity for a family of 50+ digital B2B services

My role: Designed Kontur’s new logo and co-created its brand platform and visual identity system, improving consistency across 50+ digital services. Art-directed and designed campaigns across digital, print, merchandise, and video. Created a brand system and online guidelines used by 1K people monthly.

Leeto mobile cashier in a bright yellow brand world
Animated Leeto bird

Nimble brand for Czech online-cashier

My role: Logo concept and design, brand and marketing assets, key visuals, logo animations, UI redesign. Created Leeto’s logo, visual identity, and launch campaign assets for the Czech market in three weeks, and adapted the product UI to the new brand.

Mind-altering illustrated books for kids about entrepreneurship

My role: Art-directed an illustrated book for kids about entrepreneurship with 62 illustrators and writers. Published 5,000 copies in 2020.

Test task for Miro — redesign the main page

A homepage redesign concept exploring a more empathetic, people-focused approach to Miro’s brand. Created as a test assignment for a Brand Designer role, 2020.

Mindful indoors office navigation and an interior project.

My role: Design consultant on the interior project of Kontur’s headquarters, overseeing implementation and designing navigation. Selected an architecture studio and oversaw implementation. The project won a Best Office Award in 2017.

Maria in a yellow vest

I did it my way

I was born and raised in a family of designers and engineers in the cold and industrial Ural. Been working the graphic design fields ever since I could hold a mouse :) Later I dived into web design and HTML, which led me to an IT community and product teams where I grew professionally and personally. My ambitions converted to work for the international market and move to warm and zanimljiv Beograd. Uživam ovde.

My additional activities: morning exercise, husband and two kids (9 & 11 y.o.), cycling on my e-bike to the office and back, and enjoying my studies in an ICF coaching program.

Yandex Direct · Belgrade · Hybrid
Product Designer · 2026–present
Yango Ads · Belgrade · Hybrid
Senior Product Designer · End-to-end design ownership · 2023–2026
RouteQ / Yandex · Sochi & Belgrade
Brand & Communication Designer · 2022–2023
Admind (Krakow, Poland) · Remote
Senior Graphic Designer · 2021
Kontur · Ekatrinburg · Office & Hybrid
Design & Leadership · 2010–2021
Nobody cares, too far