Arek Borowski
I design complex B2B platforms, enterprise design systems, and phygital products. With 20+ years of experience as a designer and Product Owner, backed by hands-on engineering skills, I work across design, strategy, and engineering to build products that ship.
Designer, strategist,
hands-on maker.
I'm a Senior Product Designer with 20+ years of experience, specialising in complex enterprise ecosystems, gamification, and phygital products.
My background as a Product Owner lets me work across design, strategy, and engineering. I build scalable design systems, analyse quantitative data, and turn complex market intelligence into clear, outcome-driven tools.
Beyond digital interfaces, I'm a hands-on maker. Whether creating stop-motion puppet animations, sketching with ink, or shooting photography, I bring a craftsman's attention to detail to every medium I work in.
Three sides of one practice.
Product strategy & leadership
UX & interaction design
Phygital & emerging tech
Two decades, one trajectory.
From interaction design to product ownership to design leadership - depth built across analytics, streaming, and phygital products.
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Aug 2024 - Present2 yrs 2 mo
Product Designer
ReclimbPhygital entertainment · Interactive hardware · GamificationLed the complete digital experience for an interactive, gamified 8-metre climbing wall, turning physical workouts into an arcade experience alongside hardware engineers and product managers.
- Designed end-to-end UX across wall interface, player companion app, and operator dashboard
- Defined game mechanics: scoring logic, difficulty progression, and real-time feedback loops
- Collaborated with hardware engineers to align physical sensor input with digital UI responses
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Aug 2017 - Sep 20258 yrs 1 mo
Head of Product Design / UX Team Leader
GemiusB2B SaaS · Market intelligence tools · Data analyticsLed the Product Design domain across Gemius's portfolio of analytics and research products. Progressed from UX Team Leader to Head of Product Design, taking on increasing strategic and leadership responsibility.
- Managed and mentored a team of product designers - critiques, 1-on-1s, and development plans
- Initiated and led a central design system and brand voice, unifying UX across all key products
- Partnered with PMs and engineering leads to define roadmaps and translate business goals into user journeys
- Established UX workflows - design sprints, research protocols, cross-functional collaboration
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Mar 2016 - Jul 20171 yr 5 mo
UX Designer
Xstream ASVOD · Streaming · Multi-platformDesigned front-end and back-end user experiences for the VOD market across web, mobile, set-top boxes, and Smart TV platforms.
- Designed a headless CMS for content editors, enabling no-code page building, promotional layout management, and Live-to-VOD scheduling across a streaming platform
- Designed a full-featured linear TV player for consumer set-top boxes, including 7-day time-shift playback, channel switching, and multi-language audio and subtitles
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Oct 2008 - Feb 20167 yrs 4 mo
Product Owner / UX Leader / Interaction Designer
GemiusB2B SaaS · Market intelligence tools · Data analyticsGrew from Interaction Designer to Product Owner across a 7-year tenure, combining hands-on UX work with product ownership: user stories, development strategy, and direct contact with sales and clients.
- Defined user stories and interaction design for core analytics products
- Built and maintained a UI framework for company products and interactive reports
- Led competition research, requirements gathering, and product roadmap planning
- Served as primary liaison between product, sales, and clients
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Nov 2015 - PresentOngoing · 10 yrs
Freelance Product Designer
Be SuperheroFreelance / side projects - ongoing alongside full-time rolesDelivered end-to-end product design for clients across diverse domains, including industrial emergency lighting monitoring systems, mobile fitness applications, and sports club management platforms.
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Jul 2007 - Oct 20081 yr 4 mo
Information Architect
Warsaw University of TechnologyHigher education · Web portalsAudited the existing website and redesigned the information architecture for the university's new web portal, improving accessibility and navigation for students and staff.
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Oct 2005 - Oct 20072 yrs 1 mo
Editor in Chief
Polibuda.infoNon-profit · Publishing · Team managementManaged a multidisciplinary team overseeing editorial operations and led new web projects for an independent student media organisation.
Engineering roots, continuous learning.
Master of Science (MSc)
Electrical Engineering, Automation & Computer EngineeringWarsaw University of Technology
Developed analytical thinking and systemic problem-solving through programming of industrial automation and robotics. Applied this engineering foundation to collaborate effectively with developers and design technically feasible, scalable solutions.
Postgraduate Studies
Project ManagementSGH Warsaw School of Economics
Advanced frameworks for managing product lifecycles, estimating resources, and aligning cross-functional teams.
Certifications & training
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Comprehensive curriculum covering user research, spatial interaction design, presence measurement, and prototyping in virtual reality environments.
- Prototyping and evaluating VR experiences using low-fidelity and digital methods, heuristic evaluation, and quality assurance frameworks
- Designing 3D interaction models and interface systems using Don Norman's design principles, multimodal inputs, and gesture recognition
- Conducting and synthesising VR user research, including interviews, usability testing, and inclusive design analysis
- Measuring user presence and engagement using subjective questionnaires, physiological signals (heart rate, EEG), and behavioural metrics
- Creating immersion and presence through narrative structure, spatial audio, emotional design, and social interaction frameworks
- Applying user-centred design principles to spatial architecture and immersive virtual reality environments
- Managing technical constraints, health and motion sickness considerations, and accessibility challenges in VR
- Using storytelling, storyboarding, and narrative structure to guide users through immersive virtual worlds
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UX Writing Fundamentals
Symetria UX · 2021 -
Theoretical principles and practical exercises covering core aspects of leading and growing UX design teams.
- Making strategic decisions related to team development
- Planning and conducting recruitment
- Resolving conflicts within product teams
- Delivering and receiving constructive critique
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Theory and hands-on group exercises focused on efficient planning and structuring of user-centred design processes.
- Analysing initial project requirements
- Structuring individual stages of the design process
- Engaging and aligning project stakeholders
- Communicating requirements and ideas using visual aids
- Designing testing procedures to evaluate solution effectiveness
- Planning post-launch product monitoring
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Theory and practical sessions on workshop planning and facilitation methods supporting product and service development in UX and service design.
- Planning UX workshops aligned with target participants, requirements, and project goals
- Facilitating UX workshops using diverse collaborative methods
- Synthesising and analysing workshop findings to share with the wider team
- Adapting workshop methodology to group dynamics and unexpected situations
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Design management methodology, design briefs, development and production rollout phases, user research, and integrating industrial design with manufacturing and business.
- Managing the design process from research and design brief through to production rollout
- Design management methodology and cross-disciplinary collaboration in industrial design projects
Arek was not only a great team leader but also a real teammate with whom you can discuss design problems and look for the best solutions. Always looking for a balance between user needs, business requirements, and technical limits. I believe his curiosity and openness to various points of view make him an awesome partner for any product team.
A maker's eye, off the clock.
Stop-motion puppet animation
Building and shooting puppets frame by frame - patience and precise timing made physical.
Ink drawing
Working in permanent ink, where every line has to be deliberate and final.
Photography
Composing with light and framing - training the eye that carries straight back into interface work.
Festiwal Filmów Amatorskich Filmowe Zwierciadła
Co-organising an independent amateur film festival - supporting arts and culture for over 20 years.
Let's work together.
Looking for a senior designer who thinks like a product owner and ships in code? Let's talk about complex platforms, design systems, or phygital products.