š Hello, it's me, Donna.
A seasoned design professional
with +17 years of creative experience.
About Me
Where design meets function.
For me, design is about problem-solving ā creating usability-focused products and solutions that work in the real world.
Iām a multidisciplinary designer who blends strategy, design, and hands-on execution to create usable and visually engaging digital products. I thrive in collaborative environments and enjoy turning complex challenges into simple, meaningful solutions. Currently based in Malmƶ, Sweden, working worldwide.
Career
2019 - 2025
Playtech Sports
Senior UI/UX Designer
Worked as a Senior UX/UI Designer in the digital sports betting industry, crafting intuitive, data-driven experiences that engage and retain users. My role spanned user research, product strategy, and interface design, translating complex data into clear, actionable digital journeys.
Collaborating closely with product teams, developers, and stakeholders, I designed features and solutions that enhanced usability, boosted participation, and delivered measurable performance results. This included everything from wireframing and user testing to designing responsive websites across multiple platforms and brand experiences.
My work prioritized accessibility, clarity, and strong visual design, ensuring every interaction was purposeful and aligned with user goals.
2018 -2019
BIMobject
Lead UI Designer
Worked as a Lead UI Designer for a company transforming the construction industry through BIM objects and digital content. Built and maintained a scalable design system while designing websites and digital solutions that delivered cohesive, user-friendly experiences across platforms.
Worked closely with product, content, and development teams to create intuitive, consistent interfaces aligned with user needs and industry standards.
My designs enhanced accessibility, usability, and visual clarity, supporting the companyās mission to make BIM resources easier to find, understand, and use.
2016 - 2018
Apsis
Email Designer
Working as an Email Designer I was responsible for designing, coding, and delivering high-performing email campaigns for international clients across multiple industries. I created visually engaging, mobile-responsive templates using HTML/CSS, ensuring alignment with brand guidelines, accessibility standards, and email platform requirements.
In close collaboration with marketing teams and global stakeholders, I translated campaign objectives into clear visual concepts, optimized layouts for deliverability and engagement, and troubleshot rendering issues across major email clients and devices.
My work focused on combining strong visual design with technical precisionāimproving open rates, click-through performance, and overall campaign consistency.
2014 - 2016
Ch5 Finland
Design Lead/Project Manager
As a Design Lead and managing projects I was overseeing the delivery of digital services and tools for the collection, processing, management, and publishing of data and information.
Led multidisciplinary teams delivering solutions for municipal clients and Finnish government ministries, aligning design, technical execution, and project governance to meet public-sector standards. Experienced in stakeholder management, requirements definition, and driving user-centered, compliant, and scalable digital outcomes.
2011 - 2014
Rautakesko
Production AD/Marketing Designer
Worked in a marketing team for an international, market-leading hardware and tool retail chain in Finland. Responsible for shaping the visual identity and digital presence across multiple channels, print and digital, I led the production of campaigns and marketing assets from concept through execution, ensuring brand consistency and operational efficiency.
Working across marketing, e-commerce, and product teams, I planned and coordinated campaigns, optimized web content and user journeys, and managed day-to-day website operations to support sales objectives.
My work struck a balance between creativity and commercial performance, enhancing brand visibility, strengthening customer engagement, and driving measurable growth across both digital and retail channels.
2013
Shandy
Web Producer
2009 -
Donnas Design
Founder/Freelance Designer
2011
Fonecta
Google Advertising Designer
2011
Adworks
Graphic Designer
2008- 2010
LR Health & Beauty Systems
Marketing Assistant/Designer
2005 - 2008
Karhukopio
Customer Service Agent/Production Worker
Skills
What I do
My core competence is multidisciplinary design, with expertise in product and service design, supported by strong project management and team leadership skills.
I work with a full-stack design mindset, covering the entire product lifecycle from concept to implementation. My process begins with understanding users, business goals, and technical constraints, and continues through UX research, information architecture, interaction design, and visual design. I design systems, flows, and interfaces that are scalable, accessible, and grounded in real user needs.
With a background that bridges design and front-end development, I collaborate closely with engineers and stakeholders to ensure designs are not only visually refined but also feasible and efficient to build. I think in components, patterns, and systems, which allows for consistency across products while supporting long-term growth.
I value clarity, usability, and purpose in every design decision. By combining strategic thinking, hands-on design execution, and technical understanding, I create end-to-end solutions that align user experience with business and product goals.
I approach product and service design holistically, focusing on the complete experience across digital products, services, and touchpoints. My work starts with discoveryāunderstanding user needs, business objectives, and operational realitiesāand translates insights into clear concepts, journeys, and service ecosystems.
I design products and services that are intuitive, scalable, and sustainable by aligning user experience, business strategy, and technical feasibility. This includes mapping user journeys, defining service blueprints, designing interaction models, and shaping coherent product experiences that work seamlessly across channels.
Collaboration is central to my process. I work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure that design decisions support both user value and organizational goals. By combining strategic thinking with practical execution, I help turn complex problems into clear, meaningful, and well-functioning product and service experiences.
I manage design and digital projects with a structured, transparent, and goal-oriented approach. My focus is on aligning scope, timelines, and resources while maintaining a high standard of quality throughout the project lifecycle. I work to ensure that expectations are clear, risks are identified early, and progress is communicated consistently.
I am experienced in planning and coordinating work across cross-functional teams, balancing business priorities with design and technical constraints. By breaking complex initiatives into manageable phases, I help teams move forward efficiently while staying adaptable to change. I value clear documentation, realistic scheduling, and informed decision-making.
Through proactive coordination and steady leadership, I support teams in delivering projects on time and with purpose. My project management approach emphasizes clarity, collaboration, and accountability, enabling teams to focus on creating meaningful and effective outcomes.
I lead design teams with a clear, collaborative, and outcome-driven approach. My focus is on creating an environment where designers can do their best work while staying aligned with product goals, timelines, and organizational strategy. I balance hands-on involvement with strategic oversight, ensuring both quality of execution and long-term team development.
I support teams through clear direction, constructive feedback, and shared design principles. By fostering open communication and trust, I help multidisciplinary teams work effectively across design, product, and engineering. I value structured processes but remain flexible, adapting leadership style to the teamās needs and project context.
My leadership is grounded in empathy, accountability, and clarity. I aim to empower individuals, encourage ownership, and build resilient teams capable of delivering high-quality design outcomes in complex and evolving environments.
Design
- Responsive UI/UX Design
- Full-Stack Design
- Product Design
- Design Systems
- Branding & Visual Identity
Tools
- Sketch
- Adobe CC
- Figma
- Zeplin
- InVision
random
- E-Commerce
- WCAG
- SEO/SEM
Code
- HTML/CSS
- PHP
- Bootstrap
- JS & jQuery Basics
- Sass
Dev Tools
- Dreamweaver
- Brackets
- Atom
- Netbeans IDE
- Eclipse IDE
CMS
- WordPress
- Webflow
- Liferay
- Sharepoint
- Joomla!
Education
Web Designer
Graphic Designer
Software Developer
College Graduate
My Work (#WIP)
Portfolio
I have over 17 years of experience in designing and building a wide variety of stuff.
Below is just a glimpse of some of the projects I have had the opportunity to work on.
Branding | Product Design (UI/UX) | QA
Branding a Sportsbook
Customized Sports betting solutions and features for different operators and brands.
UI/UX | WordPress | CSS | PHP | SEO Project Management | E-Commerce
E-Commerce
I designed and implemented a responsive WordPress website with a custom product catalog for a Finnish lighting retailer, ensuring a clean user experience across devices while making it easy for customers to browse, compare, and discover products.
The solution balanced visual clarity, performance, and content manageability to support both users and the business.
Email Design | HTML | CSS | Testing | Branding
Email Template
Design & Development
I designed and developed responsive email templates using HTML and CSS for Ilmarinen, Finlandās largest private earnings-related pension insurance company.
The work focused on clarity, accessibility, and brand consistency, with thorough testing across different devices and email clients to ensure reliable rendering and a consistent user experience.
Branding | UI/UX | WordPress | CSS
WordPress
Contact
Get in touch!
- +46 70 644 99 66
- donna.salminen@gmail.com
- Malmƶ, Sweden / Parainen, Finland