David Polacek
I'm a freelance Digital Product Designer with 20+ years of experience. Specialized in User Interfaces, Design Systems, UX and Interaction Design. I believe good design is inherently emotional and affects people in a way that can‘t be rationally understood.
My experience ranges from working in big, mid and small tech to designing for non-profits. Previously‚ I designed at Vodafone Group, T‑Systems, and was involved in some of the best apps in Germany. If you have an interesting idea, let's get in touch.
Selected Work 01
Vodafone Group Broadband / The award winning App allows you to easily manage, control and optimize your broadband connection. Schedule family screen time, prevent access after certain times, prioritise which device benefits from the best speeds, see who is using your network and broadband boost function. My role entailed conducting user research, co-lead product design decisions including Design System Language & User Interface Design.
Selected Work 02
fin.de / Offers its members a wide range of workouts for home. Exercises from yoga to HIIT, 350+ motivating workouts, and 800+ food recipes offering full flexibility. Strength training, muscle building, nutrition advice and fitness diary presented by real renowned sports scientists, personal trainers and nutrition experts. I was tasked for the overall digital experience and in-app interaction. My role was leading Corporate Design & User Interface Design.
Selected Work 03
V by Vodafone Group / Allows users to set up and manage their IoT smart devices from a central app, giving them control over device status, account and billing details and updates, all in one place. This project was based in UK, Germany and Egypt and targeted more than 80 million IoT connections across five continents. My roles included building a Design System Library to use over the product suite & co-lead User Interface Design.
Selected Work 04
dmexco App / A useful companion for visitors to the fair and conference. Provide access to all relevant information, an individual schedule, appointments with exhibitors, easiest contact exchange and export. I was responsible for User Interface & Interaction Design for iOS and Android.
Selected Work 05
Vodafone Group WS2 Design System / A common web and mobile experience driving brand consistency across all local markets. Help to drive improvement to market commercial and performance KPIs. I co-led the platform design team and worked on the Design System across the entire product ecosystem. Shipped communications and monetizations features across all markets that increased user conversion for 350 million+ users. Mainly contributed in creating a cohesive Design System Language, Mobile First Design Strategy, Component Library, Design Specifications, Microinteractions, Iconography, Documentation and Audits, increasing internal workflow efficiency among employees and partner teams.
Selected Work 06
T-Systems Edelcraft / A Digital University that access all your course materials on the move and keep on top of your online study workload. Organize your courses, help with exam preparation, gather notes, work on scripts, view video lectures all in the one place. My responsibilities primarily entailed conducting interviews, leading Product Design decisions including the Visual Direction & User Interface Design.
Selected Work 07
Vodafone Group V-SOS Band / Award-winning wrist band that allows the user to keep track and monitor the wellbeing of loved ones. With its SOS button and fall alert, this wristband will alert you and the user of the app if help is needed or if it detects a fall. Vodafone Group tasked me build out their MVP and create a global design system language. I was a User Interface Designer and worked with global dev teams and markets in bringing it to life.
Selected Work 08
Vodafone Group V-Auto / Transforms your everyday car into a smart car. With a whole suite of features like Auto SOS, find my car and much more, you can have confidence that you and your loved ones are safe when on the roads. Auto SOS detects if there has been a serious collision and will notify assistance. Through agile methods we worked in 2 week sprints. I was tasked for User Research, Design System development & UX / UI Design.
Selected Work 09
Vodafone Group Wallet / A digital version of your leather wallet. Add your Visa, MasterCard and PayPal account for secure, contactless payments. Discover daily deals, add loyalty cards, store Passbook tickets, flight boarding passes or ride the public transport. This agile, award-winning project targeted multiple global markets. I led all the design direction, maintained a cohesive Design System Language & User Interface Design.
Selected Work 10
Roadee Music / Simply follow your favorite artists and Roadee will send you a push notification, as soon as they release new music. Discover discographies for releases you didn't know about, scroll through decades of music, listen to song previews and jump into iTunes to buy new releases on day one. I was on the project from its inception until product launch as key member of the design setup as Lead UX / UI Designer & Prototyper.
Selected Work 11
Contilla Interactive Creator / Gives companies, publishers and agencies a tool to create interactive content (product advisors, puzzles, competitions, surveys) to enrich online media. I led Corporate Design & UX / UI Design for frontend and backend.
Selected Work 12
Jescali My Plus Marketing / A bonus system that benefits all network marketing members - in one simple, responsive system. I was Lead designer on this product and responsible for Corporate Design, UX / UI Design & Prototyping.
Selected Work 13
Portal United blauarbeit.de / Germany's oldest craftsmen's agency is a trade directory, quality & price comparison in one platform. I worked with Portal United on various design initiatives and lead the redesign across all their plattforms and verticals, as User Interface Designer, Iconographer & Digital Brand Designer. My goal of the new design was that both sides - client and service provider - feel even better in their known daily usage.
