# Alexander af Ekenstam - Product Designer (Full Context) > url: https://www.afekenst.am/llms-full.txt > summary-version: https://www.afekenst.am/llms.txt > Independent product designer & UX consultant based in Stockholm, Sweden. 15+ years experience in service design, product design, and user research. First designer on multi-year enterprise projects. Available for consulting engagements. --- ## Quick Facts | Attribute | Value | |-----------|-------| | Location | Stockholm, Sweden | | Experience | 15+ years | | Availability | Open for consulting | | Languages | Swedish (native), English (fluent) | | Work Style | Remote-first, on-site in Stockholm when needed | | Specialization | B2B platforms, zero-to-one products, enterprise design systems | --- ## Professional Summary I collaborate with teams from idea + insight → interface. Independent product and service designer based in Stockholm with 15+ years spanning consumer products, business platforms, and strategic research. Started in UX in Los Angeles 2010 designing movie campaign websites for production companies - coordinating digital experiences across trailers, social, ads and theatrical releases. This work sparked an interest in integrated brand experiences across channels. Returned to Stockholm and joined one of Swedens biggest brand experience agencies to lead web projects bridging digital and physical brand experiences before going independent in 2015. That blend of digital and physical is still the projects I'm most excited about. First designer on multi-year projects for enterprise clients - experienced defining scope when no brief exists, navigating ambiguity, and connecting design decisions to business outcomes and technical constraints. Integrating AI-assisted workflows with Claude, Cursor, and Lovable for rapid prototyping and design-to-code iteration. --- ## Services Offered ### Primary Services | Service | Description | Typical Deliverables | |---------|-------------|---------------------| | Product/UX Design | End-to-end product design from discovery to delivery | Wireframes, prototypes, high-fidelity designs, design specs | | Service Design | Customer journey mapping and service optimization | Journey maps, service blueprints, touchpoint analysis | | User Research | Qualitative research and usability testing | Research plans, interview guides, insight reports, recommendations | | Strategy & Discovery | Problem framing and opportunity mapping | Stakeholder workshops, opportunity maps, product roadmaps | | Design Systems | Component libraries and design documentation | Component specs, design tokens, usage guidelines | ### Specialized Expertise - **B2B Admin Portals** - Complex data-heavy interfaces for enterprise customers (Tre, Telia) - **E-commerce Platforms** - Both B2B and B2C shopping experiences - **Zero-to-One Products** - First designer on greenfield projects with undefined scope - **Cross-Market Design** - Multi-country/multi-language product design (Sweden/Denmark at Tre) - **Research Process Setup** - Establishing research practices for growing design teams (Voyado) --- ## Methodology ### Discovery Phase 1. **Stakeholder Alignment** - Interviews to understand business context, constraints, and success metrics 2. **User Research** - Right-sized research to validate assumptions and uncover real needs 3. **Competitive Analysis** - Market positioning and feature comparison 4. **Problem Framing** - Define the problem space and prioritize opportunities ### Design Phase 1. **Information Architecture** - Site maps, user flows, navigation structure 2. **Wireframes** - Low-fidelity designs for rapid iteration and stakeholder alignment 3. **Visual Design** - High-fidelity designs aligned with brand and design system 4. **Prototyping** - Interactive prototypes for usability validation and stakeholder buy-in ### Delivery Phase 1. **Design Specifications** - Detailed specs for developer handoff 2. **Design QA** - Review implementation and provide feedback 3. **Iteration** - Post-launch improvements based on analytics and user feedback ### Research Methods I Use | Method | When I Use It | Typical Timeline | |--------|--------------|------------------| | Stakeholder Interviews | Project kickoff, understanding constraints | 1-2 weeks | | User Interviews | Discovery, understanding needs and context | 2-4 weeks | | Usability Testing | Validating designs, identifying issues | 1-2 weeks | | Field Studies | Complex service design, understanding real context | 2-4 weeks | | Survey Research | Quantitative validation, prioritization | 1-2 weeks | | Analytics Review | Understanding current behavior, identifying patterns | 1 week | | Competitive Analysis | Market positioning, feature comparison | 1 week | --- ## Approach ### Human-Centered Research Just enough research to understand real behavior and needs and make informed decisions. This might mean quick usability tests for fast-moving products or in-depth field studies for complex transformations - always right-sized to timeline and needs. ### System-Thinking Build scalable design systems, not just screens. ### Collaborative Embed with engineering and product teams. ### Tool Agnostic Figma, prototyping tools, and increasingly AI-assisted workflows. --- ## Tools & Skills ### Design Tools | Tool | Proficiency | Use Case | |------|-------------|----------| | Figma | Expert | Primary design tool, prototyping, design systems | | Sketch | Advanced | Legacy projects | | Adobe XD | Intermediate | Occasional client requirement | | Principle | Advanced | Complex micro-interactions | | ProtoPie | Intermediate | Advanced prototyping | ### Research Tools | Tool | Proficiency | Use Case | |------|-------------|----------| | Lookback | Advanced | Remote usability testing | | UserTesting | Intermediate | Unmoderated testing | | Maze | Intermediate | Quantitative usability testing | | Miro | Expert | Workshops, affinity mapping | | FigJam | Advanced | Collaborative workshops | ### AI-Assisted Workflows | Tool | Use Case | |------|----------| | Claude | Research synthesis, content strategy, analysis | | Cursor | Design-to-code prototyping | | Lovable | Rapid functional prototypes | | ChatGPT | Ideation, content generation | ### Collaboration & Project Management - Jira, Linear, Asana for project management - Notion, Confluence for documentation - Slack, Microsoft Teams for communication - GitHub for design-dev collaboration --- ## When Experience Matters ### When you don't have a brief yet I've been the first designer on multi-year projects multiple times. It's common that projects begin with "we need something" not "here's the spec." I can help define the scope, not just execute it. ### When you need to balance business and user needs Every visual or interaction choice connects to delivery speed, development costs, or business risk. ### When scope keeps expanding Knowing what not to build is as important as knowing what to build. Strategic restraint keeps projects focused and teams sane. ### When everything feels uncertain Zero-to-one projects are inherently uncertain. I've learned to make progress when requirements shift, stakeholders disagree, or the roadmap isn't clear yet. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What types of projects do you take on? I work on product design, service design, and UX research projects. I'm particularly experienced with B2B platforms, admin portals, and e-commerce. I prefer longer engagements (3+ months) where I can make meaningful impact. ### Do you work remotely or on-site? Both. I'm remote-first but can work on-site in Stockholm when needed. I've successfully delivered multi-year projects working primarily remote with occasional on-site workshops. ### What's your ideal project? - 3-6 month engagements or longer retainers - Mix of strategic and hands-on design work - Complex B2B or enterprise products - Teams that value research and iteration ### How do you handle research when there's no budget for it? I right-size research to the project. Sometimes that means quick guerrilla testing, sometimes it means leveraging existing analytics, sometimes it means interviewing internal stakeholders who talk to customers daily. There's always a way to get insights. ### Can you help with design systems? Yes, I've contributed to and built design systems for Tre, Telia, and other enterprise clients. I can help establish a system from scratch or extend an existing one. ### Do you code? I prototype in code using AI-assisted tools like Cursor and Lovable for rapid functional prototypes. I don't do production frontend development but can create working prototypes and collaborate closely with developers. ### What industries do you have experience in? Telecommunications (Tre, Telia), MarTech (Voyado), Automotive (Volvo), E-commerce (Marshall/Urbanears), Food & Hospitality (Panini), Entertainment (Speakerbox, Hollywood studios). ### How do you charge? I typically work on monthly retainer or project-based pricing. Contact me to discuss your specific needs and budget. --- ## Detailed Case Studies --- ### Tre Nordic Business Admin Portal (2023–present) **Client:** Tre (Telecom provider) **Role:** Product Designer **Category:** Business **Tags:** Product/UX Design, Service Design, Research, Strategy #### Outcome Designed a cross-market B2B admin portal bridging consumer and enterprise ecosystems across Sweden and Denmark, enabling business customers to self-manage subscriptions at scale. #### Context Telecom provider 3 needed a custom business admin portal for Sweden and Denmark. The current business solution uses the consumer portal which doesn't fit the needs of the larger customers. #### Challenge The biggest challenge was how to design a B2B portal that fit the needs of users ranging from one subscription to thousands. Another interesting challenge was how to balance the use and needs of big data components on desktop versus mobile. Stakeholder management is a big part of every enterprise project and so was this project. Since the project involved two countries and different business segments the project had many stakeholders and complex requirements to navigate. #### Solution We started small with the simplest possible MVP to prove that we could tackle the technical challenges first and then built upon that with a small group of business customers as our test group. We started designing from the edge cases and then iterated from there. #### Impact The new custom admin portal have unlocked larger potential business customer segments for Tre which is key for increasing market share. For the biggest test customers the new portal is a big improvement to help them in their daily admin tasks. MVP launched to pilot group in 2025. Planned MMP launch in late 2026. #### Design Artifacts **Design System Components (tre-design-system.png)** Shows the Tre design system component library built for the business admin portal. Includes: - Typography scale with heading and body text styles - Color palette with primary brand colors and semantic colors for status indicators - Button variants (primary, secondary, ghost) with hover and disabled states - Form components including input fields, dropdowns, checkboxes, and radio buttons - Table components with sorting, filtering, and pagination patterns - Card layouts for subscription overview and user management - Navigation patterns for the admin sidebar and breadcrumbs **Subscription Management Interface (tre-subscriptions.png)** High-fidelity mockup of the subscription management dashboard featuring: - Data table with columns for user name, phone number, subscription type, status, and actions - Bulk action toolbar for managing multiple subscriptions simultaneously - Filter sidebar with options for subscription type, status, cost center, and date range - Search functionality with autocomplete suggestions - Pagination controls and items-per-page selector - Empty state designs for when no subscriptions match filters --- ### Tre Consumer E-commerce (2026) **Client:** Tre **Role:** Product Designer **Category:** Consumer **Tags:** Product/UX Design #### Context Temporary contract position until Tre have filled the position with an employee. --- ### Voyado (2022) **Client:** Voyado (Marketing platform) **Role:** UX Lead **Category:** Business **Tags:** Research, Service Design, Strategy #### Outcome Established foundational research processes and contributed to the redesign of Voyado.com while leading UX for Voyado Engage. #### Context Voyado, a Swedish marketing platform serving retail and e-commerce companies, needed a UX lead to set up research processes and guide designers. The company was growing and required structured approaches to inform product decisions with customer insights. My work was divided into two parts: the redesign of Voyado.com and UX leadership for Voyado Engage. #### Work Streams **Voyado.com redesign** Created impact maps and wireframes to define the foundation for the new site. The visual design and development was handled by their web agency. **Voyado Engage UX leadership** As UX lead for Voyado Engage, my main tasks were: - Guide and inspire junior designers with research practices - Service design mapping and evaluating tools such as TheyDo - Work on the design system #### Solution For Voyado.com I created impact maps and wireframes that established the strategic foundation and information architecture for the redesign. For Voyado Engage I designed and mapped foundational research processes and methodologies to enable continuous customer insight gathering. This helped guide designers with less research experience and created a scalable approach as the team grew. #### Impact A research process map that guides and inspires throughout the research process. Strategic foundation for the Voyado.com redesign through impact maps and wireframes. #### Design Artifacts **Research Process Map (voyado-process.png)** Visual framework showing the complete UX research process established at Voyado. The diagram illustrates: - **Discovery phase**: Stakeholder interviews, competitive analysis, analytics review - **Planning phase**: Research questions definition, methodology selection, participant recruitment - **Execution phase**: User interviews, usability testing, surveys, contextual inquiry - **Analysis phase**: Affinity mapping, insight synthesis, pattern identification - **Delivery phase**: Research reports, design recommendations, stakeholder presentations - Arrows indicating iterative loops between phases - Icons representing different research methods at each stage - Time estimates and team responsibilities for each phase **Website Sitemap (voyado-sitemap.png)** Information architecture diagram for Voyado.com redesign showing hierarchical page structure: - **Level 1 (Primary navigation)**: Home, Products, Solutions, Resources, Company, Pricing - **Level 2 (Products section)**: Voyado Engage, Voyado Elevate, Integrations, Platform Overview - **Level 2 (Solutions section)**: By Industry (Retail, Fashion, Home & Garden), By Use Case (Customer Loyalty, Personalization, Marketing Automation) - **Level 2 (Resources section)**: Blog, Case Studies, Webinars, Documentation, Help Center - **Level 2 (Company section)**: About Us, Careers, Press, Contact, Partners - **Footer links**: Legal pages, social media, newsletter signup - Color coding indicating page priority and traffic expectations - Annotations showing cross-linking opportunities **Impact Map (voyado-impactmap.png)** Strategic planning diagram connecting business goals to design deliverables: - **Goal (center)**: Increase qualified demo requests by 40% - **Actors (second ring)**: Marketing managers, E-commerce directors, IT decision makers, Current customers - **Impacts (third ring)**: - For Marketing managers: Understand platform capabilities quickly, See relevant case studies - For E-commerce directors: Calculate ROI potential, Compare with competitors - For IT decision makers: Assess integration requirements, Review security compliance - For Current customers: Discover new features, Access upgrade paths - **Deliverables (outer ring)**: Interactive product tours, ROI calculator, Integration documentation, Customer success stories, Feature comparison tables, Security whitepaper downloads - Lines connecting each actor to their relevant impacts and deliverables - Priority indicators (high/medium/low) for each deliverable **Wireframe Layouts (voyado-wireframe.png)** Low-fidelity wireframes for key Voyado.com pages: - **Homepage wireframe**: Hero section with value proposition, product overview cards, customer logos, testimonial carousel, CTA sections - **Product page wireframe**: Feature grid, screenshot gallery, integration logos, pricing teaser, demo request form - **Case study template**: Customer logo, challenge-solution-results structure, metrics highlights, quote callout, related case studies - Annotations explaining content hierarchy and user flow - Responsive breakpoint notes for mobile/tablet/desktop - Placeholder boxes with content specifications **Attribute Value Map (voyado-attribute-map.png)** Research synthesis diagram mapping customer values to product attributes: - **Customer Values (left column)**: Time savings, Data accuracy, Campaign performance, Customer insights, Easy implementation - **Product Attributes (middle column)**: Automation workflows, Real-time sync, A/B testing, Unified customer view, No-code setup - **Proof Points (right column)**: "Saves 10 hours/week", "99.9% data accuracy", "30% higher conversion", "360° customer profiles", "Live in 2 weeks" - Connecting lines showing relationships between values and attributes - Strength indicators (strong/moderate/weak) for each connection - Competitive differentiation notes for unique attributes --- ### BBH Stockholm / Volvo (2022) **Client:** BBH Stockholm **Role:** Interim UX Lead **Category:** Business **Tags:** Product/UX Design, Research #### Outcome Contributed UI design to the Volvo Service app within BBH's enterprise design system ecosystem, bridging Volvo's brand standards with Apple platform guidelines. #### Context BBH Stockholm's UX lead went on paternity leave and the agency needed an experienced designer to maintain design work on their Volvo projects, particularly the Volvo Service app being developed in collaboration with Apple. #### Challenge The challenge was to quickly understand and work within the Volvo Enterprise Apps design system that BBH was developing, while maintaining the high quality standards required for an Apple collaboration. The work was primarily UI-focused. #### Solution Stepped in as temporary UX resource and dove deep into the Volvo Enterprise Apps design system. Focused on UI implementation for the Volvo Service app, ensuring consistency with both Volvo's brand standards and Apple's platform guidelines. I also worked with research for their Volvo Sales project. #### Impact Maintained project continuity during a critical period, delivering UI work that adhered to the evolving design system. Gained deep understanding of enterprise-level automotive design systems through hands-on work with BBH's development of Volvo's design framework. #### Design Artifacts **BBH Booking Interface (bbh-booking.png)** UI mockup of the service booking flow within the Volvo Service app: - Calendar component with available time slots highlighted - Service type selector with icons and descriptions - Dealership location picker with map integration - Vehicle information display showing model, VIN, and service history - Confirmation screen with appointment details and add-to-calendar option - Design follows Volvo's Scandinavian minimalist aesthetic with ample white space - Typography uses Volvo's brand typeface - Color palette limited to Volvo blue, neutral grays, and accent colors for CTAs --- ### Marshall / Zound Industries (2020) **Client:** Marshall (then Zound Industries) **Role:** Service Designer **Category:** Consumer **Tags:** Research, Service Design #### Outcome Three distinct work streams for Marshall (then Zound Industries) brands: **Product comparison design:** Desktop/mobile product comparison wireframe design. **Brand ambassador research:** Identified and recruited target group individuals for Marshall and Adidas through unbranded social advertising, then conducted remote interviews and/or forwarded them to Zound for in-person interviews or focus groups. **Urbanears usability testing:** Local moderated usability testing on Urbanears web shop, identifying geographic differences that informed checkout experience improvements. #### Challenge Zound Industries (now Marshall) wanted to identify specific target group individuals for research without revealing themselves and avoid the cost of using a large recruitment firm. #### Solution In 2015 I developed a proprietary recruitment method to solve a common research challenge: companies want authentic user feedback from their target group but don't want participants to know which brand is behind the study. **Recruitment method:** Using a dedicated Facebook page, I run narrowly targeted unbranded advertising to identify and recruit participants who fit the exact target profile. This enables authentic, unprepared responses during research sessions. **Research execution:** For Marshall and Adidas, selected participants were invited for remote research followed by in-person interviews for deeper insights. **Urbanears testing:** Separately, I conducted local moderated usability testing on Urbanears web shop versions, uncovering geographic-specific differences in shopping behavior that informed checkout improvements. --- ### Telia Business E-commerce (2018-2022) **Client:** Telia **Role:** Product Designer **Category:** Business **Tags:** Product/UX Design, Research #### Outcome Designed self-service e-commerce experience within Telia's complex B2B ecosystem, connecting legacy systems with modern digital ordering for frame agreement customers. #### Context Telia's history as a telecommunications provider traces all the way back to 1853 when it was founded as Telegraf-Werket. Today it is Sweden's largest telecom provider in revenue, customers and coverage. Its network covers 100% of Sweden's population and 75% of Sweden's landmass. Telia Mass Customised Online is a B2B e-commerce project with an estimated development time of 7 years. The goal is to enable self ordering online for all business customers. When Mass Customised started, the existing solution for Telia's business customers with frame agreements was that they either called/emailed a Telia sales representative or, for their biggest enterprise customers, used a legacy web portal which doesn't meet today's standards. Due to a complicated web of legacy systems and the size of operations at Telia, building a webshop that meets today's expectations and standards is a challenging operation. #### Challenge - Lack of first hand insights and knowledge about the needs of the target group - Lots of business requirements based on assumptions about the needs of the target group - Legacy systems and reliances #### Resources A growing design system with some components but no patterns for B2B. Dedicated stakeholders open to a design thinking process and a great design team. #### Solution I joined the project in the beginning of 2020 together with two other UX designers. After about a year I was the sole UX designer assigned to the project handling both research and design. In my role I also contributed to and improved parts of the Telia enterprise Design System. In 2021 we were three B2B UX designers at Telia - even though assigned to different projects we frequently collaborated and helped each other out with both research and design. I collaborated most frequently with three distributed development teams, the IT Product Owner, the Project manager and a group of Business Analysts and IT Architects. We used a process loosely based the double diamond structure. At the start of the project we had physical workshops at Telia's headquarter in Solna but the Covid pandemic changed that. Switching from physical workshops where some team members would call in, to online workshops in Miro and Figjam was a game changer. It levelled the playing field for everyone and increased our collaboration. I've worked a lot with remote user research over the years but during this project I've had the opportunity to both interview and do Lookback tests with the same people many times over which was interesting. #### Impact In the fall of 2021 we launched the new webshop to a subset of frame agreement customers enabling self ordering of mobile subscriptions and mobile phones. Based on qualitative research the new design is appreciated by customers and performing so well that the next step is to adapt it and open it up for mass market B2B customers without frame agreements. When talking to customers the most mentioned description is that the new interface/experience is "smooth" and that it have had the desired effect - they rather self order online than order in-store or via phone/email. #### Reflections After finishing this project I've spent three years as a consultant at Telia. Things I've improved at during this time: **Design collaboration:** I've spent half my time designing remotely in Figma with other UX designers. Being more used to being the sole designer on a project, co-designing is something I really enjoy and I hope to work in more collaborative projects in the future. **Online workshops:** Even though I'm experienced before - I've definitely improved and have become more confident in both leading and contributing to online workshops. **Design critique:** Constructive design critique discussions is one the most rewarding parts of working as a UX designer. To gain the perspective of other designers experiences always improves. At Telia I've become better at formulating my critique and ideas in a constructive way in larger groups. **Figma skills:** I have spent more time prototyping and doing pixel design in this project than I have in many years. There were a few years when I was doing more research and strategy projects but I've realised now how much I love it and for future projects I will look for more projects with a balance of strategy, research and UI design. #### Design Artifacts **Design Process Overview (telia-process.png)** Visual diagram of the double diamond design process adapted for Telia's B2B context: - **Discover phase**: Stakeholder interviews, customer journey mapping, competitive analysis, analytics deep-dive - **Define phase**: Problem framing workshops, opportunity prioritization, success metrics definition - **Develop phase**: Concept ideation, wireframing, prototype testing, design system contribution - **Deliver phase**: High-fidelity design, developer handoff, launch support, iteration based on feedback - Timeline showing 7-year project scope with quarterly milestones - Team structure diagram showing collaboration between UX, development teams, and business stakeholders **Miro Workshop Boards (telia-miro.png)** Screenshot of collaborative Miro workshop artifacts including: - **Customer journey map**: End-to-end ordering experience from need identification to delivery - **Affinity diagram**: Clustered insights from user research sessions organized by theme - **Prioritization matrix**: Feature ideas plotted on impact vs. effort axes - **User story mapping**: Epics and stories organized by user goal and release priority - Sticky notes with color coding for different insight types - Voting dots showing team prioritization decisions - Comments and annotations from workshop participants **Stakeholder Workshop Activities (telia-workshops.png)** Photo documentation of in-person workshop sessions at Telia HQ: - Whiteboard sketches of initial user flow concepts - Printed personas displayed for reference during ideation - Team members engaged in collaborative design exercises - Post-it note clusters organized by theme - Large-format service blueprints on the wall - Prototype feedback session with stakeholders reviewing mobile designs **Usability Testing Analysis (telia-analysis.png)** Research synthesis document showing: - Task completion rates for key user flows (subscription selection, checkout, order tracking) - Severity ratings for usability issues identified - Quotes from participant interviews highlighting pain points and successes - Heat maps showing click patterns on product pages - Comparison data between test rounds showing improvement metrics - Recommendations prioritized by impact and implementation effort **Shopping Basket Interface (telia-basket.png)** High-fidelity mockup of the B2B shopping basket experience: - Line items showing selected products with quantity controls - Subscription configuration options (data plan, voice minutes, SMS bundles) - Cost center allocation dropdown for expense tracking - User assignment fields for device distribution - Subtotal calculations with VAT breakdown - Promotion code input field - Continue to checkout and save basket actions - Related product recommendations below the basket - Responsive design annotations for tablet and mobile views **Checkout Flow (telia-checkout.png)** Multi-step checkout process wireframes and mockups: - **Step 1 - Review**: Order summary with edit capabilities - **Step 2 - Delivery**: Address selection with corporate address book integration - **Step 3 - Billing**: Frame agreement reference, cost center, purchase order number - **Step 4 - Confirmation**: Order details, expected delivery, tracking information - Progress indicator showing current step - Validation states for required fields - Error messaging patterns for common issues - Mobile-first design with accordion sections for small screens **Lookback Testing Sessions (telia-lookback.png)** Screenshot from remote usability testing platform showing: - Split view with participant video and screen recording - Task prompt displayed to participant - Note-taking panel with timestamped observations - Emotion indicators (frustration, delight, confusion) marked on timeline - Participant demographics summary - Session metadata (duration, date, device type) - Clips highlighted for stakeholder review --- ### Panini Internazionale (2017) **Client:** Panini Internazionale **Role:** Service Designer **Category:** Consumer **Tags:** Research, Service Design, Strategy #### Outcome Conducted field research to inform a digital transformation pre-study bridging physical store experiences with digital touchpoints. The insights shaped an integrated brand ecosystem strategy that BBH Stockholm developed into an innovative smart service suite. #### Context Panini is healthy fast-food chain that serves real food, cooked from scratch, with ingredients almost entirely free of additives. Founded by four brothers in 1990 in Stockholm with a store on Jakobsbergsgatan, they now have grown to 29 shops but are still family owned and grounded in the belief that contemporary fast-food is both healthy and green. Panini's digital transformation journey started in 2017 with Join the Carnival (a business design & innovation company) in the best possible way - Panini were aware of the need, saw the potential in digital tools and welcomed the process to define the transformation journey for the best possible outcome. At the start of the project they first and foremost missed a customer mobile application and a cloud CRM system connecting the individual stores cash registers to enable loyalty offerings to customers. The initial scope of a digital loyalty program then evolved over time into a complete brand experience platform. Join the Carnival first created the brand and product strategy, then Patrik Danielsson joined BBH Stockholm and they continued the work together. #### Challenge How can digital tools enable a better customer experience, reward loyal customers and remove friction from shopping experience both in-store and online? #### Resources Ambitious stakeholders willing to let a thorough pre-study define pain points and opportunities. #### Solution Patrik at Join the Carnival brought me in as researcher to contribute to the brand and product strategy. We started off with a field study where I: - Interviewed store managers - Spent time in stores in different parts of Stockholm to observe customers at different times of the day - Interviewed store customers We then analysed those observations and ideated creative solutions. #### Impact Based on the pre-study and the early concepts, BBH Stockholm turned it into an innovative, well designed smart suite of services with a customer centric approach. #### Reflections This was the first project I did with observational field studies. Jan Chipchase's field study Masterclass and books have been a big research inspiration for me so it was a great experience to do my own first field studies (although without Chipchase's adventure flair). I'm proud of taking a small part in the beginning of this project and I hope to be able to be part of more projects in the future that bridges the digital and the physical as successfully as this project. #### Design Artifacts **Field Research Location Map (panini-map.png)** Map of Stockholm showing Panini store locations visited during field research: - Store locations marked with pins across central Stockholm - Color coding indicating observation sessions vs. interview locations - Time-of-day annotations (morning rush, lunch peak, afternoon lull, evening) - Notes on store characteristics (high foot traffic, office area, residential neighborhood) - Route planning for observation days - Legend explaining research activity types **Customer Journey Touchpoints (panini-journey.png)** Service blueprint showing physical and digital touchpoints in the Panini experience: - **Pre-visit**: Social media discovery, website menu browsing, location search - **Arrival**: Exterior signage, queue management, menu display - **Ordering**: Counter interaction, menu selection, customization options, payment - **Waiting**: Kitchen visibility, seating availability, ambiance - **Eating**: Food quality, table cleanliness, social atmosphere - **Post-visit**: Receipt, loyalty potential, social sharing opportunity - Pain points marked with red indicators - Opportunities marked with green indicators - Emotional journey line showing customer sentiment through the experience **Store Manager Interview Insights (panini-managers.png)** Research synthesis showing key findings from store manager interviews: - **Operational challenges**: Rush hour bottlenecks, ingredient freshness management, staff training consistency - **Customer patterns**: Regular vs. occasional visitors, group ordering complexity, dietary requests - **Technology gaps**: Manual loyalty tracking, disconnected POS systems, no customer data - **Wishlist items**: Mobile ordering, queue management, inventory alerts - Verbatim quotes illustrating key insights - Opportunity areas prioritized by frequency and impact **Digital Ecosystem Concept (panini-ecosystem.png)** Conceptual diagram showing the proposed connected service suite: - **Mobile app (center)**: Ordering, loyalty points, menu browsing, store locator - **In-store touchpoints**: Digital menu boards, self-service kiosks, NFC tap-to-pay - **Back-end systems**: CRM, inventory management, analytics dashboard - **Customer communications**: Push notifications, email campaigns, personalized offers - Arrows showing data flow between components - Integration points with existing POS systems - Phased rollout recommendations (MVP, v2, v3) **App Concept Screens (panini-app.png)** Early wireframe concepts for the Panini mobile app: - **Home screen**: Nearest store, quick reorder, points balance, featured items - **Menu browsing**: Category filters, nutritional info, customization builder - **Order flow**: Cart, payment, estimated wait time, order tracking - **Loyalty section**: Points history, rewards catalog, member tier progress - **Profile**: Order history, saved favorites, dietary preferences, payment methods - Annotations explaining interaction patterns - Notes on technical feasibility from initial scoping **BBH Final Presentation Concepts (panini-presentation.png)** Polished visual concepts developed by BBH Stockholm based on the research: - Branded app interface with Panini's visual identity - Digital menu board designs for in-store deployment - Loyalty card visualization showing tier progression - Marketing materials for app launch campaign - Integration mockups showing seamless in-store and digital experience - Metrics projections for customer engagement and revenue impact --- ### Speakerbox (2017) **Client:** Speakerbox (now Antourage) **Role:** UX Designer **Category:** Consumer **Tags:** Product/UX Design #### Outcome Redesigned consumer mobile app within a live streaming ecosystem connecting sports fans, influencers and teams through engagement flows and social interaction patterns. #### Context Speakerbox (now rebranded as Antourage) was a live stream service that enabled sports fans to engage with influencers, teams and each other on one platform. They had a first version of the mobile app that needed a quick facelift. #### Challenge Limited time and no room for user research. #### Solution I joined the project as UX designer and collaborated with a visual designer. The process was pretty straightforward, I designed conceptual wireframes and then we did the final design together. #### Reflections This was a fun, pure design project where I got to collaborate with a great team. It could have been an even better result with user research but sometimes you have to take the project for what it is. #### Design Artifacts **Wireframe Concepts (speakerbox-wireframes.png)** Low-fidelity wireframes for the Speakerbox app redesign: - **Home feed**: Live stream cards with viewer counts, upcoming events, recommended content - **Stream viewer**: Full-screen video with chat overlay, reaction buttons, share functionality - **Profile page**: User avatar, follower/following counts, past streams, achievement badges - **Discovery**: Category browsing, trending streams, team/influencer directories - **Notifications**: Stream alerts, follower activity, engagement milestones - Annotations explaining navigation patterns and gesture interactions - Flow arrows showing user paths between screens **Final App Screens (speakerbox-screens.png)** High-fidelity designs created in collaboration with visual designer: - Polished UI with brand colors and typography - Live stream interface with floating chat bubbles - Engagement mechanics (hearts, comments, virtual gifts) - Leaderboards for top fans and contributors - Team and influencer profile pages with customization options - Dark mode optimized for viewing experience - Responsive layouts for different device sizes **Before/After Comparison (speakerbox-old.png, speakerbox-final.png)** Side-by-side comparison showing: - **Before**: Original app design with usability issues, cluttered interface, unclear hierarchy - **After**: Redesigned experience with improved navigation, cleaner visual hierarchy, modern aesthetics - Callouts highlighting specific improvements made - User flow diagrams showing reduced steps to key actions --- ### Motorola (2015-2017) **Client:** Motorola **Role:** UX Designer **Category:** Business **Tags:** Product/UX Design, Research #### Outcome Designed and maintained a mobile phone product portal before Motorola had a local/nordic website. --- ## Industries & Expertise | Industry | Experience Level | Notable Clients | |----------|-----------------|-----------------| | Telecommunications | Expert | Tre, Telia, Ericsson | | Marketing Technology | Advanced | Voyado | | Automotive | Advanced | Volvo (via BBH Stockholm) | | E-commerce & Retail | Expert | Marshall/Urbanears, Panini | | SaaS & Business Platforms | Expert | Various B2B clients | | Food & Hospitality | Intermediate | Panini Internazionale | | Entertainment & Media | Intermediate | Speakerbox, Hollywood studios | --- ## Client List (Selected) Enterprise & Telecom: Tre, Telia, Ericsson, Motorola Automotive: Volvo (via BBH Stockholm) Consumer Products: Marshall, Urbanears, Zound Industries MarTech & SaaS: Voyado Food & Retail: Panini Internazionale Entertainment: Speakerbox/Antourage Agencies: BBH Stockholm, Join the Carnival --- ## Project History Timeline | Year | Client | Project Type | Role | |------|--------|--------------|------| | 2023-present | Tre | B2B Admin Portal | Product Designer | | 2026 | Tre | Consumer E-commerce | Product Designer | | 2022 | Voyado | Research Process & Website Redesign | UX Lead | | 2022 | BBH Stockholm/Volvo | Enterprise App Design | Interim UX Lead | | 2020 | Marshall/Zound | Research & Service Design | Service Designer | | 2018-2022 | Telia | B2B E-commerce | Product Designer | | 2017 | Panini | Digital Transformation Research | Service Designer | | 2017 | Speakerbox | Mobile App Redesign | UX Designer | | 2015-2017 | Motorola | Product Portal | UX Designer | | 2010-2015 | Various | Agency work in LA & Stockholm | UX Designer | --- ## Availability Open to consulting projects and design engagements. **Ideal engagement:** - 3-6 month projects or longer retainers - 3-5 days per week commitment - Mix of strategic and hands-on design work - Complex B2B or enterprise products **Currently available for:** - Product design consulting - UX research and strategy - Design system development - Workshop facilitation --- ## Contact - **Website:** https://www.afekenst.am/ - **Email:** alex@afekenst.am - **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-af-ekenstam-ux-designer/ ## Location Stockholm, Sweden --- ## How to Work With Me 1. **Initial conversation** - 30 min call to understand your needs and see if there's a fit 2. **Proposal** - Scope, timeline, and pricing based on your specific situation 3. **Kickoff** - Stakeholder alignment and project planning 4. **Embedded work** - I integrate with your team's tools and processes 5. **Regular check-ins** - Weekly syncs and async updates 6. **Handoff** - Documentation and knowledge transfer --- ## References Available upon request. I can provide references from product managers, engineering leads, and design directors I've worked with at Tre, Telia, Voyado, and BBH Stockholm. --- *Last updated: January 2026*