# Pekka Hartikainen – Profile > Designing for the web since the artisan-website era, through its change into hyper-optimized platforms. Full-stack design with a business background, shipped at global scale — and the most rewarding part has been leading and mentoring design teams, with the growth of the people as the first priority. ## Fact sheet - Based in: Helsinki, Finland — lived and worked in San Francisco - Now: Senior Product Designer, Unity · nearly 4,000 people, global - Experience: 15 years in product and UI design, 3 years leading teams - Disciplines: design leadership · design engineering · product design · UX and UI design · web product design - Leadership: CEO of a ten-person agency; design process set up across teams at Robocorp; interim PM at Unity - Education: MA New Media, Aalto School of Design and Arts, 2011 · M.Sc. Economics, Helsinki School of Economics (Aalto), 2007 - Scale: Companies from under 10 people (Ditto) to nearly 4,000 (Unity) - Industries: gaming, adtech, ecommerce, automation, information security and consumer services ## Approach A happy team isn't a feel-good notion; it's the foundation of a productive one. Whether through one-on-one mentorship or an inclusive, collaborative environment, the point is helping people unlock their potential — and connecting the dots between business goals and impactful design. The best designs don't just look good; they solve problems and feel intuitive. That takes engaging deeply with users' needs, and explaining design decisions in a way that resonates, whether with the team or with stakeholders across the company. ## Suitable positions - **Design Director · Design Manager**: Recruiting, scaling and setting up processes for design teams while creating a meaningful product design vision. Managing high-performing product designers and empowering them to deliver their best work. - **Head of Design · CPO**: Design and strategy work as an executive team member, establishing a strong product design culture and setting the vision. - **Senior · Staff Product Designer**: Hands-on design work and leading product design projects within mature design organizations at big tech companies. ## Toolbox - Design leadership: Team building, Mentoring, Design vision, Design systems - Visual & UI design: Figma, Adobe CS, Native & web UI, Consumer apps, Visual hierarchy, Motion design - UX design & research: User interviews, Amplitude, Data-oriented design, Prototyping, Interaction design, Information architecture, High-fidelity prototypes - Frontend: Frontend development from prototype to production, with experience in React- and Vue-based apps - AI: AI/ML products since 2016, LLM-based data tools, AI in daily design work - Storytelling: Premiere, Product video, B2B marketing ## Experience - 2022 – Unity, Senior Product Designer: Lead designer for reporting and payments, interim PM for reporting - 2020 – 2022 Robocorp, Senior Design Lead: Automation platform for developers - 2016 – 2020 Nosto, Lead UX Designer: AI-powered eCommerce personalization - 2015 – 2016 Oppex, Lead Designer: Public procurement search engine - 2013 – 2015 Decoris, Full-time freelancer: One-man design shop: interfaces with great usability, accessible and responsive websites, e-commerce and iOS apps, plus consulting on recruiting and design strategy - 2012 – 2013 Idean, Senior Designer: User-centric research and design consultancy: UI/UX and prototyping for public companies and startups - 2012 Ditto, Designer: San Francisco photo-sharing startup, acquired by Groupon - 2009 – 2011 Bolder Helsinki, CEO · Partner: Creative agency, €1M+ turnover, 10 people ## FAQ ### Do you still do hands-on design work? Absolutely. As a team player, whatever tool the team needs gets picked up — sometimes that is Figma, sometimes a meeting about the roadmap that brings the team together. ### How strong are you in visual design and UI craft? Interface design geek at heart. In larger product organizations standardization and consistency are the default, but when a project needs a flashier approach, it is welcome. Not a 3D designer or professional illustrator, though both have shipped as parts of projects. ### Do you have leadership experience with direct reports? Yes — a ten-person agency, Bolder Helsinki, as CEO. No direct reports in the current position, but various international cross-team projects as design lead, plus formal management education from business studies. ### Would you consider product management roles? Depends on the company and industry. Product management and design keep converging, and interim product manager is a role already served in some projects. Familiarity with the industry decides the comfort level — it takes natural curiosity and staying on top of the field. ### What differentiates you from other designers? A double degree, a strong technical background and business understanding — including formal education in management, which most designers lack. It makes conversations with business, tech and design stakeholders equally natural. ### What kind of position would fit you best? Extensive experience, an entrepreneurial background and two degrees point to maximizing impact: Senior Product Designer in a company that values seniority and craft, or Design Founder, Head of Design, Design Director or Design Manager depending on size and culture. ### Are you available for freelance work? Committed to full-time work primarily, unless a specific project with a cause can be timeboxed. Open to advising and mentoring for design operations. ### Can you help us recruit a designer? Several startups have been helped to find their first product design lead. An extensive network, especially in Helsinki, and help crafting a job description that resonates with designers. ## What colleagues say > One of Pekka's strengths is that he stays calm even when there is a lot of pressure. He is also able to deliver quick output when needed. Pekka is always ready to help others, even outside of his team. – Robocorp > I had the pleasure to collaborate with Pekka in the introduction of a Design System to Nosto. His broad design skills, willingness to elaborate all his solutions and dry humor made him a significant part of the effort. – Nosto > Pekka has demonstrated exceptional skill in prioritizing and driving impactful improvements for our users. – Unity > Kudos to Pekka for not only bringing a fantastic set of design skills but also bringing his fun personality to work everyday. – Unity > When working on design tasks, Pekka provides reliable visibility into his work progress, fostering trust within the team. He is always open to team input, making collaboration seamless, even when he is not involved in daily tasks. – Unity > Pekka is an inspiring and talented person. It was great fun to work together with him. > Pekka has diverse talent — he has a valuable combination of marketing knowledge and technical competence. He understands the possibilities of the web to support business. In addition to that, he has great organizational skills. ## Contact - Email: pekka.t.hartikainen (at) gmail.com - Phone: +358 40 765 4634 - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pekkahartikainen/ - Executive deck (PDF): https://pekkahartikainen.fi/pekka-hartikainen-executive-deck-2026.pdf - Languages: Finnish and English This page in other languages: [fi](https://pekkahartikainen.fi/fi/profiili.md) · [krl](https://pekkahartikainen.fi/krl/rohviili.md)