I joined a small startup just before its boom and hyper-growth in 2022 as the 19th employee and the very first designer. The excitement was palpable: investment rounds had been successful, and the workload was growing rapidly on the product side, events, and marketing. There was constant momentum with new hires arriving every month.

It became clear that setting up processes, tools, strategies and plans was crucial. At the same time, it was essential to deliver high-quality design work that would not only drive the company's success but also demonstrate the vital role designers play in that journey.

As a design lead, I was contributing to and leading multiple initiatives simultaneously, constantly testing my speed, resilience, and the quality of my work. Juggling various projects required a delicate balance between efficiency and maintaining high standards, pushing me to adapt quickly and manage my time effectively.

Over the course of two years, I witnessed the company’s growth from 19 to approximately 90 employees with several new departments. My contributions were pivotal in shaping the culture and operations, where I built not only processes and established tools but also designed several product features, built a comprehensive design system, led development of a new visual identity, built branding for several international events, and created a detailed content style guide.

Most importantly, I build and as a manager supported an amazing design team.

See the following diagrams, that map my work at Seqera Labs:

Here are some recommendations from my colleagues across various teams:

kh.uxer@gmail.com

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