About

Hello, I'm Iryna Stetsenko-Yershova — a Product & UX/UI Designer, mentor, and educator who believes great design should be understood by everyone.

I've spent over 10 years in the design world, earning certifications from Interaction Design Foundation, Uxcel, IBM, Programming Hub, and PROAPP Pte. Ltd.. I also mentor designers as a Uxcel Mentor and IxDF Local Leader in Kyiv.

Alongside design, I have more than 15 years of teaching experience at the academy level — a background that shaped my ability to explain complex concepts clearly, practically, and with empathy.

What you'll find here: clear explanations of UX/UI concepts, insights into design psychology, practical career advice, and honest perspectives on what truly matters in product design.

Whether you're exploring UX/UI for the first time or looking to strengthen your existing knowledge, you're welcome here. Let's make sense of design together.

Popular posts from this blog

Nielsen's 10 Heuristics: Making Interfaces Actually Usable

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Ever clicked a button and wondered if anything actually happened? Or got stuck in an app with no idea how to get back? You're not experiencing bad luck — you're experiencing bad design. Back in 1994, usability expert Jakob Nielsen figured out something important: most interface problems follow patterns. He identified 10 principles that separate frustrating designs from delightful ones. These aren't just academic theories — companies like Apple, Google, and Adobe have been using them to build products that millions of people love. Let's break down these 10 rules in plain English. 1. Visibility of System Status Keep users informed about what the system is doing, right now. Think about the last time you ordered food delivery. That little map showing your driver's location? That's this principle in action. When you click "submit" on a form, you need to know: Did it work? Is it processing? Did something break? Quick wins: Change button colors when they'...
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The Designer's Guide to Color: Making Smart Choices That Connect

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Ever stared at a design wondering why something just feels... off? Nine times out of ten, it's the colors. Color is one of those magical design elements that works silently in the background, shaping emotions, guiding attention, and even convincing people to click that button. But here's the thing: choosing colors isn't about what looks "pretty" to you. It's about understanding how colors work together and what they communicate to your users. Why Color Theory Still Matters Think of color theory as your cheat sheet for making smart design decisions. It's basically a collection of principles that help us understand which colors play nicely together and which ones clash like cats and dogs. Isaac Newton kicked this whole thing off back in 1672 when he created the first color wheel. Fun fact: he chose seven colors for the rainbow because he wanted it to match the seven notes in a musical scale. Not exactly scientific, but it stuck. Today's color wheels...
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Conceptual Models: The Missing Link Between Research and Design

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You've finished your user research. You understand your users' needs. You're ready to design. So naturally, your next step is to open Figma and start sketching wireframes, right? Wrong. If you jump straight into wireframing, you've skipped the most critical step in the design process — one that separates intuitive products from confusing ones. You've skipped designing your conceptual model. What Is a Conceptual Model? Think about it this way: When someone says "I know how to use Photoshop," they're not talking about where the buttons are. They're referring to something deeper — an understanding of what Photoshop is and how it works. A conceptual model is a high-level description of how your system is organized and what users can do with it. It's the structure that sits between user research and interface design — the blueprint that defines what your product is before you decide what it looks like . Here's what it includes: Core objects ...
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