ZAKOS
PRODUCT DESIGN

A product design lead making complex products clear and usable. Available for hands-on design leadership roles

EXPLORE THE WORK
OWNERSHIP:
DISCOVERY_TO_DELIVERY
EXECUTION_MODE:
MULTI_DISCIPLINARY
SPECIALIZATION:
COMPLEX_SYSTEMS
EXPERIENCE:
10+_YEARS
CURRENT_FOCUS:
DESIGN_ENGINEERING
STATUS:
EVOLVING...

How I think through problems

PROJECTS_01-05 / 08

I’m at my best when the outcome is still taking shape.

I’m at my best when the outcome is still taking shape.

I’m Chris Zakos, a digital design lead based in Vancouver, currently designing for Plastic Bank. My role is designing products that support an ambitious mission: helping people turn discarded plastic into income and a path out of poverty.

The mission is clear; what the product needs to do next often isn’t. A decision in one product can affect people relying on another. My job is to determine where a product can move the mission forward and where it risks hurting the people it’s meant to help.

I’m currently looking for my next design leadership role.

BUILD_CAPABILITY:
HTML_CSS
RESEARCH_MODE:
FIELD_RESEARCH
ANALYTICS:
POSTHOG
DESIGN_TOOLS:
FIGMA
BUILD_TOOLS:
CODEX
AI_ASST:
CHATGPT_CLAUDE
WORKFLOW:
ATLASSIAN
 
LEADERSHIP_MODE:
HANDS_ON
TEAM_MODEL:
CROSSFUNCTIONAL
OWNERSHIP:
DISCOVERY_TO_DELIVERY
DELIVERY_MODE:
DESIGN_TO_SHIP
CURRENT_FOCUS:
DESIGN_ENGINEERING
STATUS:
EVOLVING...
BUILD_CAPABILITY:
HTML_CSS
RESEARCH_MODE:
FIELD_RESEARCH
ANALYTICS:
POSTHOG
DESIGN_TOOLS:
FIGMA
BUILD_TOOLS:
CODEX
AI_ASST:
CHATGPT_CLAUDE
WORKFLOW:
ATLASSIAN
 
LEADERSHIP_MODE:
HANDS_ON
TEAM_MODEL:
CROSSFUNCTIONAL
OWNERSHIP:
DISCOVERY_TO_DELIVERY
DELIVERY_MODE:
DESIGN_TO_SHIP
CURRENT_FOCUS:
DESIGN_ENGINEERING
STATUS:
EVOLVING...
↓ MY PROCESS

I’m at my best when the outcome is still taking shape.

I’m Chris Zakos, a digital design lead based in Vancouver, currently designing for Plastic Bank. My role is designing products that support an ambitious mission: helping people turn discarded plastic into income and a path out of poverty.

The mission is clear; what the product needs to do next often isn’t. A decision in one product can affect people relying on another. My job is to determine where a product can move the mission forward and where it risks hurting the people it’s meant to help.

I’m currently looking for my next design leadership role.

BUILD_CAPABILITY:
HTML_CSS
RESEARCH_MODE:
FIELD_RESEARCH
ANALYTICS:
POSTHOG
DESIGN_TOOLS:
FIGMA
BUILD_TOOLS:
CODEX
AI_ASST:
CHATGPT_CLAUDE
WORKFLOW:
ATLASSIAN
 
LEADERSHIP_MODE:
HANDS_ON
TEAM_MODEL:
CROSSFUNCTIONAL
OWNERSHIP:
DISCOVERY_TO_DELIVERY
DELIVERY_MODE:
DESIGN_TO_SHIP
CURRENT_FOCUS:
DESIGN_ENGINEERING
STATUS:
EVOLVING...
↓ MY PROCESS
01 / DEFINE

Find the real problem

I combine interviews, behavioural data, and product context to identify the problem, define priorities, and decide what to test.

02 / DESIGN

Resolve the difficult cases

I map workflows, prototype interactions, and test rules, dependencies, and exceptions before refining the interface.

03 / BUILD

Carry decisions into the build

I work with engineering to resolve technical constraints, review implementation, and check the experience through QA.

04 / IMPROVE

Learn from what ships

I use analytics and follow-up research to understand where people struggle, assess what changed, and prioritize the next improvements.

PLASTIC BANK

Seven years designing across a complex ecosystem

Working at Plastic Bank means designing for very different realities: collectors using mobile tools, teams running operations, and customers making sense of their impact. Connecting those needs with the teams building the products has been a central part of my role.

LINKEDIN

Discovery through delivery

Research, product decisions, UI, implementation, and QA

5+ products

B2C, enterprise, and operational experiences across web and mobile

5 countries, 6 languages

Including right-to-left Arabic and support for low-spec devices

Connecting distributed teams

Engineering, operations, business analysis, and leadership

Get in touch