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Senior UX/UI & Product Designer · Berlin, DE

Deniz Owens

Specializing in AI-native workflows, enterprise platforms, and design systems that scale. 10 years turning complex systems into interfaces people love.

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07Selected Works

AI Workflow

03
01
Enterprise AI · Conversational UX

Proxima AI Chat

Created a unified conversational entry point for quick ESG questions and prompt to dashboard creation, powered by curated skills that keep outputs predictable, accurate, and recognisably BuildingMinds.

Role
Lead UX/UI Designer
Company
BuildingMinds
Timeline
2026
Type
PropTech · Enterprise
View Work
Proxima AI Chat
02
PropTech · AI Planning

AI-Powered Retrofit Planning

Designed a four step bulk retrofit flow with AI assisted suggestions and constraint locking, so portfolio managers can plan consistent efficiency measures across many buildings without repetitive entry.

Role
Lead UX/UI Designer
Company
BuildingMinds
Timeline
2026
Type
PropTech · Enterprise
View Work
AI Retrofit Planning
03
AI Infrastructure · Agent Monitoring

AgentOps Workspace

When decisions are made by AI agents, you need a way to audit what happened and why. Trace logs, diff views, and reasoning threads that give operators enough context to know when to intervene. Designed and coded with Claude. Every interface element is working frontend code.

Role
Solo Designer and Builder
Company
Personal Project
Timeline
2026
Type
Interactive Prototype
View Work
AgentOps Workspace

Selected Work

04
04
Enterprise SaaS · Redesign · iF Award

From Hackathon to Platform

What began as a 1st-place hackathon concept I led in a one-week sprint became the blueprint for a total platform transformation. Over the following year, I collaborated with a cross-functional team to scale this vision into a production-ready reality. Our collective effort was honored with both the iF Design Award and the UX Design Award for excellence in intuitive design.

Role
Lead UX/UI Designer
Company
BuildingMinds
Timeline
2023–2024
Type
PropTech · Enterprise
View Work
From Hackathon to Platform
05
Smart Buildings · ESG · Sustainability

Building Minds

Joined BuildingMinds as a foundational design hire to establish user-centered design practices across the platform. Over 7+ years, transformed the design function from the ground up, creating systems, processes, and partnerships that elevated product quality.

Role
Senior UX/UI Designer
Company
BuildingMinds
Timeline
2019–Present
Type
PropTech · Enterprise
View Work
BuildingMinds Platform
06
Design Systems · Enterprise SaaS

Proxima Design System

Proxima, a carefully crafted design system, acts as a guiding star, bringing elements into close harmony and ensuring a seamless user experience. By standardizing our visual language, it serves as the foundation for AI-driven automation, enabling rapid prototyping and significantly faster product iterations.

Role
Lead Designer · Design Systems
Company
BuildingMinds
Timeline
2023–2024
Type
Enterprise SaaS · PropTech
View Work
Proxima Design System
07
Consumer Mobile · Marketplace · 2017

Renomate App

Created a two sided platform concept that helps homeowners find reliable renovation professionals, while giving designers and architects a better way to get discovered and set expectations early.

Role
UX/UI Designer
Company
Renomate
Timeline
2017
Type
Consumer Mobile App
View Work
Renomate App
About

Hi! I'm
Deniz

I turn complex systems into interfaces people actually want to use. With over 10 years of product design experience, I'm currently Senior UX/UI Designer at BuildingMinds in Berlin — where I've led the end-to-end redesign of an enterprise PropTech platform, shipped AI-native workflows, and built the design system that holds it all together. Before that, freelance product work across B2B SaaS, mobility, and real estate.

Agentic Workflows AI Interfaces Platform Architecture B2B Enterprise Design Systems Product Strategy Data Visualization Community Leadership
Deniz Owens
iF
iF Design Award
2026 · Product Design
UX
UX Design Awards
2026 · Nominated
BM
BM Hackathon '23
1st Place Winner
Experience

Career timeline

2019 – Present
Senior UX/UI Designer · BuildingMinds Berlin
+

Initiated Product Transformation: Captained the hackathon sprint that set the strategic blueprint for a collaborative, ESG-driven platform overhaul.

↗ Case

Pioneered "Actionable AI": Defined the UX strategy to translate complex ML models into intuitive workflows, accelerating stakeholder decisions.

↗ Case

Architected Design System: Built the first scalable system architecture in Figma, driving tight engineering alignment for accurate code implementation.

↗ Case

Led Data Visualization: Directed the design of high-density carbon dashboards, turning dense enterprise metrics into accessible reports.

Scaled DesignOps & Culture: Accelerated agile workflows using AI prototyping and elevated team craft by mentoring junior designers.

↗ Award
Aug 2022 – Present
Organizer · BPD Meetup Berlin
+

Organizing the largest monthly design meetup in Berlin, fostering knowledge sharing for the local product community.

2017 – 2019
Product Designer · Freelance Berlin
+

Partnered with diverse clients to launch end-to-end digital products from discovery to high-fidelity handoffs.

↗ Case
2016 – 2017
Industrial Product Designer · Studio CG Istanbul
+

Designed high-end interior systems and custom modular furniture using advanced 3D modeling and realistic rendering to ensure manufacturing precision.

2012 – 2014
Industrial Product Designer · ARS YAPI Istanbul
+

Managed retail store planning and layout design, converting complex conceptual requirements into optimized 2D/3D technical plans.

2010 – 2014
B.Sc. Industrial Design · Mimar Sinan Fine Arts Univ. Istanbul
+

Foundation in spatial thinking, material constraints, and user-centered design across physical and digital mediums.

Off the Clock

When I'm not
at the screen

You'll find me co-hosting the Berlin Product Designers Meetup, fostering the local design scene and connecting practitioners across disciplines. Passionate about giving back through mentoring and helping others grow. To me, the best work comes from collective energy, and I'm always ready to turn a shared idea into a fresh sketch.

Deniz
Deniz at meetup
Berlin design scene
Design workshop
Mentoring session
Beyond the Screen

Industrial design
meets everyday utility

The same user-centric principles I apply to digital products carry directly into physical form. These industrial design projects explore the intersection of ergonomics, material constraints, and everyday utility, proving that good design functions regardless of medium.

2016

Origami

A geometric kitchen storage system that nests flat for efficient shipping and unfolds into modular, stackable containers. Designed end to end from concept sketching and 3D modeling through DFM decisions for injection molding, the project led to a granted patent. The faceted surfaces and saturated color palette move deliberately beyond the utilitarian clear-plastic aesthetic, making storage feel intentional on the countertop while reducing transport cost and carbon impact.

Origami storage system
2010

Soundish

A concept dishwashing tool that combines mechanical scrubbing with ultrasonic cavitation, a technology used in surgical and jewelry cleaning. High-frequency sound waves generate microscopic bubbles that collapse against dish surfaces, lifting grease, burnt residue, and bacteria that bristles alone miss. The product experience translates that science into clear user value through form, ergonomics, and hygiene-focused details, replacing heavy water flow and detergent use with a more targeted physical reaction.

Soundish dishwashing concept
2015

Vadi Istanbul

A production company hub transformed from a standard commercial unit into a high-energy creative ecosystem. The design combines open-plan workstations, executive suites, and collaborative meeting rooms, united by curved geometries, organic textures, and integrated greenery. A dedicated quiet zone with custom library-armchair nooks balances the collaborative energy with intentional space for deep focus and personal respite.

Vadi Istanbul office
2014

Bike2Go

A hybrid-electric, human-powered vehicle reimagining urban sightseeing as an active, shared experience. Integrated monitors and audio guides deliver real-time context as visitors move through the city, while an electric assist system and four-person pedaling configuration promote collective movement. The design bridges sustainable transport and immersive storytelling through a form that feels adventurous without sacrificing accessibility.

Bike2Go vehicle