Pavle Lucic

Senior UI/UX Designer @ Toptal | Prototyping, Branding, UI Development

I am a Senior UI/UX Designer at Toptal, a network of the world's top 3% of software engineering, design, and finance talent. With over 10 years of experience in the design industry, I have a proven track record of creating visually engaging and user-friendly interfaces for in-car navigation systems, SaaS apps, and marketing websites.

My background in business and economics gives me a unique perspective on how to design UX and UI that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also functional, efficient, and user-friendly. I am passionate about solving complex problems, collaborating with diverse teams, and learning new skills. I am also Adwords Search Certified, which demonstrates my ability to optimize the online presence and performance of my clients. My goal is to help tech companies increase their revenue by improving the user experience of their products.

Senior UI/UX Desiger

I once told a junior designer:

“You are better than me.”

She froze.
Then shook her head.

But I meant it.

Her instincts fast.
Her ideas were fresh.
Her courage fearless.

We spend so much time chasing recognition that we forget how powerful respect can be.

Better designers don’t diminish you.
They define what’s next for you.

When you respect greatness without envy, you create room for your own.

Respect over recognition. Always.

P.S. Who’s one designer you quietly respect more than anyone else? Tag them.

Senior UI/UX Product Designer | UX Strategy | Figma

A lead designer once told me, “We don’t have time for UX research.”

I said, “Then you’ll make time for rework.”

Because that’s the tradeoff.

If you skip qualitative research, your next sprint will be filled with fixes.
If you skip quantitative research, your next decision will be based on vibes.

I’ve seen this mistakes with every single design team I’ve worked with. 

Zero exceptions. 
Myself included.

Here’s the cycle that works:

Qualitative → Design → Quantitative → Refine.
Talk → Build → Measure → Repeat.

Let me explain:

Qualitative research makes people care.
Quantitative research makes people act.

Together? They make decisions make sense

Through numbers, you measure behavior.
Through stories, you understand it.

My process allows me to:

1. Design with confidence, not assumptions
2. Balance empathy with research evidence
3. Build products users actually want

Every great product you admire was built this way.

Skip a step and you’ll build twice.

(Repost ♻️ if this hits home.)

P.S. Which step do you usually skip first talking or testing?

If I could go back 10 years…

I wouldn’t change the tools I used.
I wouldn’t change my niche.
I wouldn’t change my style.

Instead?

I’d only change one thing.
I’d start designing badly… sooner.

Because every “ugly” design, every failed concept, every 3-hour layout that still looked wrong…all of it built the instinct I have now.

That instinct?
It’s why I can deliver a clean result in 20 minutes today.

The minutes are visible.
The decade is invisible.

And that’s the part that matters most.

Stop trying to be perfect.
Start trying to build your years.

Because once your decade is strong…
your 20-minute magic becomes inevitable.

(Repost if you wish you started earlier ♻️)

P.S. What’s the earliest design software you ever used?

You might want to save this one.

It shows how to create a paper-like effect on any corner and any shape.

And no you don’t need plugins, 3D tools, or magic.
Just 2 layers, gradients, and a little patience.

I’ve been sharing Figma tricks for years.
But this one… this one’s special.

Because it feels real.

Save it.
Practice it.
Use it often.

Because this fold effect turns flat designs into felt designs.

Repost to help other designers ♻️

Paper like design effect

Every designer eventually realizes this:

You don’t need more tools.
You don’t need more plugins.
You don’t need more fancy software.

You need a better eye.

And your eye is shaped by principles of design.
Not by features.

Once I understood that, everything changed:

• My work finally had rhythm
• Spacing started to make sense
• Visual decisions became intentional
• Layouts stopped feeling “accidental”

And suddenly… my work looked cleaner without adding anything new

The day I stopped chasing trends and started studying why designs work…
Was the day my growth finally clicked.

Your career changes the moment you stop decorating
and start designing with principles.

P.S. Did you have a moment when design suddenly started making sense?

My son’s first steps → felt like seconds.
His first day at kindergarten → felt like minutes.
His first “I love you dad” → felt like forever.

Time plays favorites like that.

The first years of parenthood?
They vanish fast.

I used to spend 10 hours a day chasing goals.

Now, I spend one hour chasing giggles and somehow, it feels more productive.

Career milestones come and go.
Childhood doesn’t.

And the truth is…

We’re not losing time.
We’re living it in small, beautiful doses ❤️.

P.S. What’s one small moment you’d relive if you could?

Christopher Nguyen

UX Playbook

UX education is broken, why?

🤑 Bootcamps are extortion
😵‍💫 Over emphasis on Figma
🫠 No real world preparation
😫 No career focus just skills
🫨 Getting started is confusing
🤥 Theory taught isn’t practical

That's why I created UX Playbook.

At UX Playbook, I help frustrated designers figure out how to take control of their education, make better decisions, and ultimately build the career they want. 

Over 17,000 designers, from 90 countries, are using my playbooks to better their career.

300+ five star reviews.

Learn more: www.uxplaybook.org

Founder

The Design of Everyday People Livestream

Livestream AMAs, where I speak to design experts, from all over the world.

Livestream Host

Play of the Week Newsletter

Get UX mentorship in your inbox. 2-minute read. Every Wednesday. Absolutely free.

Writer

Backlog

Antler

Entrepreneur in Residence

Playstack

Co-Founder

Divvy Notion

CoiBoi

BAEMIN Vietnam (Woowa Bros.)

Designing thinking training with Baemin's leadership teams

Design Thinking Trainer

MoMo (M_Service)

Facilitating Design Sprints for multiple product teams inside MoMo for their B2C and B2B2C products

Design Sprint Facilitator

I help UX designers go from Fuzziness to Focused (uxplaybook.org), now Freedom (backlog.design)

I went from 0 experience to Head of Design in 4 years.

Then, in 2020, I quit.

Leaving the high-paying salary and status of working at a FinTech unicorn behind.

The job I once dreamed of wasn't align with my values.

But, I wasn't ready to give up on UX.

I intrinsically want to help other designers succeed. 

Working with 100s of designers, I realised that most designers are in someway self taught, but why? 

Because most UX education is incredibly expensive, lack accessibility, and real-world practicality.

I had a hypothesis.

Designers craved for education that 1) cuts to the core, 2) applies to every day scenarios, 3) templatized execution, 4) affordable, and 5) personalized 

Thus levelling the playing field for equal opportunities in the design industry.

So, I started an experiment in mid 2020. 

And the results were pretty phenomenal.

We grew 1400% in one year.

It was clear people valued UX Playbook.

My mission is to "Make UX Education Accessible & Enjoyable." 

My impact:

→ 14,000,000+ content impressions in the last 2 years
→ 270,000+ weekly newsletters & blogs read
→ 92,000+ people following my daily UX content
→ 17,000+ people downloaded my UX guides & templates
→ 1000+ people, from 84+ countries, bought my products 

If you want to learn more about how I can help you as a designer, you can check out:

FAST TRACK DESIGNER BUNDLE

In this 6 product bundle, you will learn how to thrive in your UX career. Build a kickass portfolio, learn how to job hunt, and master UX frameworks for project success, grow meaningfully, and lead your first design team. It’s packed with 93,000+ words, 130+ videos, 125+ templates, and 200+ examples. Join 15,000+ designers using this system to level up.

→ https://uxplaybook.org/fast

BACKLOG

If you're looking to replace your 9 to 5, become an independent designer, and kickstart your designpreneur journey, join us a Backlog. Be part of our tight-knit community, get personalized coaching, and access our resources made for design founders.

→ https://backlog.design

Email: hello@uxplaybook.org
YouTube, Twitter, IG: @uxchrisnguyen

Co-Founder & CPO

10 psychology rules to 10x your UX Design:


1. Choice paralysis: ↓ options, ↑ user satisfaction

2. Less is more: Cognitive load matters. Keep it simple

3. Feedback is key: Fast responses keep users engaged

4. Reciprocity rules: Offer value, and they’ll return the favor

5. Consistency over chaos : Predictable experiences build trust

6. Endowment effect: Humans love ownership, let users customize

7. Humans err, designs adjust: Foresee mistakes, provide easy fixes

8. Hierarchy guides eyes: Lead users with size, color, and placement

9. Emotions → actions: Evoke the right feeling, prompt the right move

10. Spacing effect: Spaced repetition enhances memory, revisit key info


Design not just for eyes, but minds.

P.S. What’s your favourite principle (1-10)?

—

📌 My biggest (and only) sale of the year — 50% OFF with code: FRIYAY25
https://lnkd.in/gjeKnTka

99% of designers rush to solutions
It's the #1 mistake killing your UX career.

Stop and ask yourself:

Do you really understand the problem?
Or are you just slapping on a band-aid?

Here's my battle-tested guide to solve problems right:

1. Dive deep into the problem space
2. Ask the tough questions
3. Talk to real people
4. Do your homework

There are no shortcuts, no BS.

You're either committed to solving this or
you're wasting everyone's precious time.

My playbook for mastering any UX project → https://lnkd.in/ghHij9TQ

♻️ Save this cheatsheet with a repost.

—

📌 My biggest (and only) sale of the year — 50% OFF with code: FRIYAY25
https://lnkd.in/gjeKnTka

I’m sick of reviewing portfolios.
Unless they have these 7 things:

1. Targeted audience

↳ You speak directly to me, not the void 
↳ Your work aligns with the role you want

2. Clear value proposition

↳ You tell me why you're different in the first paragraph
↳ No generic "passionate designer" nonsense

3. Human fingerprints everywhere

↳ Your personality shines through
↳ I can tell a real person (not AI) created this

4. Concise and focused

↳ You show 3-4 stellar projects, not 10 mediocre ones
↳ You respect my limited attention span

5. Simple navigation

↳ I can find your case studies in 5 seconds
↳ No flashy UI patterns that make me work

6. Tangible proof you deliver

↳ You show metrics and outcomes, not just pretty screens
↳ I see the business value you created

7. Consistent brand identity

↳ Your details match (colors, typography, voice)
↳ Shows me you care about craft


After reviewing 1000+ portfolios, 
I can spot a winner in 30 seconds flat.

Forget what design influencers tell you...

A great portfolio isn't about: 
- Trendy designs 
- Famous clients 
- Fancy animations

It's about creating a clear, compelling story that shows: 
→ Who you actually are 
→ What problems you solve 
→ Why I should pick up the phone

I've rejected gorgeous portfolios from talented designers 
Because they failed to answer these basic questions.

Your portfolio has one job: generate interest. 
If that’s not happening, you’ve failed.

Iterate more.

PS: Which no. do you struggle with most?

—

📌 My biggest (and only) sale of the year — 50% OFF with code: FRIYAY25
https://lnkd.in/gjeKnTka

A shift is happening in Design…

New tools.
New workflows.
New capabilities.

Because…

→ As production gets automated
→ Thinking becomes more valuable
→ Creativity becomes the new premium

That's why I’m speaking to Shamus Scott Grubb on The Design of Everyday People Livestream.

We're diving deep into:

1. How AI separates design from production
2. What skills actually matter in this new reality
3. How to position yourself on the right side

And all of your questions!

Shamus is a Principal Design Director for GenAI at Microsoft AI. We’ll be exploring what AI means for Designers now and in the future.

This isn't just another "AI in design" conversation.

This is about understanding the fundamental shift happening under our feet.

If you've been wondering where design is heading...

Listen and bring questions.

📌 Drop your questions in the comments. 
🎙️ We’ll answer them on Wednesday, Nov 19th!

Christopher Nguyen and 15 other attendees

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