Freelance Product & UX Designer
2026–PresentIndependent · Clients worldwide
Product design and build, MVPs and prototypes, UX research and audits, and design systems for startups and product teams.
17+Years Experience
Hello, I'm
Ilham Shiraz — Product Designer & Front-End Architect
Systems thinker, UX leader, and front-end architect based in Sri Lanka, now working independently and available for freelance projects worldwide.
HOW I WORK
I design at a systems level, not just at screen level. I take enterprise products from ambiguous problems to developer-ready designs by holding user needs, business goals, and technical constraints in the same frame.
My process combines structured research, information architecture, interaction design, usability testing, and close collaboration with product, engineering, and QA. I use AI to support research synthesis, ideation, design-system checks, and delivery while retaining ownership of every design decision.
TRACK RECORD
Over 17 years I have designed and built products for Virtusa (British Telecom), Arimac (du Telecom), IFS and the Capital Maharaja Organisation, from high-traffic telecom platforms to enterprise asset management software.
Results include a 35% rise in active users after redesigning the street82.lk fashion store, a 60% improvement in cross-functional clarity after introducing a shared design way of working at IFS, and simpler, validated navigation for the Compatible Units ERP module.
Because I both design and write front-end code, the same person who researches the problem also makes sure the solution ships as designed: accessible, fast and maintainable. That removes the handoff gap where most product quality is lost.
WORK WITH ME
I now work independently with startups, agencies and product teams around the world. Typical engagements are product design and build, MVPs and prototypes, UX research and audits, and design systems. I also take on SEO, AEO and GEO, animation and motion design, and video editing.
I work remotely across time zones, from a one-week UX audit to a multi-month product build. See all services or get in touch below.
Strategy & Systems
Turning complex enterprise needs into clear structures, journeys, and scalable design systems
Research & Validation
Using discovery, personas, journey maps, usability testing, and heuristic evaluation to guide decisions
Design to Delivery
Balancing accessibility, performance, technical feasibility, and developer-ready specifications
WHAT I DO
UX Strategy
- Discovery & User Research
- Systems Thinking
- Information Architecture
- Journey Mapping
- UX Strategy
UI Design
- Interaction Design
- Wireframing
- Prototyping
- Design Systems
- Accessibility (WCAG)
Front-End Development
- HTML & CSS
- Angular
- Foundational React
- Component Libraries
- SEO
- Performance Optimization
Leadership
- Team Mentoring
- Stakeholder Alignment
- Design Reviews
- Design Governance
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
EXPERIENCE
Senior Lead UX Designer
2023–2026IFS R&D International · Enterprise Asset Management
Led end-to-end enterprise UX, from research and journey mapping to usability testing and developer-ready design; mentored designers and drove design governance across teams.
Front-End Architect — UI/UX
2022–2023Arimac Lanka · du Telecom
Designed scalable front-end architecture for du.ae, producing high- and low-level design documentation while balancing performance, SEO, technical feasibility, and UX quality.
Lead Consultant — UI/UX
2013–2022Virtusa · British Telecom
Led UX/UI design and front-end architecture for high-traffic enterprise products, translating research into design principles and production-ready interfaces.
Web Designer
2011–2013Virtual Planet Solutions
Front-End Developer
2009–2011The Capital Maharaja Organisation
EDUCATION
- BSc (Hons) Computing — Teesside University, UK · Second Upper Class
- DNIIT Diploma — National Institute of Information Technology
- CIMA UK — Foundation & Managerial Level 1