Hi, I'm Jan Früchtl, a product designer, podcaster and indie iOS developer.
With over nine years of experience in product design across different industries, startups, and companies of varying sizes, I have honed my skills in wearing multiple hats. My passion lies in working at the intersection of design, product, and engineering, where I can leverage my expertise to create impactful solutions that meet business goals and user needs.
As a systems thinker, I enjoy working on complex problems and building scalable solutions. I am committed to creating elegant user experiences and believe in designing inclusive and accessible solutions for everyone.
With my background in engineering, I collaborate closely with developers to ensure that every aspect of the design is implemented to the highest standards.
I'd love to hear from you! You can find me on LinkedIn, Mastodon, or GitHub. If you prefer to email me, feel free to send a message and let's start a conversation.
Selected Projects
A few select projects that demonstrate how I work at the intersection of design, product, and engineering to help create impactful solutions that meet both business goals and user needs.
Markets Pro
Staff Product Designer at Shopify, 2022 - 2023
I led UX on Markets Pro — a product that makes global commerce accessible for everyone. With just one click, merchants can rapidly expand to new markets from a single store, while Shopify takes care of cross-border compliance and complexities.
CouchTimes
Side Project
An iOS app for TV enthusiasts to keep track of and organize their favorite shows. I designed and programmed CouchTimes to be a fully native iOS app using Swift and SwiftUI. The app quickly gained recognition, earning features on the Apple App Store and in several media outlets.
Download on the App Store
Bliss Design System v1.x
Design Systems Lead at BRYTER, 2020 - 2022
I led the revamp of the BRYTER Design System, called Bliss. Together with the team, we re-imagined our component architecture, implemented accessibility improvements, crafted a new icon system, and produced thorough documentation, complete with design patterns and usage guidelines.
Read Case Study
BRYTER - Services
Senior Product Designer at BRYTER, 2020
I led UX on a big evolution of the BRYTER platform, which enables customers to automate complex workflows and create truly self-service solutions.
Read Case Study
Bliss Design System v0.x
Senior Product Designer at BRYTER, 2019 - 2020
The initial steps of the BRYTER Design System, called Bliss, helped BRYTER's product team in the early stages of the company to ship consistently and quickly.
Read Case StudyRecommendations
I have had the privilege of working with amazing people over the past couple of years. Here is some feedback on what my previous colleagues have said about working with me.
Jan was on the founding team for Shopify Markets Pro, which created a new way to make global commerce accessible to all small businesses. I admired Jan’s ability to quickly grasp complex domain contexts, make tough trade-offs, and design experiments with deep care for our merchants. I would work with him again in a heartbeat.
Rohit Mishra
Director of Product, Shopify Markets and Shop Promise
Jan’s work on Shopify Markets Pro was fast, precise, and polished. He took ownership of leading the design and defining all requirements, mapping all flows, and helping create a format of work for stakeholders to align on goals, iterations, and future steps. Jan’s contributions were crucial to the success of the project.
Pedro Marques
Head of UX, Shopify Markets
Jan is both a designer and a leader. While at Shopify, he was the design lead for large, complex, multidisciplinary projects. Jan went above and beyond to deliver quality designs, collaborate with stakeholders, and get alignment across teams. It was truly a privilege to work with Jan.
Megan Dodge
Senior UX Manager at Shopify
Jan created the foundations of our design system, both in the tangible tools to use, and in the understanding that our entire product area took on of what this means for our product and, thus, customers. Without his efforts, our cross-functional teams would not have been able to work in harmony as they did.
Jen Goertzen
VP UX at BRYTER
Jan is an exceptional product designer, thinker, and leader with a talent for blending creativity, strategy, and leadership to create remarkable products that meet user needs and business objectives. He is an empathetic team member, a great collaborator, and fosters a culture of creativity, innovation, and inclusivity.
Mahta Moattari
Senior Designer at Shopify
Working with Jan has been nothing short of incredible - his ability to effectively communicate with the engineering team, quickly grasp concepts, and collaborate tremendously has boosted our team’s productivity. He is an incredible asset, and I would definitely work with him again.
Meko Deng
Senior Engineer at Shopify
Jan is more than just an exceptional designer, leader, product thinker, and teammate - he’s an exceptional human being. When he joined our team at Shopify, he instantly multiplied our impact by tenfold. Trust me when I say that Jan is a needle in a haystack - don’t miss your chance to work with him.
