Tutu.ru is a major online travel platform that began by offering real-time train schedules and has since evolved into a full-service travel booking provider. It supports millions of users monthly with a wide range of transportation and accommodation services, accessible via both its website and mobile apps (iOS, Android).
Role: Design Director
Date: 2022-2025
Date: 2022-2025
Founded: 2003
Users: 35+M MAU
Services Offered: Train tickets (long-distance and local), Flights, Bus tickets, Hotel bookings, Tour packages and travel guides, and AI travel assistant.
Industry: Travel, B2C
Market: Russia
Site: tutu.ru
Users: 35+M MAU
Services Offered: Train tickets (long-distance and local), Flights, Bus tickets, Hotel bookings, Tour packages and travel guides, and AI travel assistant.
Industry: Travel, B2C
Market: Russia
Site: tutu.ru
After an exciting journey at Manychat, where I helped grow it into an international company, I wanted to apply my accumulated experience to a larger product within an established company. I was fortunate to join the Tutu team in autumn 2022.
Reflecting on what we accomplished, I’m proud to say that the Tutu design team and our cross-functional partners successfully transformed the company’s approach to design. I introduced fundamental changes to both design elements and processes that positively impacted the user experience and business metrics.
Reflecting on what we accomplished, I’m proud to say that the Tutu design team and our cross-functional partners successfully transformed the company’s approach to design. I introduced fundamental changes to both design elements and processes that positively impacted the user experience and business metrics.
- Improve the quality of design solutions
- Increase design production speed
- Formulate and visualize a clear vision
- Establish consistent design processes
- Unite and motivate the design team
- Create transparent designer evaluation standards
Challenges
Intro
- Brand awareness increased by 18%
- NPS score increased by 6 points
- Time-to-market accelerated by 15-25% following design system implementation (varies by platform)
- Led a successful brand redesign in partnership with Shuka Bureau, implementing the new visual identity into product and marketing communications.
Regarding strategic product changes, the company brand redesign and design system implementation stand out as significant achievements. As a key stakeholder and initiator of these changes, I helped create consistent design across both marketing communications and product experiences.
Design consistency between marketing communications and product interfaces allowed us to build a cohesive customer experience (CX).
Design consistency between marketing communications and product interfaces allowed us to build a cohesive customer experience (CX).
Design System
Brand
Product Design
Results
- Formulated company design principles that now guide strategic product decisions
- Enhanced design quality and user experience consistency through structured design reviews
- Improved transparency in designer workflows by formalizing both discovery and delivery design processes
Among the results related to process improvements, several key accomplishments significantly enhanced our design quality. Working with a core team of designers and C-level executives, I developed and implemented company design principles—something missing for 20 years—and established an asynchronous design review process that fostered collaboration between design teams and ensured consistent solutions.
C-Level Collab
Design Strategy
processes
As a hiring manager and leader, my priority was creating a powerful design community. I firmly believe that my role as a leader is to provide tools, motivation, and support to help each designer unlock their potential and superpowers—not to become a bottleneck. This approach strengthened the designers' position within the company and increased their influence on strategic decisions.
Beyond my core responsibilities, I initiated the creation of a comprehensive UX writing team. I successfully recruited a Head of UX writing, and together we established effective collaboration processes between writers and designers. This initiative resulted in the development of a clear Tone of Voice framework for the company.
Beyond my core responsibilities, I initiated the creation of a comprehensive UX writing team. I successfully recruited a Head of UX writing, and together we established effective collaboration processes between writers and designers. This initiative resulted in the development of a clear Tone of Voice framework for the company.
Leadership
team development
- Grew the team from 8 to 20 product designers
- Implemented a new interview stage—UX Whiteboard Challenge
- Created a supportive onboarding process
- Developed a Personal Development Plan framework
- Introduced a new feedback format for Performance Reviews
- Established annual design community reports for the entire company
- Created a comprehensive skills matrix and grading system for product designers
- Implemented effective brainstorming sessions and design sprints
- Successfully integrated AI into the customer journey
A vital component of my role was leading innovative projects and shaping product vision. For example, in 2024, we integrated an AI Travel Assistant with its own unique RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) in just three months. I was responsible for the customer experience and served as a key stakeholder on this project. Additionally, I established structured Brainstorming and Design Sprint processes where the design guild developed conceptual solutions for Product Owners' requests.
Ideation
AI
This has been an incredible adventure for which I’m truly grateful. I want to extend my sincere thanks to the design teams, UX researchers, UX writers, design system team, product owners and the director board. Your support and collaborative spirit made significant improvements possible in both our product and processes.
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- Meaningful change requires teamwork—it simply doesn’t happen without it
- A clear company strategy is essential for achieving meaningful goals
- The ability to delegate without compromising quality or interfering is the key to building strong teams and delivering exceptional results
Conclusion
Manychat
Design Manager, Art Director
Design Manager, Art Director
Mockin
Co-Founder
Co-Founder
Other experience
