Cling Systems
The circular marketplace for lithium‑ion batteries
To accelerate the transition toward a circular economy, Cling’s marketplace brings idle lithium-ion batteries back into use — through reuse, repurposing, and recycling. Grounded in extensive ecosystem research and shaped through close collaboration with pilot customers, it evolved from a maze of early experiments into a validated platform connecting verified sellers and buyers and driving transactions worldwide.
Throughout the engagement, a broad mix of projects was delivered — from shaping the product vision and building core user interfaces for sellers and buyers to developing internal tools for the sales and logistics teams, as well as brand, marketing, and partner pilot initiatives.
Fig. 1 Battery ecosystem map
Personal contribution
Led product design and set up customer research practices. Provided sales and marketing teams with product insights and creative assets.
Developed product vision, built various concepts and prototypes to drive explorative and initiatives.
Design and prototyping key user flows and interactions, created design system.
Cling Systems
The circular marketplace for lithium‑ion batteries
To accelerate the transition toward a circular economy, Cling’s marketplace brings idle lithium-ion batteries back into use — through reuse, repurposing, and recycling. Grounded in extensive ecosystem research and shaped through close collaboration with pilot customers, it evolved from a maze of early experiments into a validated platform connecting verified sellers and buyers and driving transactions worldwide.
Throughout the engagement, a broad mix of projects was delivered — from shaping the product vision and building core user interfaces for sellers and buyers to developing internal tools for the sales and logistics teams, as well as brand, marketing, and partner pilot initiatives.
Fig. 1 Battery ecosystem map
Personal contribution
Led product design and set up customer research practices. Provided sales and marketing teams with product insights and creative assets.
Developed product vision, built various concepts and prototypes to drive explorative and initiatives.
Design and prototyping key user flows and interactions, created design system.
Cling Systems
The circular marketplace for lithium‑ion batteries
To accelerate the transition toward a circular economy, Cling’s marketplace brings idle lithium-ion batteries back into use — through reuse, repurposing, and recycling. Grounded in extensive ecosystem research and shaped through close collaboration with pilot customers, it evolved from a maze of early experiments into a validated platform connecting verified sellers and buyers and driving transactions worldwide.
Throughout the engagement, a broad mix of projects was delivered — from shaping the product vision and building core user interfaces for sellers and buyers to developing internal tools for the sales and logistics teams, as well as brand, marketing, and partner pilot initiatives.
Fig. 1 Battery ecosystem map
Personal contribution
Led product design and set up customer research practices. Provided sales and marketing teams with product insights and creative assets.
Developed product vision, built various concepts and prototypes to drive explorative and initiatives.
Design and prototyping key user flows and interactions, created design system.
Zmarta
Re-shaping digital comparison experience
Zmarta is a comparison service for loans, insurance, and electricity contracts, daring to move beyond the industry’s call-center-driven, sales-oriented practices. With its freshly redesigned brand identity, it called for a complete transformation of the customer experience across all touchpoints — introducing a refreshed tone of voice, updated imagery, and a reshaped user experience supported by a fully rebuilt design system.
Personal contribution
Led and mentored the design team, fostering craft excellence, advocating for customer-centricity, and nurturing ongoing team development.
Guided the rebrand initiative by providing a strong design perspective and ensuring its successful application across digital touch points.
Steered the overhaul of the design system to enhance consistency, accessibility, and brand alignment throughout the customer journey.
Zmarta
Re-shaping digital comparison experience
Zmarta is a comparison service for loans, insurance, and electricity contracts, daring to move beyond the industry’s call-center-driven, sales-oriented practices. With its freshly redesigned brand identity, it called for a complete transformation of the customer experience across all touchpoints — introducing a refreshed tone of voice, updated imagery, and a reshaped user experience supported by a fully rebuilt design system.
Personal contribution
Led and mentored the design team, fostering craft excellence, advocating for customer-centricity, and nurturing ongoing team development.
Guided the rebrand initiative by providing a strong design perspective and ensuring its successful application across digital touch points.
Steered the overhaul of the design system to enhance consistency, accessibility, and brand alignment throughout the customer journey.
Zmarta
Re-shaping digital comparison experience
Zmarta is a comparison service for loans, insurance, and electricity contracts, daring to move beyond the industry’s call-center-driven, sales-oriented practices. With its freshly redesigned brand identity, it called for a complete transformation of the customer experience across all touchpoints — introducing a refreshed tone of voice, updated imagery, and a reshaped user experience supported by a fully rebuilt design system.
Personal contribution
Led and mentored the design team, fostering craft excellence, advocating for customer-centricity, and nurturing ongoing team development.
Guided the rebrand initiative by providing a strong design perspective and ensuring its successful application across digital touch points.
Steered the overhaul of the design system to enhance consistency, accessibility, and brand alignment throughout the customer journey.
Solar
Redefining home energy management
As the company evolved from a solar PV installer into a digital service provider, its mobile app required a bold new direction. Grounded in market insights, a forward-looking product vision was shaped — exploring future technologies and unlocking opportunities to deliver impactful features with real climate value.
Personal contribution
Provided guidance on insight-driven user-centered design process.
Framed design problems based on customer and market insights.
Designed, prototyped, and tested key user flows and interactions for strategic impact.
Solar
Redefining home energy management
As the company evolved from a solar PV installer into a digital service provider, its mobile app required a bold new direction. Grounded in market insights, a forward-looking product vision was shaped — exploring future technologies and unlocking opportunities to deliver impactful features with real climate value.
Personal contribution
Provided guidance on insight-driven user-centered design process.
Framed design problems based on customer and market insights.
Designed, prototyped, and tested key user flows and interactions for strategic impact.
Solar
Redefining home energy management
As the company evolved from a solar PV installer into a digital service provider, its mobile app required a bold new direction. Grounded in market insights, a forward-looking product vision was shaped — exploring future technologies and unlocking opportunities to deliver impactful features with real climate value.
Personal contribution
Provided guidance on insight-driven user-centered design process.
Framed design problems based on customer and market insights.
Designed, prototyped, and tested key user flows and interactions for strategic impact.
About
Valentin works end-to-end across the design stack and operates autonomously in environments ranging from early-stage, resource-scarce startups to large enterprises. His hands-on craft has earned industry recognition, and multidisciplinary creative teams have grown and evolved under his leadership.
Selected career experience
Head of product design
Cling Systems ∙ since 2023
Design a global B2B marketplace (from zero to one) that brings the growing oversupply of unused or end-of-life EV batteries into a productive use.
Head of design
Zmarta ∙ 2023
Shaped the transition from an old and denounced product towards the one that customers love by leading the redesign of user experience, building the design system and creating a new product vision.
Design director
Futurice ∙ 2017–2022
Lead cross-competence teams and guided organizations through an innovation process of co-creating digital products and services.
Head of design
Innova ∙ 2011–2014
Built and nurtured a high-performing creative team to drive innovation and design excellence. Set the creative direction and defined the design strategy for in-house digital products.
Check the LinkedIn profile for full career experience.
Skill- & Mindset
Fluent in
User experience design, visual design, design systems, accessibility, service design, user research, product strategy and vision.
Captivated by
Nature, circular economy, systems thinking, self-managed organisations, yoga, post-growth, artificial intelligence.
Education
Interactive Art Director
Hyper Island ∙ 2014–2015
Innovation process, team development, creative collaboration.
BA Engineering
RSREU ∙ 2002–2007
Automatics and IT Management.
About
Valentin works end-to-end across the design stack and operates autonomously in environments ranging from early-stage, resource-scarce startups to large enterprises. His hands-on craft has earned industry recognition, and multidisciplinary creative teams have grown and evolved under his leadership.
Selected career experience
Head of product design
Cling Systems ∙ since 2023
Design a global B2B marketplace (from zero to one) that brings the growing oversupply of unused or end-of-life EV batteries into a productive use.
Head of design
Zmarta ∙ 2023
Shaped the transition from an old and denounced product towards the one that customers love by leading the redesign of user experience, building the design system and creating a new product vision.
Design director
Futurice ∙ 2017–2022
Lead cross-competence teams and guided organizations through an innovation process of co-creating digital products and services.
Head of design
Innova ∙ 2011–2014
Built and nurtured a high-performing creative team to drive innovation and design excellence. Set the creative direction and defined the design strategy for in-house digital products.
Check the LinkedIn profile for full career experience.
Skill- & Mindset
Fluent in
User experience design, visual design, design systems, accessibility, service design, user research, product strategy and vision.
Captivated by
Nature, circular economy, systems thinking, self-managed organisations, yoga, post-growth, artificial intelligence.
Education
Interactive Art Director
Hyper Island ∙ 2014–2015
Innovation process, team development, creative collaboration.
BA Engineering
RSREU ∙ 2002–2007
Automatics and IT Management.
About
Valentin works end-to-end across the design stack and operates autonomously in environments ranging from early-stage, resource-scarce startups to large enterprises. His hands-on craft has earned industry recognition, and multidisciplinary creative teams have grown and evolved under his leadership.
Selected career experience
Head of product design
Cling Systems ∙ since 2023
Design a global B2B marketplace (from zero to one) that brings the growing oversupply of unused or end-of-life EV batteries into a productive use.
Head of design
Zmarta ∙ 2023
Shaped the transition from an old and denounced product towards the one that customers love by leading the redesign of user experience, building the design system and creating a new product vision.
Design director
Futurice ∙ 2017–2022
Lead cross-competence teams and guided organizations through an innovation process of co-creating digital products and services.
Head of design
Innova ∙ 2011–2014
Built and nurtured a high-performing creative team to drive innovation and design excellence. Set the creative direction and defined the design strategy for in-house digital products.
Check the LinkedIn profile for full career experience.
Skill- & Mindset
Fluent in
User experience design, visual design, design systems, accessibility, service design, user research, product strategy and vision.
Captivated by
Nature, circular economy, systems thinking, self-managed organisations, yoga, post-growth, artificial intelligence.
Education
Interactive Art Director
Hyper Island ∙ 2014–2015
Innovation process, team development, creative collaboration.
BA Engineering
RSREU ∙ 2002–2007
Automatics and IT Management.