Kseniya Iyeropes, Senior Product Designer, combines diverse life experiences and an interdisciplinary approach to create user-centric designs, turning personal challenges into a source of professional strength.
The product development domain is thriving, showing consistent growth with an annual rate of 3.51%, according to the Product Development Market Report 2025: Key Data & Trends. With over 8,000 startups and more than 126,000 companies in the field, the competition to create user-centric, impactful products has never been fiercer.
But what truly defines great product thinking? What does it take to design a product that genuinely resonates with people?
A multifaceted beginning: From linguistics to UX design
Kseniya’s professional journey didn’t begin in tech but in the field of linguistics. Born and raised in Belarus, her deep passion for languages and cultural exchange led her to pursue a Master’s degree in Linguistics. However, her creative foundation was established even earlier—driven by a strong passion for art and craft, she attended the School of Fine Art at the Trade Unions Palace of Culture for three years. This early artistic training nurtured her ability to think visually and understand composition, elements that would later become invaluable in her design career. While still at university, she began teaching English and collaborated with the British Council to develop interactive, user-centered learning content for ESL students. This experience marked her first encounter with designing for users, planting the seeds for what would later become her lifelong career in product design.
However, immigrating to the United States brought a new set of challenges. As an immigrant from Belarus, Kseniya faced the daunting task of rebuilding her career from scratch in an unfamiliar country. She worked various jobs in the service industry, often juggling multiple roles just to make ends meet. Yet, her desire to help people achieve their goals by solving problems and designing meaningful experiences that create a positive impact and make their lives easier remained strong, gradually drawing her closer to the world of UX design.
Reflecting on that time, Kseniya shares, “Starting over in a new country was terrifying, but it taught me resilience. Working different jobs and interacting with people from diverse backgrounds gave me a deeper understanding of human behavior. That’s when I realized that designing for users isn’t just about interfaces — it’s about truly understanding people’s needs and experiences.”
Breaking into Tech: The leap of faith
Determined to break into the tech industry, Kseniya took a bold step by enrolling in the Springboard Design Bootcamp. While working full-time as a paralegal at «Wilson Elser» a law firm in Chicago, she dedicated her nights to mastering the intricacies of product design. Her hard work culminated in the creation of a legal management app as her capstone project, designed to support legal staff in managing their workflows more efficiently. This project became a pivotal moment, giving her the confidence to leave her legal career behind and fully commit to design.
Her first official design role was at Wattle, a SaaS-based B2B talent platform focused on HR strategy, and people operations. From there, she transitioned to Spectrum, where she worked on the Billing and Customer Management team, helping build enterprise-level agent-facing software for internal users supporting residential and small and medium business customers. Her work was quickly recognized, leading to a promotion to the Self-Install and Repair team, where she focused on solutions that helped users independently set up and troubleshoot services.
Reflecting on that leap, Kseniya Iyeropes shares, “Leaving my stable job in law to chase a dream in design was one of the scariest decisions I’ve made. But when I was designing late at night after a full day at work, I realized — this is what makes me feel alive. That’s when I knew I had to follow this path.”
Scaling new heights: PayPal and Amazon
Kseniya’s major breakthrough came when she received a message from PayPal, inviting her to discuss potential opportunities. Over the next three years, she took on a leading role in designing PayPal’s Buy Now Pay Later suite of products, including the widely used Pay Monthly solution. Kseniya spearheaded the user experience design and strategy for these products, ensuring they were intuitive, accessible, and tailored to user needs. One of her most notable achievements was the success of Pay Monthly, which generated an impressive $262 million in Total Payment Volume (TPV) within its first quarter after launch.
Her work extended beyond the U.S. market — Kseniya led the global expansion of PayPal’s Pay Later Hub, adapting and optimizing the user experience for customers in France, Italy, Spain, the UK, and Australia. Under her guidance, the Pay Later Hub contributed an additional $98 million in TPV in the U.S. alone, further solidifying PayPal’s position as a leader in the fintech space.
“Designing financial products isn’t just about creating seamless flows — it’s about empowering people. Knowing that Pay Monthly helped users access opportunities they might not have had before made all the hard work worth it,” Kseniya reflects.
But Kseniya’s journey didn’t stop there. Her growing reputation for product vision and leadership in high-stakes environments caught the attention of Amazon. After a rigorous and highly competitive selection process, she secured a role as a Senior Product Designer. Now, Kseniya focuses on crafting seamless, scalable user experiences for Amazon’s vast global customer base, working on products that impact millions of users daily.
“At Amazon, the scale is mind-blowing. Every design decision has the potential to affect millions of people around the world. It’s a huge responsibility, but also an incredible opportunity to make a real impact,” expert shares.
Overcoming barriers: A woman and an immigrant in Tech
Kseniya’s journey into tech was shaped not only by her professional experiences but also by her identity as a woman and an immigrant navigating a male-dominated industry. Moving to the United States alone at the age of 24, without a support network, she faced the immense challenge of rebuilding her life and career from scratch. In the tech world, where biases can often go unspoken, she encountered discrimination based on both her gender and her background.
“Being a woman and an immigrant in tech meant I had to work twice as hard as my colleagues who had a smoother career start—those who didn’t have to adapt to a new country or prove themselves in a male-dominated industry”, Kseniya admits. “But I also realized that these aspects of my identity gave me a unique perspective. We don’t just design for one type of user — people are complex, shaped by their backgrounds, challenges, and stories. My journey taught me to see users in the same way — as multifaceted individuals.”
Rather than allowing these challenges to hold her back, Kseniya used them as fuel to push forward. Her personal experiences deepened her empathy and shaped her product thinking, allowing her to create more inclusive and user-centered designs. She believes that the best product designers draw from all facets of their lives, using their unique experiences to understand users on a deeper level.
Her commitment to inclusivity extends beyond her work. Kseniya Iyeropes actively mentors aspiring designers, especially women and immigrants who are navigating similar challenges. She is a regular speaker at Women in Tech conferences, where she shares her story and encourages others to embrace their unique paths.
“Our experience — the good and the hard — shape how we see the world. And in product design, that perspective is everything. It allows us to create solutions that truly resonate with people,” she explains.
Thought leadership and future aspirations
Kseniya’s influence in the UX and product design world extends far beyond her role at Amazon. She has become a recognized thought leader in the field, using her expertise to advocate for more ethical and user-centric design practices. Currently, she is writing a book on ethics in product design, where she explores the responsibility designers have to create products that not only meet user needs but also consider the broader social impact. Her goal is to inspire designers to think beyond aesthetics and functionality, focusing on how their work can positively shape user experiences in an inclusive and responsible way.
In addition to her writing, Kseniya Iyeropes actively consults for companies, helping them refine their design strategies and implement design thinking into their product development processes. She is also deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of designers, regularly mentoring young professionals and guiding them through the complexities of the industry.
Her influence extends into the global design community through her participation in professional associations. Kseniya is a proud member of the Industrial Designers Society of America, the Interaction Design Association and the American Institute of Graphic Arts, where she engages with fellow design experts and contributes to discussions on industry trends and best practices.
She also takes part in fostering innovation and creativity as a judge at international hackathons. Kseniya recently served as a judge at Hack United (United Hacks v4), held from January 17–19, and also took part as a judge at the DV Hacks (Deer Valley Hacks). Her role in these events allows her to support emerging talent and help shape the future of product design.
“I believe in giving back to the community that helped me grow,” Kseniya Iyeropes shares. “Whether it’s mentoring young designers, consulting on strategy, or judging hackathons, I want to help others find their voice and create meaningful, ethical products.”
Kseniya’s journey highlights the importance of resilience, adaptability, and a commitment to personal growth. Through a combination of hard work and a thoughtful, impact-driven approach to design, she has carved out a meaningful career in the tech industry. As she continues her work at Amazon and on her personal projects, Kseniya remains focused on creating thoughtful, impactful products while supporting the next generation of designers through mentorship and advocacy.