Designer Spotlight: Ivan Ermakov | Codrops

Hi, I’m Ivan—a Dubai-based designer focused on fintech products and branding. I run Moonsight, where we craft thoughtful digital experiences and sharp visual identities for financial companies around the world.

Background

My path into design wasn’t a childhood calling—I wasn’t drawing wireframes at age ten or dreaming of Helvetica (can you imagine XD). I just knew I didn’t want the typical office life. I wanted freedom, movement, and a way to create things that felt useful. Design turned out to be the sweet spot between independence and impact.

So I studied design at university by day, and took on agency work by night—what you might call the full-stack student hustle. That rhythm—study, work, repeat—taught me discipline. I also kept learning on the side, exploring tools, trends, and techniques to sharpen my craft.

Eventually, I found myself gravitating toward fintech.

Why fintech? Because it’s real. It’s personal. Everyone interacts with money. And when you build something that helps them feel more in control of it—you’re not just improving UX, you’re improving lives.

You’re designing trust. That’s a responsibility I take seriously.

From there, I explored both sides of the industry: in-house roles at product companies, and fast-paced agency work. Later, I shifted into consultancy—partnering with fintechs across Europe, the Gulf, and Asia. That chapter taught me a lot—not just about design, but about people, culture, and how different teams think about trust and money.

All of that led me to start Moonsight—a space where I could bring all those experiences together. Today, we partner with fintechs and financial companies to create sharp, useful, brand-led digital experiences. And while I still stay hands-on, I’m also building a team that’s just as obsessed with clarity, thoughtfulness, and execution as I am.

Featured Work

Monetto

A game-changer in the world of freelancing. Designed to simplify and elevate the financial journey for freelancers, Monetto is more than just an app – it’s a holistic solution that empowers creatives like me to manage their finances with confidence.

BlastUp

Blastup’s mission is simple—help users grow their social media presence, fast. We crafted a bold, dynamic identity that reflects Blastup’s energetic and friendly personality as well is their website.

Alinma Bank

This project for Alinma Bank involved a comprehensive redesign across all brand touchpoints: the logo, physical cards, website, and mobile app. The goal was to modernize and streamline the visual identity while maintaining the bank’s core values.

Coinly

Coinly is more than just a banking app — it’s a full-fledged financial literacy ecosystem for kids, designed to empower the next generation with money skills that grow with them. Built around an engaging coin mascot and a colorful 3D world, Coinly blends gamification, interactive storytelling, and real financial tools.

Design Philosophy

Design should be highly functional and intuitive, solving both business and user problems while delivering an engaging experience that users want to return to.

Design is clarity. And clarity builds trust.

Especially in fintech—where most of my projects happen—you don’t have the luxury of vague. Your design has to work, first and foremost. It has to feel smart, trustworthy, smooth. When people trust your interface, they trust your product. And when they trust your product, they’re more likely to use it again. That’s where design really proves its value.

My job is to make things useful first, beautiful second. But ideally, both at once.

The way I approach projects is structured but adaptable.

I start with full immersion—understanding the business, the audience, and the problem we’re solving. From there, I look for a unique angle, something that gives the product or brand a distinct voice. Then I push that idea as far as I can—visually, functionally, and emotionally.

And no, I don’t believe in reinventing everything 🙂

Use the patterns that work. But when something feels off or underwhelming, be bold enough to rethink it. That’s where the real creative work lives—not in chaos, but in considered evolution.

I don’t want to be known for a style. I want to be known for range.

For every project, I try to find a distinct visual language. That means experimenting—pulling in 3D, motion, illustration—whatever it takes to bring the concept to life.

And I rarely do it alone.

I collaborate closely with animators, developers, motion designers, illustrators—the kind of people who not only support the vision, but expand it. When everyone brings their strengths to the table, the result is always richer, sharper, more memorable.

What matters most is that the end result has presence. That it feels alive, intentional, and built with care.

And I care deeply about how work is presented. Every project—client or personal—is framed with context, rationale, and craft. Because good design solves problems, but great design tells a story.

Process In Bits

My process is structured, but not rigid. Usually, it looks something like this:

Polish and present
Clear storytelling. Clean handoff. Confident rationale.

Understand the business
What’s broken? What’s needed? What are we really solving?

Understand the user
What do they expect? What’s familiar to them? What do they fear?

Explore the visual angle
Moodboards, motion cues, layout patterns, unexpected directions

Build and iterate
Fast feedback loops with clients and the team

One benchmark I use: if I don’t understand what I designed, how can I expect a user to?

For me, good design starts with intention. Every screen, every button, every microinteraction—there should be a reason it exists. So when a feature’s built, I walk through it in my head as if I’ve never seen it before. What would I click? What would I expect next? Can I explain what each part does without second-guessing?

After working on financial interfaces for so long, you start to internalize these flows—you almost know them by muscle memory. But that doesn’t mean you skip the test. You still go through each stage. You still assume nothing.

Sometimes, the best insights come from a teammate asking, “Wait, what does this do?” That’s your cue to look closer.

And when it comes to working with clients?

I walk clients through every stage—from moodboards to microinteractions—so there are no surprises and no last-minute pivots.

It’s about mutual trust: they trust my process, and I trust their vision.

This structure helps me manage expectations, prevent scope drift, and deliver thoughtful work—on time, without the drama.

What keeps me inspired? Looking outside the bubble.

I don’t have a list of designers I religiously follow. What inspires me is great work—wherever it lives. Sometimes it’s a slick piece of web design, sometimes a brutalist poster on the street, art style from a video game, or the typography on a jazz record sleeve.

Music plays a huge role in my creative life—I sing a bit, and I think that kind of rhythm and structure naturally finds its way into how I build interfaces.

I’m also a huge gamer, and I’m fascinated by how game mechanics influence user behavior. There’s a lot designers can learn from how games guide, reward, and surprise users.

Sometimes I’ll see a cool effect, a character design, or even just a motion detail and immediately think:

That could be the anchor for a whole experience

Not necessarily for the project I’m working on in the moment, but something I’d love to build around later. So I sort, I collect, I sketch.

I’m often looking for inspiration for one project, but bookmarking ideas for two or three others. It’s not just moodboarding—it’s pattern recognition, and planting seeds for future concepts.

Inspiration can come from anywhere—but only if you keep your eyes open.

What’s Next

Right now, I’m fully focused on building Moonsight into a studio known for bold, strategic fintech design—especially across the MENA region.

On my personal radar:

• Master 3D
• Launch my own product
• Speak at more design events
• Make Moonsight’s design Conference in Dubai happen
• Join awwwards jury panel
• Do more meaningful work
• Mostly? Just grow. As a designer, a founder, and a creative

Parting Thoughts

If I could give one piece of advice to younger designers, it would be this:

Find what excites you. Stay obsessed with it. And don’t waste time comparing yourself to others.

We’re overexposed to each other’s work these days. It’s easy to feel behind.

But your only competition is yourself a year ago. That’s where growth lives.

This industry moves fast. But if you move with intent, your work will always find its place.