Mira
Dobcheva.

I design for the moment
things finally click.

Most of my work lives where complexity hides in plain sight: health tools people are nervous to use, productivity apps that promise to save time but rarely do, e-commerce flows that ask too much of the person just trying to buy something.

My process starts with research. I want to understand what’s actually going on before I open Figma — what people are trying to do, where they’re getting stuck, what they’ve already tried. Only then do I start designing. The goal is always the same: something that feels like it was never complicated at all.

Listen carefully.
Brainstorm bravely.
Design caringly.

I ask a lot of questions, not to delay the work, but because most design problems turn out to be something else once you pull on them. I’m direct about what I think and comfortable saying when something isn’t right. But I hold my opinions loosely. I’d rather be wrong and learn than right and closed off.

How I work best depends entirely on what the project needs. Some things need quiet focus and space to think. Others need a whiteboard, a debate, and someone pushing back. I feel comfortable in both cases and I’m honest about which one a problem is actually calling for.

I’m usually reading three books
at a time and learning a new
dance combo.

Outside of work I read a lot — psychology, design theory, and enough fantasy to keep things interesting. I also dance; latin social dances specifically, which turns out to teach you a great deal about reading a room, trusting your instincts, and letting go of the plan. I travel when I can, usually to places where I have to figure things out from scratch.