Product Designer • Vibe Coder • New York City
About Me
My journey through design started with a fascination for how things work and look, and over time it has grown into a 15+ year practice of creating thoughtful, intuitive digital products. I've worked across startups, agencies, and product teams, helping turn ideas into experiences that balance clarity, creativity, and impact.
At Aktiv Learning, I was the sole designer, shaping everything from UX strategy to a scalable design system and brand identity. I led the work end to end, collaborating closely with product and engineering while also contributing to front-end implementation when needed. That foundation later supported Aktiv's acquisition by Top Hat.
More recently, my work has focused on integrating AI in ways that feel practical, responsible, and human. I helped design Chemical Intelligence, an AI-powered grading engine that delivers instant, personalized feedback to students, and Ace Step-by-Step, a flexible question type that guides students through any relevant solution pathway, giving feedback at each step as they work. In both cases, AI was not an add-on, but part of the design process from the start.
I don't separate thinking from execution. Fluent in Figma MCP, Claude, and code, I move ideas from design to working prototype without handing off or waiting. This vibe coding workflow lets me test real interactions, not just mockups, and ship faster without sacrificing craft.
Across education, real estate, healthcare, and creative tools, my focus stays the same: I design to make complicated systems feel understandable, useful, and human.
Portfolio
What I Do
Recognition
Testimonials
"To call Sazzad just a product designer would be a disservice. He is a unique talent who can truly do it all. Given the opportunity, I would work with Sazzad again in a heartbeat!"
Read full story →"To call Sazzad just a product designer would be a disservice. He is a unique talent who can truly do it all. For over four years, I personally managed Sazzad and collaborated with him on projects ranging from branding, designing and coding our entire company website, to redefining how students learn math and chemistry on mobile devices. He consistently impressed me with his ability to translate whatever vision I had into beautiful, functional designs. Sazzad is a genuine team player and his work ethic shines, earning him the deep respect of his colleagues. Given the opportunity, I would work with Sazzad again in a heartbeat!"
"Sazzad has been the best partner a product manager could ask for. He brings deep platform knowledge to every session, challenges me to refine my vision, and genuinely listens — to our team, our customers, and the market."
Read full story →"Working closely with Sazzad has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my 35+ year career in Educational Publishing and Technology. As a product manager, it's important that I be able to collaborate effectively with my product designer, and Sazzad has been the best partner a product manager could ask for. He's brought deep, foundational knowledge of our platform to all our design sessions, along with an ever-evolving understanding of our customer needs, and our competitive landscape. He's challenged me in all the right ways – encouraging me to refine my vision and focus on the most important aspects of the features we're building. He listens – not just to me, allowing my market knowledge to inform our priorities and our approach, but to our larger team of sales and customer success professionals and to our customers themselves – Sazzad has always been eager to join me in speaking directly to our customers. He's creative and inventive – he has always been quick to try new tools and technologies, to apply best practices for accessibility to our designs, and to ensure our designs are modern and beautiful."
"Sazzad's impact on my work was undeniable. I always considered myself someone who paid close attention to detail — until I worked with Sazzad. The level of thought he put into every element of the user experience was inspiring."
Read full story →"I had the pleasure of working with Sazzad Hossain at Aktiv Learning in 2022 and through its acquisition by Top Hat later that year. He was the Lead Designer, and I was a Math Content Developer. Even though we worked in different roles, his impact on my work was undeniable. I always considered myself someone who paid close attention to detail until I worked with Sazzad. The level of thought he put into every element of the user experience was inspiring. What impressed me most was how intentional he was with every decision. Every color, button, and interaction he designed had a purpose behind it. It was never just about making things look nice, it was about making them meaningful for the learner. His design choices always considered how students and educators would interact with the product, and that level of empathy is something I deeply admire. On top of his technical skills, Sazzad is an incredible collaborator. He never made anyone feel like their input didn't matter. Whether you were in content, engineering, or marketing, he always found a way to make space for your perspective. He brings a rare mix of professionalism, friendliness, and genuine passion for creating something that works for everyone. I truly hope to work with Sazzad again one day, not just because he's great at what he does, but because I'm better at what I do after working with him."
"Sazzad is one of the most versatile UX designers I have ever worked with. His knowledge spans front-end engineering, growth, marketing, customer research and more."
Read full story →"Sazzad is one of the most versatile UX designers I have ever worked with. His knowledge spans front-end engineering, growth, marketing, customer research and more. Further, he is surrounded by an extremely friendly atmosphere, which enables him to articulate his opinions and convictions across multiple audiences. I highly recommend his work, and would love to work together again in the future!"
"His passionate commitment to understanding the needs of the end-user is simply UNRIVALED, and it shows in the consistency of organic, scalable UIUX practices."
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"His designs are comprehensive and well thought out. Sazzad effectively bridges the gap between user requirements and code, delivering visually striking experiences in reasonable time."
Read full story →"I've worked closely with Sazzad at Aktiv and Top Hat, and highly recommend him for any technical product design work. His designs are comprehensive and well thought out. Sazzad is also skilled in communicating with developers. Not only does he effectively bridge the gap between user requirements and code, but he is cognizant of the limitations of a technical stack and working with programmers to strike a balance between desirable features and technical scope. The result is an effective and visually striking user experience that can be delivered in a reasonable amount of time by the engineering team, without compromising the existing architecture."
