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Benjamin Hapka architects scalable product systems that scale clarity

I design the systems, structure, and product foundations that help complex organizations ship with more clarity and less friction.

Available for Senior or Staff-level design leadership roles.

PROFILE

Benjamin Hapka

I don't just design interfaces, I design systems that drive product velocity. I'm Benjamin Hapka, a design systems leader with 10+ years in UX/UI and a proven track record of scaling infrastructure across global enterprise products.

At Johnson Controls, I led the 0→1 build of our design system, aligning 21 designers and 10 developers across brands and platforms. I defined governance, systemized documentation, and embedded accessibility to drive adoption and consistency company-wide.

From launching enterprise tools like Cyber Health to field-optimizing FIFA's IBMS software in Qatar, my focus is clarity, execution, and impact. I'm now seeking a Staff Product Designer or Design System Lead role where I can bring this same systems-level rigor to teams building ambitious, high-scale products.

Expertise

STRATEGY & LEADERSHIP

  • Product Vision
  • Discovery & Pivot
  • Stakeholder Management
  • Team Mentorship

SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE

  • Figma Variables
  • Design Tokens
  • Governance Models
  • Accessibility (WCAG)

TECHNICAL EXECUTION

  • React & TypeScript
  • Storybook
  • Tailwind CSS
  • Prototyping

EXPERIENCES

Staff Product Designer, Design Systems

Led design system architecture and AI integration. Consolidated 52+ Figma component libraries into a unified, multi-brand system using variable modes. Built the business case, architecture, and prototype for EDS Copilot — an AI-powered QA automation system that turned $600K in manual overhead into a $3.1M savings model (19× ROI), securing a $200K pilot approval. Defined a three-tier VQA model for component stability across MAC, Clinique, Tom Ford, Estée Lauder, and Aveda. Built governance, onboarding, and a Confluence hub to scale adoption.

JULOCT
2025 - 2025

Senior Product (UX/UI) Designer - DS Lead

Established and scaled the Element Design System (EDS), adopted by 30+ teams. Led roadmap, governance, and stakeholder engagement. System Leadership: Grew adoption across 34 teams; saved $790K via design ops efficiencies Governance & Training: Led bi-weekly Figma sessions; reduced design maintenance by 62% Strategic Execution: Optimized workflows, design token ops; led multi-platform system strategy.

MAYFEB
2022 - 2025

UX/UI Designer II

Standardized enterprise UX across IoT platforms. Led 0->1 product design and system integration. Product Impact: 2022 FIFA World Cup IBMS, Cyber Health (Desktop), Metasys (Desktop, Mobile, On display device) display redesigns, feature creation and product creation. Design System Foundation: Built core UI kit, documentation, and dev handoff Innovation & Recognition: Earned Merit Awards, Vision Award, 3 UX patents.

AUGMAY
2017 - 2022

UX/UI Designer I

Developed foundational components and UI consistency standards across Metasys platform. Early Contributions: Created global icon library, component inventory UX Research: Led A/B testing to optimize graphs and data viz Process Impact: Surfaced UI inconsistencies that sparked design system adoption.

JUNAUG
2016 - 2017

Creative Intern

As a Creative Intern, I contributed to UI/UX design, branding, digital marketing, and art direction for major brands and pro-bono initiatives. I collaborated with designers, photographers, and creative directors, refining both technical skills and strategic execution.

MAYJUN
2015 - 2016

EDUCATION

MILWAUKEE INSTITUTE OF ART AND DESIGN

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Communication Design

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Certificate, AI & Product Strategy

SKILLS

Product DesignVisual DesignUX/UI DesignCross-functionalAgile ProductPrototypingDesign SystemsUser ResearchUI Animation

TESTIMONIALS

See what others
say about me.

I have helped many product teams make intuitive designs for their product. Wanna be the next?

Contact me