The Evolution of Design and User Experience: Calin Stefanescu’s Journey

Introduction

The UI/UX design and development world is in constant change. To gain insights into this dynamic field, we sat down with Calin Stefanescu, an experienced expert in Design and user experience with over 25 years of experience. From his early days learning Photoshop and Flash to his current focus on creating scalable design systems, Calin shares his journey, challenges, and vision for the future of Design.

Discovering a passion for Design

Calin’s journey began 25 years ago while he was still in high school. Despite the limited availability of the internet at the time, he dedicated himself to learning Photoshop and Flash. With the support of his mother, a computer science teacher who provided access to resources, Calin spent months mastering these tools. This early immersion laid the foundation for his deep understanding of design principles and set him on the path to a successful career.

From Graphic Design to UI/UX Throughout his career, Calin has worked in various domains, including graphic Design, web design, and user experience. His diverse projects have allowed him to apply his skills in creating functional and aesthetically pleasing interfaces. Calin’s expertise has been recognized through competitions and awards, further solidifying his position in the field.

Q: How did you discover your passion for Design and art direction?

Calin: “I couldn’t do everything very well,” Calin explains, “At some point, I had to choose what I wanted to continue with.” This pivotal moment led him to reflect on his true passions and strengths. Calin discovered that his heart lay in the creative realm of drawing and crafting interfaces rather than the more technical aspects of programming.

As the agency he worked for expanded, Calin seized the opportunity to focus on the areas that brought him the most fulfillment. He gravitated towards the world of animations and UI/UX design, honing his skills and pouring his energy into creating captivating visual experiences.

Looking back, Calin recognizes that his journey to becoming a UI/UX designer and art director was a natural evolution. “I couldn’t say I ended up doing UI/UX, meaning only design, because that’s what I wanted,” he reflects, “It’s what I focused on because over time we grew.” By embracing his strengths and following his passions, Calin found his calling in the ever-evolving field of Design and art direction.

The Challenges and Rewards of Design

Calin’s current work focuses on creating scalable design systems, a task that requires deep thinking and the ability to see the bigger picture. He identifies simplifying components and making them easily understandable as the most significant challenge.

Q: What is most challenging about being a UI/UX designer and art director?

Calin: “You know, lately, I’ve been obsessing over what seems like a simple question: how do you take something complex and make it effortlessly simple? Let me give you an example that’s been consuming my thoughts for the past four days – a slider component. At first glance, you might think, ‘Well, it’s just a slider; how complicated can it be?’ But when you dive into it, you discover this fascinating world of complexity.

Picture this: you have what looks like a basic slider with an active track, an inactive track, and a thumb that you drag from left to right. Simple, right? But then you start asking questions: Should the handle sit between the tracks or over them? Should it extend to 100% or stop before? Where do you put the values – left, right, top, bottom? Should it have a tooltip?

And here’s where it gets exciting – I need to turn all of this complexity into a single component that’s crystal clear to use. It’s like trying to build the perfect LEGO brick that can somehow fit into any design, any style, any need. Every design system out there has its own fixed rules – ‘the handle must be 32 pixels,’ they say. But I’m trying to break free from that. I want to create something sophisticated enough to handle any scenario but simple enough that any designer can pick it up and instantly understand how to use it.

The real challenge isn’t just making it work – it’s making it feel like it was never complicated in the first place. That’s what keeps me up at night, but it’s also what makes this job so fascinating. It’s about finding that perfect balance between power and simplicity, between flexibility and clarity. And sometimes, that means spending four days thinking about a single slider because getting these fundamental pieces right is what makes everything else fall into place.“

Despite the challenges, Calin finds immense satisfaction in seeing his design systems help other designers and improve interface functionality. He believes that all design systems can be replicated, and his goal is to create a system that is easily customizable and reusable.

The Future of Design and the Impact of Technology

Looking ahead, Calin predicts that design work will become increasingly automated. He emphasizes the importance of designers understanding business needs and user expectations to act as effective translators between the two.

Calin:  “Here’s what I’ve realized after years in Design: every interface in the world is built from just four simple elements – icons, text, containers made from icons and text, and containers made from other containers. It’s like digital LEGO pieces. That’s why I’m convinced AI can excel at design work as long as we teach it the rules of our design system. Think about it – if we can show AI how these building blocks fit together and teach it the ‘grammar’ of Design, like spacing, hierarchy, and component relationships, it can create interfaces just as effectively as any designer. The challenge isn’t the drawing itself; it’s about understanding and following the established patterns and rules.“

While AI will become an essential tool for designers, Calin believes creativity and decision-making skills will remain crucial. Designers of the future will focus on understanding business requirements and user needs and translating them into functional and aesthetically pleasing interfaces.

Staying Inspired and Continuous Learning

Calin: “You know what’s fascinating about design systems? They’re all fundamentally the same under the hood. Some might call their main color an ‘accent color,’ others call it ‘primary,’ and sure, some might structure things a bit differently, but at their core, they’re solving the same problems in similar ways. Yet here we are, with designers around the world spending countless hours rebuilding these systems from scratch for every project. It’s like we’re all reinventing the wheel, just giving it slightly different names each time.“

Calin actively follows the field’s evolution, using resources such as YouTube and design systems to stay inspired and keep up with industry trends. He has observed that many designers are still in the early stages of their careers, creating a need for education and mentorship.

Calin is passionate about sharing his knowledge and experiences. He is considering starting his podcast to address topics related to Design and user experience and provide valuable insights to the design community.

Conclusion

Calin Stefanescu’s design and user experience journey is a testament to the field’s ever-evolving nature. His insights highlight the importance of continuous learning that minimizez the gap between business needs and user expectations. As technology advances, designers like Calin a pivotal role for interfaces and user experiences.

At BEE CODED, we are excited to see how the UI/UX trends of 2025 and beyond will shape the digital landscape. With experts like Calin leading the way, we can expect innovative design systems, automated processes, and interfaces seamlessly blending functionality and aesthetics. The future of Design is bright, and we are eager to be a part of this transformative journey.