Bogdan Bele

I lead frontend work on products where small interface decisions can have real consequences, from insurance policies to long-term financial planning.

I work closely with product, design, and engineering. Usually, that means turning an unclear workflow into something people can use with confidence, then building the frontend foundations that keep it maintainable.

I began as a graphic designer and found my way into software. I still approach the work in that order: understand the person, make sense of the problem, then sweat the details.

Featured Products

Two products I have taken from a rough idea to something people can use. I designed the experience, built the systems behind it, and handled the less glamorous details needed to get them live.

Independent product · Getting ready for release

Spiso

A kitchen inventory that tells you what to use next, so food gets eaten instead of thrown out. It works with no account and no signal.

What I owned

I built the app, the API, the servers, and the release pipeline, including the encryption that lets a household share one kitchen without the server being able to read it.

Product proof

  • Works offline
  • Encrypted sync
  • Shared households
React Native
Expo
TypeScript
SQLite
Node.js
MongoDB
End-to-end encryption
Read the storyVisit spiso.app
Spiso on a phone, screen 1
Spiso on a phone, screen 2
Spiso on a phone, screen 3
Flagship product

Independent product · Designed and built by me

Gear Planner

A practical place to keep outdoor gear, plan trips with friends, and see what everyone is carrying before heading out.

What I owned

I designed and built the whole product, from the data model and collaborative packing flow to maps, sign-in, payments, and deployment.

Product proof

  • Gear inventory
  • Collaborative packing
  • Route & weight analysis
Next.js
TypeScript
Tailwind CSS
Firebase
Google Cloud
Mapbox
Stripe
Read the storyExplore Gear Planner
gearplanner.app
Gear Planner shown in a browser
Gear Planner product view 2
Gear Planner product view 3

Independent product · Learning experience

LeetCode4Kids

A free collection of short coding puzzles that helps children practise logic and problem-solving at their own pace.

What I owned

I designed the puzzles to be short, friendly, and easy to try again. There are no ads, streaks, or pressure to keep up.

Product proof

  • Free & ad-free
  • Self-paced learning
  • Playful problem solving
Next.js
TypeScript
Tailwind CSS
Product Design
Read the storyTry a puzzle

How I work

Good product work makes hard things easier to understand.

01

Start with the decision.

Before drawing a screen, work out what someone needs to know, choose, or do.

02

Build for the next screen too.

Use shared patterns where they help, but leave room for the product to evolve.

03

Share the thinking.

Write down decisions, bring people in early, and treat review as a conversation about the product as well as the code.

Selected Experience

AI & Frontend Lead · Scalepoint

Apr 2026 - Present

I lead the frontend work on Policy360, Scalepoint’s policy administration platform.

  • Lead delivery of Policy360’s customer creation, editing, and eligibility flows with the POLLY team, translating insurance rules into screens people can use with confidence.
  • Run the Scalepoint Design System across React, Tailwind CSS, Storybook, Figma, and Confluence, keeping the design and engineering references in step.
  • Set review and architecture standards, untangle inherited contractor code, map service ownership in Backstage, and mentor engineers across a distributed team.
React
TypeScript
Tailwind CSS
Storybook
Figma
GitHub Actions
PostHog

Frontend Lead · Festina Finance

June 2023 - Dec 2025

I led frontend work on financial planning products used by banks and pension funds across Europe.

  • Created shared React components that cut duplicate work and made client products feel consistent.
  • Built data-heavy tools that helped advisers explain forecasts and compare optimisation scenarios.
  • Introduced everyday code review and testing habits that gave the team clearer ownership and fewer surprises at release.
React
TypeScript
Jest
Tailwind CSS
Recoil
Github Actions
Github Packages
Rollup

Frontend Architect · Nordic Insurance Software

Sept 2022 - June 2023

I led frontend architecture for a multi-tenant insurance platform used in more than 35 countries.

  • Worked with contractors and permanent engineers across several locations to keep architecture and delivery moving in the same direction.
  • Used pairing and practical workshops to share decisions instead of keeping frontend knowledge with a few people.
  • Took features from discovery to release while keeping the older parts of the platform workable.
React
TypeScript
Redux
Jest
Azure DevOps

Career Story

The through-line

Graphic design pulled me into interfaces. Curiosity about how they worked pulled me into code.

Since then, each role has added something: product judgment, frontend architecture, mentoring, and the practical work of helping a team ship together.

Software Engineer → Senior Software Engineer · Danske Bank

Jan 2021 - Sept 2022

Built B2B financing tools for advisers, contributed to the bank’s design system, and started mentoring junior engineers.

React
TypeScript
GraphQL
Design Systems
Mentorship

Software Engineer · Cardlay

Mar 2020 - Jan 2021

Built white-label fintech products for Scandinavian banks using React and Vue.js, with testing and product analytics as part of the day-to-day work.

React
Vue.js
TypeScript
Cypress
Amplitude

Frontend & Android Developer · Moodagent

Sep 2018 - Mar 2020

Joined a music startup and moved fully into product engineering, shipping Kotlin for Android and React for the web.

Android (Kotlin)
React
AWS
Firebase

Designer → Developer · Aviendo, Debitoor & KEA

2015 - 2018

Started as a graphic designer, studied web development at KEA, then came back to teach it while moving into frontend work.

Graphic Design
UI/UX
Teaching
JavaScript
React

Expertise

Product engineering

I untangle busy workflows and turn them into screens people can understand and trust.

Complex workflows
Data-heavy UI
Accessibility
Product discovery

Systems & foundations

I build design systems and frontend architecture that help teams work consistently without slowing them down.

Design systems
React architecture
Component APIs
Frontend platforms

Technical leadership

I make technical decisions visible, review work with context, and help engineers grow into ownership.

Team enablement
Architecture reviews
Delivery quality
Mentorship

Field Notes

Things I have learned, changed my mind about, or keep coming back to while building software.

01

How I make complex workflows easier to follow

What I look for when a workflow is complicated for good reasons.

02

Design systems that help teams move

A component library is only useful if it changes the way a team works.

03

AI that earns its place

My test for an AI feature is simple: it should remove work and keep the person in control.

Now & Beyond Work

Building

Small, useful products inspired by problems I have run into myself.

Exploring

Where AI is genuinely useful, plus whatever I am currently running on my home server.

Recharging

Music, time outdoors, and a good technical rabbit hole.

Let's Talk

I enjoy complex product work, strong design systems, and teams that care about how things are built. If that sounds like what you're working on, send me a note.

Based in Copenhagen. Happy working with distributed teams.

bogdan.bele.dev@gmail.com