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Portrait of Rapee Koo-akarakul

About me

My Journey From Game Art to Product Design

Hi, I’m Rapee Koo-akarakul, a Product Designer with a background in digital art, photography, and graphic design.

I had always been passionate about art and design, immersing myself in creative pursuits from a young age. In 2011, I pursued a degree in Communication Design from Burapha University.

Early in my career, I had an opportunity to work in the gaming industry. I got involved in the process of making game art, where I started with concept art, designed game maps, characters, UI, and game items. The process of bringing ideas to life cemented my love for crafting immersive experiences.

As much as I enjoyed working in games, I found myself curious about how design could solve everyday problems and make life easier for people. That curiosity led me to explore UX design. My background in game art gave me a solid foundation. I understand how to create visuals that resonate with people and how to think through complex systems.

Over the years, my work has grown beyond design tools. These days I work as comfortably in GitHub as in Figma. Most recently, I co-founded Budget Ally, an expense-tracking app my partner and I shipped to the App Store in two months. I still care deeply about craft, accessibility, and performance, but what drives me now is taking a product from an idea to something people actually use.

Experience

Co-founder & Product Designer
Dec 2024 - Present

I designed and shipped a shared expense-tracking app for iOS with my partner, going from concept to App Store launch in two months. I owned the visual design, flows, logo, and App Store screenshots, working directly with engineering throughout. I'm continuing to improve onboarding and retention based on feedback, while learning App Store Optimization along the way.

Senior UX/UI Designer (Contractor)
Puraido
July 2024 - Sep 2024

I redesigned core user flows for a payment processing platform, simplifying the gateway creation process based on stakeholder feedback. I also created interactive Figma prototypes to validate design concepts before development.

Senior UX/UI Designer (Contractor)
CI Talks
Dec 2023 - Apr 2024

I designed and developed user interfaces for a social impact platform, including features like onboarding, social feeds, video uploads, and fundraisers. I also translated stakeholder requirements into responsive designs for web and mobile.

Senior Product Designer
Taskworld
Jun 2019 - Nov 2023

I contributed to the development and improvement of features for project management software, including Analytics, Subtasks, and Project Templates. I also mentored designers, helping them align with the design system.

UX/UI Designer
Senna Labs
Nov 2017 - May 2019

I worked on enhancing the user experience of the S&P Food Delivery platform. My introduction to UX involved conducting user interviews and usability testing to inform design decisions.

2D Artist
Playlabs
Oct 2013 - Oct 2017

I worked on the concept art for mobile games, including game screens, maps, characters, and game assets. I also designed user interfaces, created app icons, and interaction sequences for game screens to enhance the player experience.

Game Artist
P.L. Education
Jan 2012 - Sep 2013

I designed game graphics and user interfaces for children’s games on iOS and Windows. My work included creating characters, environments, and in-game assets.

When I Don't Design

HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Tailwind CSS, and VS Code logos
Learning

Lately I've been learning web development. This portfolio is hand-coded with HTML, Tailwind CSS, and JavaScript.

Digital painting of a woman in traditional Thai dress
Drawing

Art has always been my favorite hobby. I love experimenting with different styles. It's my way of letting my imagination take over.

Book cover of Feel Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal
Reading

Reading is like taking a journey of the mind. I enjoy both fiction and non-fiction. The book I’m currently reading is Feel Good Productivity.

Aerial view over the towers of St Paul's Cathedral in London
Photography

I love capturing interesting moments, especially when traveling. Photography helps me see the world from new perspectives.