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Alexander
Fandén

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About me

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I’m a design systems designer focused on craft, scale, and the systems that help teams build better products.

What I do

I’m currently leading data visualization for the design system at Stripe, supporting the foundations behind charts and reporting components.

Previously, I led the evolution of the Agoda Design System across foundations, process, and education, helping make it more accessible, brand-aligned, and scalable across a large travel platform.

AI-first workflows

AI has changed how I work in the space between ideas, decisions, and implementation:

  • Claude with the Figma MCP helps critique my designs, explore edge cases, and stress-test ideas.

  • Cursor helps me understand the codebase, bridge design and engineering, and contribute production-ready PRs.

  • Cursor, GitHub, and Vercel make it possible for me to build and host playgrounds, micro-sites, and custom tools.

  • Custom Claude skills turn my messy notes, feedback, bugs, and references into clearer proposals.

I see AI as a thought partner that helps me sharpen my thinking, raise quality, and contribute beyond the traditional boundaries of design.

AI and Design Systems

AI is starting to change how design systems are used by both people and agents.

That makes clear writing, structured rules, and good examples more important, especially when agents have less context than humans. I’m curious about markdown and written specs becoming a stronger source of truth, with design and code generated from that foundation.

I’m also exploring how custom tools can become part of the system offering, helping teams solve specific workflow problems more effectively.

Craft & Collaboration

I care deeply about design quality: the kind you feel when every detail is intentional and the system becomes something people want to use.

I like setting a high bar, staying curious, and working closely with engineers and product partners to solve hard problems together.

Mindset

I’ve never had a perfectly linear path. I started a design agency in high school, moved to Thailand at 20, led a development team without formal training, took over a design systems team during a major refresh, and later moved to Spain for my next chapter.

None of it was smooth, but it shaped how I work: take ownership, learn quickly, stay curious, and bring people along for the ride!

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Links

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Resume

LinkedIn

E-mail

Medium

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Experience

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Nov 2025—Present

Senior Designer

Design Systems, Stripe

July 2024—Oct 2025

Principal Designer

Design Systems, Agoda

July 2021—June 2024

Lead Designer

Design Systems, Agoda

Feb 2020—June 2021

Senior Designer

Packages, Agoda

Oct 2017—Jan 2020

Product Designer

Supply, Agoda

May 2012—Sep 2017

Product Development Lead

Diakrit

Jan 2012—May 2012

Product Development Coordinator

Diakrit

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Testimonials

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  • Alex breaks it down challenges with such clarity, you’ll wonder why it was hard in the first place. He's a great collaborator and that rare partner who lifts others, inspires creativity, and makes work fun. He articulates design thinking so clearly, it’s like a TED Talk every time. If you want someone who raises the bar for the whole team—and makes everyone better while solving complex problems—Alex is the one you want on your team.

    Brie Elam

    Senior Design Manager, Agoda (ex-Amazon)

  • Above all, Alex isn’t just a leader—he’s my personal role model. He drives collaboration with contagious enthusiasm, shares his expertise freely, and celebrates every team win—big and small. Under his guidance, we didn’t just work side by side; we grew stronger, more connected, and inspired to exceed our own expectations. Any team would be lucky to have Alex showing the way.

    Parnrawee Ninlaphan

    Product Designer, Agoda

  • Alex was one of the reasons I decided to join his team. He's the kind of designer who is truly passionate about the craft and quality. You can always count on Alex to lead by example and look out for his teammates while still effectively managing stakeholders. He is one of the best designers I have had the pleasure of working with and learning from.

    Tanisa Law

    Product Designer, Agoda

  • When Alex commits to something, you can trust he'll deliver. His proactive approach and strong self-direction enable him to spot problems, craft solutions, and execute independently with minimal oversight. Alex spearheaded the evolution of Agoda's design system from a Figma-only resource to full codebase integration.

    Dynin Khem

    Design Director, Agoda (ex-Amazon, Kraken)

  • An excellent storyteller with extreme attention to detail and a contagious passion for design — that’s Alex in a nutshell. I had the opportunity to work alongside Alex on several cross-functional initiatives at Agoda, such as defining Agoda’s Experience Principles, contributing to the table component, and inheriting his work on the app for our hotel partners. Alex’s leadership on the design system was especially impactful — he paved the way for a unified design language and led efforts to clean up the token system by introducing intent-based tokens.

    Arash Bal

    Product Design Lead, Supply at Agoda (ex-oyo)

  • I had the opportunity to collaborate on some very interesting topics in and around the design system space while working with Alex. He has the combination of being very passionate, visionary and skillful, giving him the strength and ability to pull through complex tasks in a complex environment with a lot of stakeholders and dependencies. However, what I enjoyed most working with Alex was the ability to bounce ideas off each other and coming up with smart solutions to improve our day-to-day work. Alex brings both creative thinking and the drive to actually make things happen.

    Lars Jarlvik

    Engineering Manager, Design ops at Agoda

  • I had the privilege of working closely with Alexander, and despite being separated by an ocean, he made collaboration feel effortless. Alexander is exceptionally detail-oriented and thorough in everything he does - even his work-in-progress concepts come beautifully documented. He knows exactly when to make smart trade-offs without compromising quality, and he's an outstanding advocate for design thinking throughout any organization.

    Emily Simon

    Design Manager, Rocket Travel by Agoda

  • Alex is the best designer I’ve ever worked with. He has deep knowledge and experience in design systems and was the one who introduced me to them. What makes working with him so easy isn’t just his design talent, but also his technical understanding—his grasp of CSS and React components makes collaboration between design and engineering seamless.

    Kanokphol Techarattanaprasert

    Design Systems Engineer, Agoda

  • Right from the start, Alex painted a bold, clear vision for our design systems and scalable architecture, breaking down complex ideas into actionable steps. Thanks to his hands-on guidance and genuine commitment to excellence, our work flowed seamlessly and consistently raised the bar.

    Parnrawee Ninlaphan

    Product Designer, Agoda

  • His strong soft skills make him a fantastic communicator and presenter, and he’s constantly inspiring those around him with his unique perspectives. Working with Alex was truly enjoyable. He helped our team develop a product design mindset, bridging the gap between engineering and design. He is the best designer I have worked with, no doubts.

    Michael Abadi Santoso

    Staff Software Engineer, Agoda (ex-Wise)

  • Alex’s leadership ignited my drive to grow. As both leader and mentor, he pushed me—always with respect and encouragement—to stretch beyond my comfort zone: mastering new tools, refining my craft, and setting ever-higher standards. His feedback was straight to the point, honest, and always came from a place of real care for my growth. That perfect mix of candid critique and steadfast support unlocked potential in me I didn’t even know I had.

    Parnrawee Ninlaphan

    Product Designer, Agoda

  • Alex brings great energy to the team. He’s supportive, always learning and sharing the latest things he discovers—whether it’s new tools, ideas, or ways of working. He’s constantly experimenting with new approaches that often lead to real improvements for the team. He manages to be both driven and genuinely fun to work with.

    Kanokphol Techarattanaprasert

    Design Systems Engineer, Agoda

  • Alex consistently provided innovative design ideas that elevated our projects. His expertise isn't limited to design—he also excels in technical areas, contributing valuable insights on topics like theming editors and design tokens. Alex played a vital role in taking our design system to the next level, always bringing forward creative, future-proof solutions.

    Michael Abadi Santoso

    Staff Software Engineer, Agoda

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Testimonials

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  • Alex breaks it down challenges with such clarity, you’ll wonder why it was hard in the first place. He's a great collaborator and that rare partner who lifts others, inspires creativity, and makes work fun. He articulates design thinking so clearly, it’s like a TED Talk every time. If you want someone who raises the bar for the whole team—and makes everyone better while solving complex problems—Alex is the one you want on your team.

    Brie Elam

    Senior Design Manager, Agoda (ex-Amazon)

  • Above all, Alex isn’t just a leader—he’s my personal role model. He drives collaboration with contagious enthusiasm, shares his expertise freely, and celebrates every team win—big and small. Under his guidance, we didn’t just work side by side; we grew stronger, more connected, and inspired to exceed our own expectations. Any team would be lucky to have Alex showing the way.

    Parnrawee Ninlaphan

    Product Designer, Agoda

  • Alex was one of the reasons I decided to join his team. He's the kind of designer who is truly passionate about the craft and quality. You can always count on Alex to lead by example and look out for his teammates while still effectively managing stakeholders. He is one of the best designers I have had the pleasure of working with and learning from.

    Tanisa Law

    Product Designer, Agoda

  • When Alex commits to something, you can trust he'll deliver. His proactive approach and strong self-direction enable him to spot problems, craft solutions, and execute independently with minimal oversight. Alex spearheaded the evolution of Agoda's design system from a Figma-only resource to full codebase integration.

    Dynin Khem

    Design Director, Agoda (ex-Amazon, Kraken)

  • An excellent storyteller with extreme attention to detail and a contagious passion for design — that’s Alex in a nutshell. I had the opportunity to work alongside Alex on several cross-functional initiatives at Agoda, such as defining Agoda’s Experience Principles, contributing to the table component, and inheriting his work on the app for our hotel partners. Alex’s leadership on the design system was especially impactful — he paved the way for a unified design language and led efforts to clean up the token system by introducing intent-based tokens.

    Arash Bal

    Product Design Lead, Supply at Agoda (ex-oyo)

  • I had the opportunity to collaborate on some very interesting topics in and around the design system space while working with Alex. He has the combination of being very passionate, visionary and skillful, giving him the strength and ability to pull through complex tasks in a complex environment with a lot of stakeholders and dependencies. However, what I enjoyed most working with Alex was the ability to bounce ideas off each other and coming up with smart solutions to improve our day-to-day work. Alex brings both creative thinking and the drive to actually make things happen.

    Lars Jarlvik

    Engineering Manager, Design ops at Agoda

  • I had the privilege of working closely with Alexander, and despite being separated by an ocean, he made collaboration feel effortless. Alexander is exceptionally detail-oriented and thorough in everything he does - even his work-in-progress concepts come beautifully documented. He knows exactly when to make smart trade-offs without compromising quality, and he's an outstanding advocate for design thinking throughout any organization.

    Emily Simon

    Design Manager, Rocket Travel by Agoda

  • Alex is the best designer I’ve ever worked with. He has deep knowledge and experience in design systems and was the one who introduced me to them. What makes working with him so easy isn’t just his design talent, but also his technical understanding—his grasp of CSS and React components makes collaboration between design and engineering seamless.

    Kanokphol Techarattanaprasert

    Design Systems Engineer, Agoda

  • Right from the start, Alex painted a bold, clear vision for our design systems and scalable architecture, breaking down complex ideas into actionable steps. Thanks to his hands-on guidance and genuine commitment to excellence, our work flowed seamlessly and consistently raised the bar.

    Parnrawee Ninlaphan

    Product Designer, Agoda

  • His strong soft skills make him a fantastic communicator and presenter, and he’s constantly inspiring those around him with his unique perspectives. Working with Alex was truly enjoyable. He helped our team develop a product design mindset, bridging the gap between engineering and design. He is the best designer I have worked with, no doubts.

    Michael Abadi Santoso

    Staff Software Engineer, Agoda (ex-Wise)

  • Alex’s leadership ignited my drive to grow. As both leader and mentor, he pushed me—always with respect and encouragement—to stretch beyond my comfort zone: mastering new tools, refining my craft, and setting ever-higher standards. His feedback was straight to the point, honest, and always came from a place of real care for my growth. That perfect mix of candid critique and steadfast support unlocked potential in me I didn’t even know I had.

    Parnrawee Ninlaphan

    Product Designer, Agoda

  • Alex brings great energy to the team. He’s supportive, always learning and sharing the latest things he discovers—whether it’s new tools, ideas, or ways of working. He’s constantly experimenting with new approaches that often lead to real improvements for the team. He manages to be both driven and genuinely fun to work with.

    Kanokphol Techarattanaprasert

    Design Systems Engineer, Agoda

  • Alex consistently provided innovative design ideas that elevated our projects. His expertise isn't limited to design—he also excels in technical areas, contributing valuable insights on topics like theming editors and design tokens. Alex played a vital role in taking our design system to the next level, always bringing forward creative, future-proof solutions.

    Michael Abadi Santoso

    Staff Software Engineer, Agoda