The Quiet Power of Whitespace in Modern Interfaces
Why the most impactful design decisions are often about what you choose to leave out, and how restraint can transform a cluttered interface into something memorable.
Read ArticleHello, I'm
Elena Marchetti.
Crafting digital experiences
with purpose & precision.
A front-end developer and UI/UX designer based in Milan, Italy. I build thoughtful, human-centered interfaces that feel as good as they look — blending clean code with editorial design sensibility.
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About Me
A designer who codes,
a developer who cares about aesthetics.
I'm Elena — a multidisciplinary designer and developer with over 8 years of experience building digital products that people genuinely enjoy using. My journey started with a curiosity for how things work (I took apart my first computer at age 12), and evolved into a passion for creating things that work beautifully.
I believe the best digital experiences are invisible — they feel so natural that users never think about the design, they just accomplish what they came to do. That's the standard I hold myself to with every project.
When I'm not at my desk, you'll find me exploring Milan's hidden courtyards with a camera, experimenting with sourdough recipes, or writing about design on my journal.
Quick Facts
- Location Milan, Italy
- Experience 8+ Years
- Current Focus Design Systems & Accessibility
- Education MSc Human-Computer Interaction
- Coffee Preference Flat white, always ☕
- Availability Open to projects
Experience & Education
Experience
Senior Front-End Developer
Studio Digitale, Milan- Led the redesign of a SaaS platform serving 50K+ users, improving task completion rates by 34%.
- Architected a component-based design system adopted across 4 product teams.
- Mentored 3 junior developers and established front-end code review standards.
UI/UX Designer & Developer
Freelance- Delivered 30+ client projects spanning e-commerce, fintech, and editorial platforms.
- Built custom WordPress themes and headless CMS solutions for creative agencies.
- Maintained a 98% client satisfaction rate with repeat business from 80% of clients.
Front-End Developer
Pixel & Co., Turin- Developed responsive marketing sites for luxury fashion and automotive brands.
- Reduced average page load time by 40% through performance optimization.
- Collaborated closely with design team to translate Figma prototypes into pixel-perfect code.
Education
MSc Human-Computer Interaction
Politecnico di MilanoGraduated with Honors — GPA: 3.87/4.0
Thesis: "Emotional Affordances in Minimalist Interface Design"
Coursework: Interaction Design, Cognitive Psychology, Information Visualization, Usability Engineering
BSc Computer Science
Università di BolognaGraduated Cum Laude
Coursework: Web Technologies, Data Structures, Human-Computer Interaction, Graphic Design
Continuous Learning
Certifications & Courses- Google UX Design Professional Certificate (2023)
- Advanced React Patterns — Frontend Masters (2022)
- Design Systems with Figma — Interaction Design Foundation (2021)
Skills & Tools
The technologies and tools
I work with every day.
Frontend
Backend
Design
Tools & Workflow
What I Do
Services I offer to help bring your vision to life.
Whether you need a complete website from scratch or a thoughtful redesign of an existing product, I bring a blend of technical expertise and design sensitivity to every engagement.
Web Development
Custom, performant websites and web applications built with modern technologies. From marketing sites to complex SaaS dashboards — clean code, fast load times, accessible by default.
UI/UX Design
User-centered design that balances beauty with function. I create wireframes, prototypes, and polished interfaces grounded in research and tested with real users.
Design Systems
Scalable, documented component libraries that keep your product consistent as it grows. Built in Figma and implemented in code for seamless design-to-dev handoff.
Consulting & Audits
UX audits, accessibility reviews, and technical consultations for teams looking to improve their product's usability, performance, or code quality.
Selected Work
Projects I'm proud of.
A curated selection of recent work across web apps, mobile experiences, and open-source contributions.
Web App
Lumina Analytics Dashboard
A real-time analytics platform for e-commerce brands with custom data visualization.
ReactD3.jsNode.jsPostgreSQL
UI/UX
Verdant — Plant Care App
End-to-end design for a plant care companion app with smart watering reminders.
FigmaPrototypingUser Research
Mobile
Nomad — Travel Planner
A cross-platform mobile app for planning collaborative trips with offline support.
React NativeFirebaseMaps API
Open Source
Aria UI — Component Library
An accessible, themeable React component library with 40+ components. 2.1K GitHub stars.
ReactTypeScriptStorybookA11y
Web App
Meridian — Luxury E-commerce
A headless commerce experience for an Italian luxury brand with editorial storytelling.
Next.jsShopifySanity CMS
UI/UX
Folio — Design System
A comprehensive design system for a fintech startup, covering 120+ components across web and mobile.
FigmaTokensDocumentation
Kind Words
What clients & colleagues say.
"Elena is one of those rare designers who truly understands code. She delivered a product that was not only visually stunning but technically impeccable. Our conversion rate increased by 28%."
Marco Rossi
CEO, Studio Digitale"Working with Elena felt like a true partnership. She asked the right questions, challenged our assumptions, and delivered a design system that our entire team now relies on daily."
Sofia Chen
Product Lead, Finova"Elena's attention to detail is extraordinary. Every pixel, every interaction, every line of code — it all reflects a deep care for the craft. I recommend her without hesitation."
James O'Brien
CTO, Meridian Labs
On YouTube
I share what I learn about design, code, and the creative process.
Over 15K subscribers tune in weekly for tutorials, design critiques, and behind-the-scenes looks at my workflow.
Watch on YouTube
Journal
Thoughts on design, code, and everything between.
Moving Beyond Component Libraries: A Case for Design Tokens
Components are the building blocks, but tokens are the DNA. Here's how I restructured our design system to scale across platforms without losing consistency.
Read ArticleWhat 8 Years of Freelancing Taught Me About Saying No
The hardest skill in creative work isn't designing or coding — it's knowing which projects to take and which to politely decline. Lessons from the trenches.
Read Article
Get In Touch
Let's build something great together.
Have a project in mind, a question, or just want to say hello? I'd love to hear from you. I typically respond within 24 hours.