Elise Nowak

A UX designer and consultant, Elise has worked with international brands to create interfaces that are simple, beautiful, and accessible to everyone.

Elise Nowak was born in Kraków, Poland, in 2001, in a home where design and empathy were equally valued. Her father, an architect with a love for clean lines, and her mother, a primary school teacher who cared deeply about inclusion, gave Elise a childhood that was both creative and conscientious.

Her earliest memories of technology involve using her father’s old iMac to play with basic design programs and creating “mock apps” for imaginary businesses. At 12, while most kids were trading memes, Elise was teaching herself the basics of HTML and CSS to customize a Tumblr theme for her friends.

By the time she entered high school, the internet had already matured into a mobile-first world. Elise quickly realized how many websites and apps were clunky to use — especially for people with slower devices or accessibility needs. In a school project, she redesigned her city’s public transport website, simplifying the layout and adding clearer navigation. That project went semi-viral locally, sparking her interest in accessibility as more than just “good design” — it was about making life easier for everyone.

She studied Human-Computer Interaction at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, graduating in 2023. While still a student, she took on freelance projects, helping small businesses modernize their websites to be mobile-friendly and compliant with WCAG guidelines. Her approach impressed not just clients, but also mentors who saw in her a rare mix of aesthetic sense and detail-oriented rigor.

Her work philosophy is methodical yet empathetic. She starts each project with real-world testing — not just lab-based usability studies, but observing people interact with a product in their daily context. She’s been known to stop mid-commute to photograph a poorly designed ticket machine, or pull out her travel tape measure to check if an interactive display meets recommended touch target sizes.

Now based in Amsterdam, Elise works remotely with agencies across Europe. Her portfolio spans educational platforms, e-commerce sites, and mobile apps, all sharing the same DNA: clean, intuitive design that everyone can use.

Outside of work, she’s a photography enthusiast, often capturing candid moments in urban environments with a focus on symmetry and texture. She cycles everywhere, preferring the freedom of her matte black bike over public transport.

Despite her age, Elise speaks at meetups and workshops, advocating for a shift in the industry: to see accessibility not as a constraint, but as a driver of better, more innovative design. Her mission is clear — to make the digital world a place where no one is left out, no matter their device, abilities, or background.

Empathetic, clear, and user-oriented. Often uses checklists, bullet points, and “how-to” guides to make concepts instantly actionable.

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