David Latz-Design & Product Lead
Check rate
Experience
Team Lead Product Design
ABS Safety GmbH
Anchored design as a discipline in an industrial company: rebuilt the team structure, introduced infrastructure, built a UX reputation - under capacity pressure and while operations were running.
- Led 7 designers in 3 teams; restructured into a hybrid setup with a central design pool
- Introduced a design system, UX debt backlog, research repository, user feedback formats, and first product metrics
- Built a career model, developed the team individually, and supported each person
- AI enablement: weekly show-and-tell formats on prototyping, research, and handoff
Lead Product Designer & Managing Director
ShiftDigital Government Solutions GmbH
Founded and managed a GovTech startup with 10 employees and EUR 1.2 million in funding - a no-code workflow tool for local government, from product idea to acquisition exit.
- No-code workflow tool "Shift Studio": product concept, design system, roadmap, and vision - developed iteratively with an interdisciplinary team
- 7 pilot municipalities, including Bochum (300+ users, 10 processes) and Gelsenkirchen (50+ users)
- Board with experts from the private sector (GSVI, 9elements) and local government (City of Bochum, Business Development Bochum)
- Sole managing director from 2020: responsible for product, brand, GTM, sales, and pricing
- Acquisition by Publicplan GmbH (2023): brand, product, and pipeline as a buyable asset
- At the same time as a fractional designer: strategic brand development for Qruise.com (Quantum ML) - brand sprint, positioning, and visual identity in 6 weeks
Innovation and Digitalization
codecentric AG
Interdisciplinary innovation studio within codecentric AG: advised and served companies on spin-offs - 5 projects/spin-offs in 3 years.
- Project responsibility from the first workshop session to the delivered prototype - in changing roles as lead designer and embedded designer
- freeyou AG: supported the startup from ideation through prototyping and user testing to go-to-market prep
- Hussel Recreated: sub-brand, retail design concept, and pop-up store based on trend analysis and stakeholder workshops
- Digitale Werkbank Dortmund: concept for interior, operating concept, and touch projector interface for a municipal digital competence center
- Other projects: Datahub, in-house CRM development
- Foundation for later founding: professional software teams, commercial project responsibility, frontend development
Innovation Practice
Douglas Informatik & Service GmbH
Designer in a strategic staff unit directly under top management - concept, UX/UI, web development, prototyping, innovation workshops, and trend research at the intersection of organizational development and agile transformation.
- Innovation camps (London, Düsseldorf, Berlin): enabled executives to unlock their own innovation potential through field research, co-creation, and pitching
Fullstack Designer
Freelance & Agency
Fullstack designer for 30+ clients from marketing, retail, and culture - clients gained a partner who took full responsibility for concept, design, and technical implementation.
50+ websites, rebrands, startup kits, and digital campaigns. Freelance work for isobar Düsseldorf (concept, UI, web). Clients included: Dorma, Honda, Douglas, Appelrath & Cüpper, EHI Retail Institute, Dortmunder U, Wirtschaftsförderung Dortmund.
Industry experience
See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.
Experienced in Government and Administration, Information Technology, Retail, Media and Entertainment, and Manufacturing.
Business area experience
See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.
Experienced in Product Development, Marketing, Strategy, Information Technology, Sales, and Research and Development.
Summary
I create market-ready products and the teams behind them - with a startup exit, team building, and 18+ years in design, technology, and business development. As a partner to leaders who want to grow their business with design.
Skills
Strategic Consulting & Stakeholder Work: Understand Market Problems And Customer Needs, Identify Opportunities, And Advise Decision-Makers In A Structured Way - Before Design Even Comes Into Play.
Product & Service Design: From The Business Idea To A Validated Product: Cross-Functional Development At The Intersection Of Design, Product Management, And Engineering.
Leadership & Team Development: Build Teams, Develop People Individually, And Lead Them To Strong Results. Empathetic Leadership On Equal Footing, Career Models, And An Understanding Of System Dynamics.
Design Craft, Ops & Rapid Prototyping: Design Systems, Feedback Formats, Build-Measure-Learn Cycles, And Ai-Augmented Prototyping - So Teams Get To Solid Results Faster.
Figma
Miro
Framer
Linear
Notion
Obsidian
Claude Code
Codex
Perplexity
Cursor
Antigravity
Replit
V0
Lovable
Html
Css
Js
React
Tailwind
Weavy.Ai
Ollama
Lm Studio
Human-Centered Design
Design Thinking
Design Sprints
Service Design
Lean Startup
Business Model Canvas
Lean Canvas
Ux Strategy
Prototyping & Validation
User Research & Interviews
Hypothesis-Driven Development
Servant Leadership
Okr
Scrum
Design Ops
Ai-Augmented Workflows
Context Engineering
Languages
Education
FH Dortmund
Diplom-Designer (FH) · Communication Design · Dortmund, Germany
Statistics
Experience
Expertise
Qualifications
Profile
Frequently asked questions
Have questions? Find more information here.
David speaks the following languages: German (Advanced).
David has at least 19 years of experience. During this time, David has worked in at least 5 different roles and for 5 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 4 years and 9 months. Note that David may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.
Based on recent experience, David would be well-suited for roles such as: Team Lead Product Design, Lead Product Designer & Managing Director, Innovation and Digitalization.
David's most recent position is Team Lead Product Design at ABS Safety GmbH.
In recent years, David has worked for ABS Safety GmbH and ShiftDigital Government Solutions GmbH.
David is most experienced in industries like Government and Administration, Information Technology, and Retail. David also has some experience in Media and Entertainment and Manufacturing.
David is most experienced in business areas like Product Development, Marketing, and Strategy. David also has some experience in Information Technology, Sales, and Research and Development.
David has recently worked in industries like Information Technology, Government and Administration, and Manufacturing.
David has recently worked in business areas like Product Development, Marketing, and Sales.
David holds a Bachelor in Communication Design from FH Dortmund.
David will be available part-time from October 2026.
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