Kosta Canatselis
Kosta Canatselis

Hello, I'm Kosta

I'm a product designer with 8+ years shipping across gaming, government, fintech, and consumer products. I've led design for blockchain gaming ecosystems, overhauled state government services, and built everything in between — from design systems and marketplaces to card games and city builders.

I've spent the last three years as lead designer and product owner at Illuvium and PLAYA3ULL Games — owning roadmaps, writing user stories, running sprints, and shipping alongside engineering. Before that, I cut my teeth on government digital transformation at Atomix, where I learned that the hardest design problems aren't visual.

I'm looking for a full-time role where I can lead design for a team building something that matters. I care about strategy as much as craft, and I'd rather be in the room shaping what gets built than polishing what's already been decided.

Based in Adelaide. I'm into history and archaeology, I've experienced zero gravity, and I will find a way to bring both up in conversation.

  1. Oct 2024 – Nov 2025

    PLAYA3ULL Games

    Lead Designer & Product Owner

    Led the rebrand and web overhaul, shipping a unified Figma design system and redesigning 9 core surfaces including 3ULL Hub, Node Hub, Profiles, Marketplace, Item Shop, and Inventory. Wrote 100+ user stories, ran bi-weekly sprints, and split the monolithic DApp into focused MVPs. Launched 4 Framer subsites and a high-performance card browser.

  2. Jun 2021 – Present

    Mania Design

    Designer

    My independent practice. Built and shipped a suite of AI-powered design tools (Occhio Inspector Chrome extension and Occhio Scan AI audit web app), plus freelance product and web work for clients like Loadout and GuanPay.

  3. Dec 2021 – Oct 2024

    Illuvium

    Lead UX/UI Designer & Product Owner

    Led web design across the full Illuvium ecosystem: IlluviDex, Team Builder, Fuel Exchange, Illuvium Beyond, PLAY app, and onboarding. Contributed to game UX/UI for Illuvium Zero, leading its transition from mobile to desktop. As Product Owner, drove vision and roadmap for the IlluviDex marketplace and the Beyond collectible card game.

  4. Apr 2023 – Aug 2024

    Lizard Labs

    UX/UI Designer

    Led UX/UI for Battle in the Beyond (BITB), turning the CEO's vision into a shipped product. Designed the LizPass system, in-game purchases, and marketing surfaces. Design work directly supported fundraising and team expansion.

  5. Apr 2021 – Nov 2021

    Atomix

    UX/UI & Service Designer

    Designed interfaces and service blueprints for mobile apps and websites, including the national Home Quarantine app. Led user journey mapping, design audits, and built design systems to lift consistency across projects.

  6. Nov 2020 – Jun 2021

    ACH Group

    Project Manager & UX Designer

    Designed and managed a state-wide gaming challenge for older adults. Ran UX research across 20 games with 100+ participants, designed the accessible challenge platform, and coordinated a launch that reached over 1 million views across TV, print, and social.

  7. Nov 2019 – Mar 2021

    Comet Games

    Project Manager & Lead Designer

    Led design and development of Detective DeDe, a 2D point-and-click adventure for older adults and beginners. Managed a small team, designed accessible game mechanics, and secured state funding as one of five selected projects in South Australia.

  8. Jul 2018 – Oct 2019

    Wright Technologies

    Co-founder & CEO

    Co-founded the company after winning the International ActInSpace Competition against 2,229 participants from 32 countries. Prototyped a tamper-proof GNSS identification system for drones and led development of Seraph, which won the Blockchain Innovation Challenge.

  9. Jul 2017 – Jun 2020

    Cognito Foundation

    Co-founder & Managing Director

    Ran a non-profit focused on social entrepreneurship. Consulted on the Department for Innovation & Skills' Northern Economic Plan, designed the Journey North platform for entrepreneurial students, and organised a summit with Nobel laureate Professor Yunus attended by 160 people.

  1. 2017 – 2020

    University of Adelaide

    Bachelor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship

    Specialised in Computer Science.

View case →