# Ayca Smentek

> Product Designer @ Capital One

Location: New York, New York, United States
Profile: https://flows.cv/ayca

I’m a Principal Product Designer with 5 years of experience in user experience design, research, and strategy. I help cross-functional teams to understand their users at a fundamental level, create intuitive experiences that balance customer needs with business goals. I thrive at the intersection of creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving.

## Work Experience
### Principal Associate, Product Designer @ Capital One
Jan 2024 – Present | New York, New York, United States
Responsible for design strategy, research and delivery of our Small Business Card, Accounts Payable product focusing on adoption, activation, and user engagement.

+ Led onboarding design from discovery to implementation. Designed an experience that equipped users with highlighted product value and presented key information in a clear, intuitive way to instill confidence to new shoppers. Applied behavioral nudges to guide users and build momentum. Collaborated closely with marketing, UXR, product, BA and tech teams to execute the work effectively.

### Senior Associate, Product Designer @ Capital One
Jan 2021 – Jan 2024 | New York, New York, United States
Collaborated closely with cross-functional teams, product managers, and engineers to define and build features that address both customer and business needs.

+ Worked on the E2E UX design and launch of the MVP product.
+ Handed off design work to a large development team, explaining designs, edge cases, and user stories.
+ Conducted empathy interviews and usability tests. Communicated customer needs to the broader team.
+ Led the design work for post-MVP improvements and feature enhancements

### Product Designer @ Lola Travel and Expense
Jan 2021 – Jan 2021 | New York, New York, United States
Worked on the expense tracking and spend management experiences of Lola’s web and mobile platforms. 

+ Designed the mobile experience for invoice upload and reporting
+ Worked closely with developers to ensure design integrity and feasibility during the development process.
+ Worked on the design system, blueprints, and documentation of web components

*Acquired by Capital One

### Graduate Research Assistant @ Pratt Institute
Jan 2019 – Jan 2020 | New York, New York
Graduate Assistant to Technology Faculty, in collaboration with the Center for Sustainable Design Strategies at Pratt.

### Architectural Design Intern @ MArS-Architects Istanbul
Jan 2017 – Jan 2017 | Istanbul, Turkey
Used web design technologies to lead development for the company website, https://mars-architects.com, and worked with a freelance web developer to implement the design.


## Education
### Master of Architecture - MArch in Architecture
Pratt Institute

### Bachelor of Architecture - BArch in Architecture
Bahcesehir University


## Contact & Social
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ayca-sert
- Portfolio: https://www.ayca.design/

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Source: https://flows.cv/ayca
JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/ayca/resume.json
Last updated: 2026-03-29