Hey, I'm Farnood!

My passion for design and technology stems from a lifelong curiosity that has taken me on a journey through various creative avenues.
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I first became involved with the arts in 2004, when I picked up a spray paint can to bring my notebook sketches to life on the walls of the local basketball court in Amirabad, Tehran. This sparked my interest in graffiti art, leading me to participate in underground exhibitions and engage in sticker bombing in central Tehran.

In 2006, I acquired my first DSLR camera and began exploring creative lighting and macro photography, uploading my shots on platforms such as DeviantArt and Flickr.

The curiosity led me to develop an interest in web design to build my first personal webpage, and I taught myself HTML, CSS, and Macromedia Flash. I then used these skills to create animation music videos for my favorite underground bands.

Later, I teamed up with a friend to design websites for clients, earning money while completing my BS in Software Engineering. We created a range of websites, from a file hosting platform in 2008 to a popular tech blog covering iPhone news in 2010, with my focus being on the design aspect.

In 2012, I started working as a UI/UX designer at a major energy company in Iran, where I gained valuable experience in enterprise software and Microsoft SharePoint.

In 2013, while still employed full-time, I co-founded a software and design agency that specialized in mobile app development. Later on I left my job and over the next two years, I had the opportunity to work with some of Iran's top technology startups and scale-ups, designing more than 6 apps with millions of users for both iOS and Android platforms.

Unfortunately, the company was forced to close after a failed funding effort in 2015. I then took a position as a Product Designer at Digikala, the largest and most popular online shop in Iran. Later, I moved on to become a Senior Product Designer at Dunro, a local business directory that was transformed into a popular location-based social platform over the course of two years. This led to a successful $15 million funding round in 2018.

With several years of experience in various industries, including Kian Capital and Alibaba.ir, where I led and built design teams, I felt that I had reached my limits within the domestic tech ecosystem. Upon getting married, my wife and I were eager to broaden our horizons and explore new opportunities.
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In 2019, I joined Monese, a rapidly growing challenger bank based in London, to join their team as a Product Designer in Tallinn. It was a wonderful 2.5 years, during which I contributed to the improvement of the Monese onboarding experience through thoughtful design decisions and the introduction of innovative concepts.

As a Senior Designer at Booking.com, I am now a part of the company's Pricing business unit. This new role represents an exciting new chapter in my career, as I have joined one of the world's leading online travel agencies. With its headquarters based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, I have also relocated to this beautiful city to immerse myself in its vibrant culture and unique design aesthetic.

LEGALESE STUFF
To comply with NDAs, I have changed, obfuscated or locked confidential informations in some case studies in this website. All the information on this website is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of the companies mentioned or I worked for. The copies in the 'About me' page is a revised version of my original text which is done by ChatGPT.