Mikhail Belstar

Co-Founder

San Francisco, California, United States20 yrs 7 mos experience

Highly StableAI Enabled

Key Highlights

Led design for TurboTax’s mobile platform at Intuit.
Spearheaded OTT app redesigns with significant user engagement lifts.
Advocated for generative AI integration in mobile UX.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a B2C Product Designer specializing in Fintech and OTT applications.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Cross-platform Ux DesignProduct Design StrategyProduct DesignUser Experience Design (ued)

Other Skills

Design Systems & Scalable UIGenerative AI & Personalized UXMobile UX (iOS, Android, VisionOS)User-centered DesignCollaboration & Stakeholder AlignmentA/B Testing & Metrics-Driven DesignMentorship & Team LeadershipprototypingFigma (Software)Problem SolvingWireframingGraphical User Interface (GUI)Over-the-Top Content (OTT)Design SystemsTeamwork

About

I’m a Principal Product Designer who thrives at the intersection of storytelling, systems, and scalable UX. With over 16 years of experience designing for platforms like iOS, Android, tvOS, Android TV, Roku, and web, I specialize in building cross-platform product experiences that are emotionally resonant, technically sound, and aligned with business growth. Currently at Intuit, I lead design for TurboTax’s mobile platform, driving product initiatives that use GenAI to boost simplicity, trust, and Gen Z engagement. I partner across monetization, engineering, marketing, and design systems to ship high-impact features—from native onboarding flows to real-time Live Activities via Dynamic Island. Previously at MasterClass and WarnerBros., I led the design of OTT and mobile streaming experiences, including apps that reached tens of millions of users globally. From launching Daily Highlights to rebuilding TV apps with double-digit engagement lifts, I’ve shaped content discovery, habit formation, and retention strategies that blend media and utility. I care deeply about product thinking, holistic systems, and the craft of interaction design. I mentor other designers, host workshops on strategy and behavior design, and advocate for inclusive experiences that scale. Looking ahead, I’m energized by the future of content platforms—especially where AI, personalization, and new modes of interaction (TV, spatial, mobile) converge.

Experience

20 yrs 7 mos

Total Experience

3 yrs 2 mos

Average Tenure

2 yrs 10 mos

Current Experience

Intuit

Principal Product Designer

Aug 2023 – Present · 2 yrs 10 mos · United States

Lead cross-platform product design strategy for TurboTax’s native mobile apps (iOS & Android), focusing on growth, Gen Z engagement, user trust, and UX innovation. I collaborate deeply with Monetization, Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Design System teams to create cohesive, high-performing mobile experiences at scale.
Key Initiatives & Impact:
Mobile App Offer Strategy:
Designed a strategic mobile-first onboarding and pricing experience aimed at expanding “Free” eligibility and boosting Gen Z user conversion. Collaborated cross-functionally to streamline customer journeys and reduce friction across key audience segments.
Dynamic Island (Live Activities on iOS):
Introduced an innovative persistent UI leveraging Apple’s Dynamic Island to improve transparency and engagement for Full Service users. The real-time visibility of tax expert interactions reduced user anxiety and increased trust and product satisfaction.
Documents Tab with Bulk Upload:
Led the design and launch of a simplified document upload experience featuring multi-file bulk support and automatic data extraction. Increased checklist adoption and compliance while improving conversion rates through intuitive UX.
Design Systems & Platform Strategy:
Partner closely with Engineering and Design System leaders to maintain native parity across platforms. Conduct quarterly audits to document design standards, identify system gaps, reduce design debt, and accelerate development cycles.
GenAI-Powered UX:
Advocate and strategist for integrating generative AI into mobile UX flows—delivering snackable, engaging, confidence-inspiring experiences specifically tailored to younger audiences and mobile-first interactions.

Cross-Platform UX DesignDesign Systems & Scalable UIProduct Design StrategyGenerative AI & Personalized UXMobile UX (iOS, Android, VisionOS)User-centered Design+3

Masterclass

Staff Product Designer

Jun 2020 – Aug 2023 · 3 yrs 2 mos · San Francisco Bay Area

Led product design across MasterClass’s consumer and enterprise platforms—including OTT (tvOS, Android TV), iOS, and responsive web—with a focus on personalized content discovery, streaming UX, and habit-forming learning experiences.
Streaming Platform Design (TV & Mobile):
Spearheaded a complete redesign of MasterClass’s OTT apps (Apple TV, Android TV), resulting in a 15%+ lift in user engagement
Led design for Falcon (Daily Highlights) on iOS—a content surfacing system that reached millions of users and drove repeat viewership through smart personalization
Co-created and shipped Sessions by MasterClass, a hands-on learning product that blended asynchronous content with guided practice
Partnered with editorial, data science, and engineering to optimize the full discovery-to-playback pipeline
Strategic & Cultural Leadership:
Mentored fellow designers and led weekly cross-functional design reviews to uphold high-quality execution
Founded “BrainJuice” knowledge shares (50+ sessions) covering topics like Holistic UX, Product Strategy, and Building Habit-Forming Products
Launched “CoolDowns” to build psychological safety, culture, and collaboration across design, PM, and engineering
Served as a bridge between vision and execution, frequently translating product strategy into design systems and user flows that scaled across touchpoints

prototypingFigma (Software)Problem SolvingWireframingGraphical User Interface (GUI)Over-the-Top Content (OTT)+19

Fevo

Lead Product Designer

Jun 2018 – Jun 2020 · 2 yrs · New York City Metropolitan Area

Led product design for a fast-paced, B2B e-commerce platform serving clients like the Yankees, Dodgers, and over 200+ sports and entertainment brands. Balanced hands-on design execution with systems-level strategy, team mentorship, and cross-functional collaboration across 10+ products.
Design Systems & Platform Consistency:
Built and scaled Fevo’s responsive Design System from the ground up, reducing dev time and improving visual consistency across 10+ products
Partnered directly with engineers to maintain and evolve a living component library, promoting adoption company-wide
Defined reusable interaction patterns and design principles—covering motion, spacing, visual hierarchy, and accessibility
Data & Internal Tooling:
Designed and implemented a self-serve Analytics Dashboard for enterprise partners, enabling real-time insights for clients like the Yankees, Dodgers, and White Sox
Rebuilt onboarding and creation flows, significantly reducing setup time for internal users and partners
Mentorship & Culture:
Mentored designers through weekly 1:1s, design workshops, and internal classes on interaction design, systems thinking, and user research
Actively participated in hiring, onboarding, and team rituals that fostered craft and collaboration
Led internal presentations and partnered with leadership across Product, Business Success, and Marketing to align on strategic goals
End-to-End Collaboration:
Collaborated in Agile ceremonies (grooming, sprint planning, retrospectives) alongside engineering, front-end, and business teams
Participated in user research and usability testing to validate design assumptions and continuously refine product direction
Helped evolve Fevo’s visual language to align with brand, usability, and performance across all touchpoints

prototypingFigma (Software)OwnershipProblem SolvingWireframingGraphical User Interface (GUI)+17

Warner bros. entertainment group of companies

Product Designer

Aug 2015 – Jul 2018 · 2 yrs 11 mos · New York, New York

Led design for global streaming products across iOS, Android, web, Roku, and tvOS platforms—serving tens of millions of users worldwide. Focused on scalable design systems, user acquisition, retention, and content discoverability for Warner Bros.’ digital streaming portfolio.
Multi-Platform Streaming UX:
Designed cross-platform experiences for DramaFever’s OTT apps (Roku, Apple TV, iOS, Android, Web), increasing mobile revenue by 2x and growing the active user base by 50%
Rebuilt the iOS app and redesigned the Apple TV interface—leading to a 250% YoY revenue increase and sustained 4.5★+ ratings
Drove subscription conversion by 100%+ within six months by optimizing onboarding, retention flows, and mobile engagement loops
Helped DramaFever rank among the Top 10 global streaming apps, alongside Netflix, Hulu, and HBO
Product Strategy & Special Projects:
Launched Moodica, a niche Apple TV app for relaxing video content, serving 200K+ monthly users with lean-back, ambient-first interaction models
Led TV app design for Boomerang (Cartoon Network/Warner Bros.), optimizing kid-friendly navigation and playback across Apple TV and iOS
Owned UX for DC Comics digital experiences, ensuring product alignment across departments and acting as cross-functional “Goal Master” to drive OKRs across initiatives
Collaboration & Systems Thinking:
Worked closely with PMs, engineers, and brand teams to define design taxonomies, establish platform standards, and run usability testing
Conducted user interviews to inform experience strategy, especially across global and multi-lingual audiences
Ensured consistency, scalability, and accessibility across a diverse portfolio of streaming apps

prototypingOwnershipProblem SolvingWireframingGraphical User Interface (GUI)Design Direction+15

Mail.ru group

UI/UX Designer

Feb 2013 – Jun 2014 · 1 yr 4 mos

Technical Scope: Photoshop, Sketch, After Effects, Flinto, Dreamweaver | Skills: Branding, Typography, User Interface, Front-End, prototyping, storytelling, user experience, wireframing, interaction design.
Launching new ICQ, downloaded 10M+ times. Designed and developed 900+ layouts for “myCom” project.

prototypingProblem SolvingWireframingGraphical User Interface (GUI)Design DirectionWhiteboarding+8

Birds corp.

Founder

Sep 2008 – May 2018 · 9 yrs 8 mos · New York, NY

Technical Scope: Photoshop, Sketch, After Effects, Flinto, Dreamweaver | Skills: Branding, Typography, User Interface, Front-End, prototyping, storytelling, user experience.
Created concept & design for AirForShare; app helped users to share texts & files within a wi-fi network easily. Over 100 000 users without any ads.

prototypingProblem SolvingWireframingGraphical User Interface (GUI)Design DirectionWhiteboarding+8