Design leaderAmsterdam

Making complex products simpler to use and to build

Simona Piftor
20 years
in product
design

2021 — 2026

Catawiki

Head of Product Design

2019 — 2021

Tiqets

Senior Product Designer

2017 — 2019

TravelBird

Senior Product Designer

2015 — 2016

GameHouse

Head of User Experience

2011 — 2015

Booking.com

UX Designer & Team Leader

Work

Most recently Head of Product Design at Catawiki, with nearly twenty years of experience in digital products across companies including Booking.com, TravelBird, and Tiqets.

The four projects here span 2021 to 2025: a multi-year overhaul of how sellers list their objects, a strategic redesign of the core buying experience, Catawiki's first production AI product, and an organisational framework for design growth. Together they reflect how I think about design leadership: creating conditions for good decisions, across teams, across time, and at the intersection of design, product, and business strategy.

To read more about my experience, you can have a look at my CV below.

View my CV

About me

I'm a design leader with almost twenty years of experience in digital products. Most recently, as Head of Product Design at Catawiki, I oversaw UX and content design across the organisation and partnered with senior leadership to improve marketplace experiences. My focus is on clear strategy, strong collaboration, and practical execution that drive measurable impact.

My experience spans Booking.com, GameHouse, TravelBird and Tiqets, where I've worked across mobile, web, marketplace flows, subscription products and partner tooling. Over the past decade, my leadership roles have focused on strengthening design culture, introducing design foundations and competency frameworks, and hiring and mentoring designers as teams grew. My earlier background in computer science continues to ground my approach in structured problem solving and systems thinking.

Outside work, I'm a mum of two and the human of a very opinionated cat. I'm a coffee enthusiast, regular at CrossFit, reader and watcher of sci-fi and historical fiction, and an adventurous traveller whenever life allows.

Referrals

Samuel Zwaan

Group Product Manager Fulfilment at Catawiki

December 2025

I've had the pleasure of working closely with Simona at Catawiki, and she is one of those leaders who consistently raises the level of both people and outcomes. As Head of Design, she combines sharp strategic thinking with a genuine care for customers and teams.

Simona is deeply involved in some of Catawiki's most important initiatives, including complex domains such as logistics, where she brings clarity to ambiguity and ensures design plays a meaningful role in solving real business and customer problems. She is a strong partner across product, engineering, and operations, and is trusted in critical decision-making moments.

She is also an outstanding hiring manager. Simona has built a strong design organization by setting a high bar, creating a thoughtful hiring process, and creating an environment where designers can grow, take ownership, and do their best work. The quality and good vibes of the team are a direct reflection of her leadership.

Working with Simona has made my own job better and impactful, and Catawiki is significantly better because of her presence.

Patrick Toolan

Head of Product at Tiqets

April 2021

Simona is a star designer in the very best ways; she is conscientious, empathetic, structured, data-driven, knowledgable, and flexible. Her taste is always both astute and in tune with the company's vision. When Simona and I disagreed, we were always able to understand the reason for the difference of views, and come to a conclusion that improved business outcomes. Her work has longevity and continues to improve the Tiqets user experience and business long after implementation. I really hope to work with Simona again, and would fully recommend her for any type of team from large to small.

Contact

Happy to talk about design, teams, or anything in between.