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HELLO, I AM

pinja kolada

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about me

I'm an experienced visual designer with a strong foundation in graphic designillustration, and user interface design.

 

My work always centers around user experience and visual quality – I aim to create things that not only work well but also feel intentional and well-crafted.

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​I'm comfortable moving between different areas of design: creating brand identities, designing logos and typography, doing layout work, building prototypes, and expanding design systems.

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I illustrate both by hand and digitally, and can easily adapt my style to suit each project’s needs. Tools like Figma and Illustrator are part of my daily workflow, and I work quickly without compromising on detail.

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I've often been told that I produce visually polished, ready-to-use results fast. I’m most energized by projects where I can combine creative thinking with hands-on execution, and I genuinely enjoy working in teams where ideas are shared and developed together.

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expertise

Designing marketing materials for both web and print
 

 

Creating user interfaces for web services and mobile applications
 

 

Developing prototypes and wireframes
 

Developing brand identities and ensuring visual consistency

 


Ideating and executing visual concepts for marketing campaigns
 

 

Producing illustrations, both by hand and digitally

software

Adobe Creative Cloud

(Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign)

 

Figma 

 

Midjourney

 

Procreate

Trello, Jira

Miro

Wix, Squarespace

HTML + CSS

Language

FIN, ENG

work experience

Visual Designer

Reaktor
2022 - 2025

At Reaktor, I worked as a Visual Designer on a diverse range of projects, where I combined strong visual design and illustration skills with a user-centered approach:

 

  • Moomin Characters – I was responsible for the visual design of a campaign site, crafting a visually engaging experience that was both playful and on-brand. I led the visual direction of the site, created an intuitive user interface, and collaborated closely with both the client and developers to ensure smooth implementation.
     

  • Kesko – I worked on a critical in-store picking tool for store employees, which they use to prepare customers’ online orders for pickup. My role included conducting user research and usability testing, designing user interfaces and flows, and creating completely new features and views for the application. I worked actively in close collaboration with the client, developers, and stakeholders to ensure the tool was intuitive and efficient.
     

  • Terveystalo – As a visual designer, I contributed to the design of the digital clinic service, which enables doctors and patients to schedule and conduct remote appointments. My focus was on creating an interface that was visually appealing and user-friendly for both patients and healthcare professionals.

 

In all of these projects, I took ownership of the visual direction, adapted quickly to new challenges, and ensured that the final designs felt both polished and purposeful. I thrive in collaborative environments and enjoy connecting visual design with real user needs.

Team Lead, Visual Designer

Notio Design
2021

Led a small team to refresh the visual identity and redesign the website for a mental health service provider. Designed a welcoming, clear digital presence that made services easier to understand and use. Developed a new logo, visual guidelines, and user-friendly website interface.

Illustrator

STTK Ry - monikulttuurinen.fi
2021

Created linework-style illustrations for a multicultural theme website, bringing visual diversity and warmth to the site’s storytelling.

Visual Designer

Kaivo Media
2021

Illustrated a series of images for a documentary film treatment, capturing complex themes with sensitive and engaging visuals.

Visual Designer

Valovirta
2021

As a freelancer, worked on multiple website projects and tackled diverse design challenges. Contributed to a full redesign of Valovirta’s own website, focusing on clarity, functionality, and visual style.

Pinja joined the project as a summer trainee, and quickly proved herself as a valuable member of the team. She worked on UI, UX, and visual design, using Figma and creating high-quality illustrations with speed and skill. From the start, she was proactive, curious, and quick to take initiative.

She participated actively in user research, joining store visits to observe how employees used the tool and to collect feedback. That feedback loop had a real impact on how the design evolved. Collaboration was smooth across the team – I especially appreciated how naturally she worked with us developers, sharing ideas, asking questions, and helping us stay aligned without friction.

In addition to her design work, she helped arrange team events and activities, playing a part in building a strong and cohesive team spirit. Outside the project, she also contributed to the Reaktor community, for example by organizing events like feb-draw-ary, and supporting the Reaktor LAN-parties with visual materials.

Jyri Lehvä, Senior Software Developer

education

Digital Design

Bachelor of Culture and Arts
Metropolia University of
Applied Sciences
2019 - 2023

Audiovisual Communications

Media-assistant
Hyria, Vocational College
2011 - 2014

In addition, I’ve complemented my skills through various online courses in graphic design, as well as high-quality trainings at Reaktor on topics like teamwork, leadership, and facilitation.

Most recently, I completed the Interaction Design Academy, which deepened my skills in prototyping, showcasing my ideas and designs, understanding design patterns, and conducting user interviews.

I'd love to hear from you

Call

+358 400 343 042

Email

pinja.ahonen at gmail.com

© 2025 Pinja Ahonen

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