PLAY

DESIGN
SOUL
STRUCTURE

I partner with ambitious brands to craft seamless,
beautiful experiences. full stack, full-hearted.
SEE PROJECTS
IMPACT AT elsewhere: 2M+ ARR
IMPACT AT Lonely Planet: 50+ SUBS MONTHLY
KNOW MORE
RECENT PROJECTS
Working on adding more projects

TRAVEL, REIMAGINED

I joined Elsewhere from day zero, shaping the brand as it grew from concept to acquisition by Lonely Planet and beyond. My role spanned across strategy and design, bridging vision with execution.
IMPACT
Elsewhere became recognized for its off-the-beaten-path, memory-inducing trips — standing apart in a crowded travel market. Its clarity and cohesion ultimately led to its acquisition by Lonely Planet.
IMPACT: ACquired by lonely planet
2M+ ARR

Boosting digital
sales by design

IMPACT: 50+ subscribers montly

from CHAOS to
clarity with ai

IMPACT: 200+ B2B SUBS
PRODUCT OF THE DAY on P.H.
ABOUT ME
Photo of Virgil, full stack designer and his daughter, Emma

HI,
I'm Virgil

I'm a full-stack designer with a passion for clarity — blending structure with soul, and usability with quiet delight. I’ve worked across the spectrum, from nimble startups to global names like Disney, Lonely Planet, and Haribo — not just as a designer but strategic partner.

I bring a business lens to design, shaping not just how things look, but how they work and why they matter. Whether I'm doing discovery workshops, sketching flows or writing CSS I thrive in the space between concept and execution — where good ideas become beautiful, intuitive experiences.

Strategic partner, not just a designer

I collaborate closely with founders, product teams, and brands to shape clear narratives, proactive systems, and purposeful experiences.

HI,
I'm Virgil

I'm a full-stack designer with a passion for clarity,  blending structure with soul, and usability with quiet delight. I’ve worked across the spectrum, from startups to global names like Lonely Planet and Elsewhere, not just as a designer but strategic partner.
I bring a business logic to design, shaping not just how things look, but how they work and why they matter. Whether I'm doing discovery workshops, sketching flows or writing CSS I thrive in the space between concept and execution.

SKILLS

PRODUCT DESIGN
WEB DESIGN
UI/UX
BRANDING DISCOVERY
IDENTITY DESIGN
AGILE DEVELOPMENT
VIBE CODING
SVG / LOTTIE ANIMATION

Tools & TECH

FIGMA
ADOBE SUITE
WEBFLOW
CHATGPT
V0, RELUME
NANO BANANA
MIRO
HTML/SCSS/TAILWIND
GIT
‍
 

WORKSHOPS

POSITIONING
BRAND ATTRIBUTES
BRAND STORY
BRAND ARcHetype
JOBS TO BE DONE
DESIGN SPRINT

Fluent in design and code

Truth lives in the user

Experienced across scale

Crafted, not decorated

Driven by clarity and meaning

A poetic lens on design

Strategic partner, not just a designer

I embed deeply, aligning with founders, product teams, and stakeholders to shape experiences that serve both the business and the people it touches. Design is not a final layer — it’s foundational.
I bridge strategy and execution. With a deep understanding of front-end development, I help teams iterate faster, reduce translation loss, and maintain design integrity from concept to commit.
Great design begins with knowing who it serves. I study the habits, hopes, and frictions that define your audience — because when customers succeed, your business does too.
From global brands to growth-phase scale-ups, I’ve helped teams launch, adapt, and expand — building design systems that not only work today, but evolve with your ambition.
I design with intention. Every element is part of a system, every choice serves a purpose. No noise, no fluff — just clarity, hierarchy, and precision that lasts.
I cut through complexity to shape experiences that feel obvious in hindsight. I believe logic and emotion aren’t opposites — they’re partners in resonance.
Beyond function, I bring soul to structure. I aim for that rare balance beween reason and emotion — Reason guides it. Emotion makes it stick.
· CLIENTS · CLIENTS · CLIENTS
ABOUT ME
Photo of Virgil, full stack designer and his daughter, Emma

HI,
I'm Virgil

I'm a full-stack designer with a passion for clarity — blending structure with soul, and usability with quiet delight. I’ve worked across the spectrum, from nimble startups to global names like Disney, Lonely Planet, and Haribo — not just as a designer but strategic partner.

I bring a business lens to design, shaping not just how things look, but how they work and why they matter. Whether I'm doing discovery workshops, sketching flows or writing CSS I thrive in the space between concept and execution — where good ideas become beautiful, intuitive experiences.

Strategic partner, not just a designer

I collaborate closely with founders, product teams, and brands to shape clear narratives, proactive systems, and purposeful experiences.

HI, I'm Virgil

I'm a full-stack designer with a passion for clarity, blending structure with soul, and usability with quiet delight. I’ve worked across the spectrum, from startups to global names like Disney, Lonely Planet, and Haribo, not just as a designer but strategic partner.

SKILLS

PRODUCT DESIGN
WEB DESIGN
UI/UX
BRANDING DISCOVERY
IDENTITY DESIGN
AGILE DEVELOPMENT
VIBE CODING
SVG / LOTTIE ANIMATION

Tools & TECH

FIGMA
ADOBE SUITE
WEBFLOW
CHATGPT
V0
NANO BANANA
MIRO
HTML/SCSS/TAILWIND
GIT

WORKSHOPS

POSITIONING
BRAND ATTRIBUTES
BRAND STORY
BRAND ARcHetype
JOBS TO BE DONE
DESIGN SPRINT

Strategic partner, not just a designer

I embed deeply — aligning with founders, product teams, and stakeholders to shape experiences that serve both the business and the people it touches. Design is not a final layer — it’s foundational.

Fluent in design
and code

I bridge strategy and execution. With a deep understanding of front-end development, I help teams iterate faster, reduce translation loss, and maintain design integrity from concept to commit.

Truth lives
in the user

Great design begins with knowing who it serves. I uncover the habits, hopes, and frictions that define your audience — because when users succeed, your business does too.

Experienced
across scale

From global brands to growth-phase scale-ups, I’ve helped teams launch, adapt, and expand — building design that not only works today, but evolves with your ambition.

Crafted,
not decorated

I design with intention. Every element is part of a system, every choice serves a purpose. No noise, no fluff — just clarity, hierarchy, and precision that lasts.

Driven by clarity and meaning

I cut through complexity to shape experiences that feel obvious in hindsight. I believe logic and emotion aren’t opposites — they’re partners in resonance.

A POETIC LENSE 
ON DESIGN

Beyond function, I bring soul to structure. I aim for that rare balance: design that works with reason — and lingers in memory.

CLIENTS

PROCESS

FROM SPARK
TO LIVING PRODUCT

I blend logic with emotion,
creating systems that feel,
and beauty that functions.

DISCOVERY

The sky is the limit
We start with dialogue. Through workshops and thoughtful exploration, we uncover the essence of your brand, its why, its meaning, and its people. From this point, identity emerges naturally, aligned with purpose and built to connect with the right audience.

DESIGN SYSTEM

Ecosystems that breathe
From core principles to full expressions, I shape your visual language, brick by brick. Colors, type, layout, interaction, components. A system designed for elegance and scalability, forming a cohesive ecosystem that feels both intentional and alive.

EXPERIENCE

Your user’s success story
This is where the vision breathes. The product becomes real, shaped to delight, inform, and move your audience. Every interaction tells your story: thoughtful, intuitive, and deeply human. The product experience becomes your user’s success.
CONTACT

YOU Bring The ambition,
I'll bring the creativity

LET's GET STARTED
© Virgil Horghidan
LinkedIn
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Dribbble
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INSTAGRAM
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TRAVEL, REIMAGINED

ACquired by lonely planet
2M+ ANnUAL REVENUE
TOOLS
FIGMA
HTML/REACT/SCSS
PHOTOSHOP
MIRO
responsabilities
BRAND/DISCOVERY
IDENTITY
DESIGN SYSTEM
WEB DESIGN
UX RESEARCH
WEB APP UI/UX
CONTRACT LENGTH
Mar 2020 – Jul 2025

Chalange

Create a new sustainable travel brand that connects Local Agents with Travelers, provides tools for itinerary creation, and delivers memory inducing trips.

OUTCOME

Elsewhere is recognized by The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, Forbes, Vogue, Authority Magazine and many others. In 2022 Elsewhere is aquired by Lonely Planet.

'The branding and design played a huge role in the aquisition.' Alexis Bowen, founder of Elsewhere

Brand Discovery

From day one I ran brand and strategy workshops with the founders — using Marty Neumeier’s strategic pyramid, customer and local expert personas, positioning exercises, and brand archetypes. We defined not only the look but the voice of Elsewhere: its visual identity and its narrative personality. User centric was the main keyword in defining this brand.

Early Exploration / Identity

I explored 4–5 distinct visual directions. The chosen route, Dawn, drew inspiration from early morning light — gradients full of fresh energy, symbolizing new journeys and open horizons.

The logo  smooth, rounded forms with a spark of energy. The “w” became the central icon — a simple,  memorable mark.

Design System

I built Elsewhere’s design system from the ground up, starting with the primitives (spacing, color, typography) and expanding into components and modules: buttons, forms, navigation, cards etc. This was not just a style guide but a living, evolving system — one I helped implement with the development team in React and SCSS, ensuring consistency across brand, website, and app.

Chalange

POST AQUISITION

After being acquired by Lonely Planet in 2022, goals shifted: Improve website conversion rates, help users understand the 'how it works' from the get-go , and improve sales.

OUTCOME

POST AQUISITION

Sales reach 2M by 2023 and grow each year by 1M. Website conversion passes 8.2% from which 32% book a trip. Users learn the 'how it works' 50% faster.

Post Aquisition. The real work begins

Lonely Planet keep as a contractors for 3 more years after acquisition in 2025 when Elsewhere is completely absolrbed and becomes Lonely Planet Journeys.

Some of the updates include:

  • Local Experts are presented as heroes. They are the main product.
  • Itineraries are the second most important product and become the 3rd section on homepage.
  • How it work is now much easier to read and much more engaging. The section also features a HiW video.
Web App

We re-mapped the product pages using the Jobs-to-Be-Done, a framework that holds the user as source of truth.

The funnel is simplified, friction points are removed and people learn about the product as they go.

Product strategies that worked:

  • Compressing the entire customer journey into the agent chat area. So that the user has everything they need in one screen.
  • Infusing the 'how it works' knowledge right into the funnel so that the users get key information as they go.
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BOOSTING DIGITAL BOOK 
SALES BY DESIGN

50+ SUBSCRIBERS MONTHLY
80% more digital books sold after 3 months
TOOLS
FIGMA
SHOPIFY
PHOTOSHOP
MIRO
responsabilities
DISCOVERY
IDENTITY
WEB DESIGN (E-COMMERECE)
UI / UX
CONTRACT LENGTH
Mar 2024 – Sep 2024

Chalange

Lonely Planet wanted to sell more books in digital format. However, readers were not accustomed to reading LP's books on their devices, so sales were low.

OUTCOME

80% more digital books sold 3 month after the membership went live. At my last check-in with my manager, the platform was seeing about 50 new subscribers per month.

Strategy and Identity

We came up with the idea of a membership program that would give an opportunity for users to try and enjoy books in digital format.

After a few discovery calls I explored 20+ logo directions for Lonely Planet Insider, balancing new ideas with the brand’s existing type system. The final logo encloses Insider within a rounded rectangle — adaptable for both vertical (product thumbnails) and horizontal (subscription pages) use.

Subscription page

I Designed and implemented a seamless subscription flow in Shopify. Generous white space, clear CTAs, and responsive layouts across devices ensure a customer centric experience. I got involved partly in the front-end implementation to lighten the dev team’s workload and ensure design consistency.

Ecommerce elements

I Redesigned purchase components to integrate the subscription options. Inspired by Amazon’s Audible membership model — highlighting $0 pricing with Insider, supported by info icons and logo cues linking back to the subscription page.

Subscription mamangement

I Created a lightweight system for users to view status, cancel, or reach support. Built around simple, reusable components for a seamless experience across screen sizes.

Close project

FROM CHAOS TO
CLARITY WITH AI

200+ B2B SCALE-UPS impacted
2nd place at How2Web 2023
Product of the day: ProductHunt 2024
TOOLS
FIGMA
CHATGPT
LLAMA
REACT / SCSS
ANT design
responsabilities
DESIGN SPRINT
IDENTITY
USER RESEARCH
WEB DESIGN
WEB APP DESIGN
PROMPT RESEARCH
CONTRACT LENGTH
Jan 2023 – Jan 2025

Chalange

Create an AI online tool that helps VoC teams understand huge amounts of customer feedback in simple insights.

OUTCOMEs

Over 200 B2B subscriptions. Won 2nd place at How2Web 2023. We became  'Product of the day' on Product Hunt in 2024.

Identity

ClientZen’s identity evolved over time, but always kept its core symbol: a meditating figure representing the journey from chaos to clarity in feedback analysis. This icon also became the emblem of our AI engine, Mantra AI — a customized version of Meta’s LLaMA model.

Discovery

To build a strong foundation, we ran branding workshops, Jobs-to-Be-Done sessions, and 2 Design Sprints. We spoke with over 50 product and VoC managers to uncover the frustrations around how feedback is collected, stored, and understood. Those insights shaped the foundation of ClientZen's messaging and product design.

Design System

I created a vast, living design system — from primitives to complex components — built on Ant Design. Working closely with the developers, I ensured pixel-perfect implementation in production.

CMS Website

As a SaaS platform, ClientZen needed a large, modular website for both storytelling and SEO. I designed and built the pages in Figma and Webflow CMS, creating a system of reusable components and pages that functioned like Lego pieces for fast iteration. This way, team mates from marketing and other departments were able to easily create content without breaking the brand.

Web App

The app itself had to handle millions of feedback entries per month. With the design system in place, I orchestrated how this scale of data could be simplified into clear AI-powered insights and visual trend indicators. The result: our clients could now understand what to improve — and what to prioritize — in minutes, not months.

Campaigns

Beyond product, I designed campaigns across print, billboards, videos, and presentations. We even made interactive t-shirts. ClientZen gained visibility at WebSummit (2 years running), placed 2nd at How to Web — the largest startup contest in Eastern Europe, and was named “Product of the Day” on Product Hunt.