Ship in small loops
Thin vertical slices beat big-bang releases. I optimize for frequent integration, fast feedback, and software that’s safe to change.
Origin
From design systems to AI systems.
I spent a decade as a design engineer — four years at Disney building Spellbook and Elsa Design Systems (seven applications, five themes across the streaming and ABC Television properties), ten months at Apple on the Polaris and Marcom component library, and five years before that at consumer and enterprise startups (Concur, MediaPRO, ReadyPulse, Qwardo, Truffle.io). I was the person who sat between design and engineering, turning prototypes into systems that scaled.
That work taught me something that turns out to be directly transferable: the hard part of any technology isn’t the individual piece — it’s the architecture that makes all the pieces work together reliably. Design systems are about consistency, composability, and graceful failure. AI systems need exactly the same discipline.
That same discipline is what I bring to fractional engagements now — and what I exercise every day in my own work, designing, developing, marketing, and shaping product direction with Claude as a daily collaborator. The design background isn’t a footnote. It’s the reason the systems I build are observable, maintainable, and easy to hand off when the engagement ends.
Milestones
The work behind the work.
2024 — present
Founder · Timurtek LLC
Independent fractional AI systems consultancy. One embedded engagement at a time. Currently embedded with MixShift as Lead Design Technologist + AI Systems — building AI decision-support across their Amazon analytics platform. Stack: React, TypeScript, Tailwind, Cursor + Claude as a daily collaborator across the full stack.
2020 — 2024
Sr. UI/UX Engineer · Disney + Globant
Four years on Disney design systems — direct-hire on Spellbook (December 2022 to October 2024) and contracted via Globant on Elsa Design System (January 2020 to October 2024, overlapping). Five themes, seven applications across the streaming and ABC Television properties. Visual + interaction + accessibility + UI engineering using React, TypeScript, Storybook, Tailwind.
2019
UX/UI Engineer · Apple
Polaris and the Apple Marcom NPM component library — iconography, interaction design, prototypes, accessibility standards, UI animations. Built with Vue.js and Storybook to enable component-driven development across teams.
2013 — 2018
UX/UI Engineering · Pre-Disney era
Five years across consumer and enterprise startups — Concur (Outlook Add-Ons + Beta Manager), MediaPRO (cybersecurity training), ReadyPulse, Qwardo, Truffle.io, TBI Housing. The foundation that taught me information architecture matters as much as the stack.
Recommendations · LinkedIn
What others have said.
Public recommendations from people I worked with at Disney, Globant, and Apple. Names + links live on LinkedIn.
Timurtek is a skilled, and detail oriented UI/UX Engineer who I’ve had the pleasure to work with over 3 years at Disney. His ability to produce pixel perfect user interfaces is rare, especially when combined with Timurtek’s friendly, and positive attitude. As a strong team member, and an expert in UI and UX, Timurtek has helped produce complex component libraries, and features to serve critical business needs.
I manage an engineering team which worked closely with Timurtek to deliver several product initiatives and directly observed Timurtek’s capabilities as a Product Designer at Disney. Timurtek was consistently able to meet the challenges we placed in front of him. The efficiency and collaborative nature with which he worked helped propel our product teams to new heights.
I had the pleasure of working closely with Timurtek on several projects at Disney. He brings a rare combination of design sensibility and engineering precision — the kind of collaborator who closes the loop between concept and shipped product without losing the intent of either. His work elevated every team he touched.
Timurtek is a dedicated UI/UX Engineer who pays great attention to detail of his assignations. He consistently demonstrates willingness to assist and contribute his expertise to the team. Among his greatest strengths is his exceptional communication with stakeholders and his prowess in component styling, where he has proven to be a master.
Timurtek is a proficient UI/UX designer and engineer with HTML5, CSS3, and React expertise. He is skilled in creating user interfaces that are intuitive and visually appealing, blending technical engineering with creative design. His work focuses on developing aesthetically pleasing interfaces that function seamlessly, improving the user experience.
I would recommend Timurtek to any team that’s looking for a top notch interaction designer who is great at both visual design and UI code. He’s a team player who gets the job done and has a great attitude.
Principles
How I build.
AI-first architecture
Models are one component. Prompts, tools, memory, evals, and human oversight are part of the product surface — designed together, not bolted on.
Autonomy with guardrails
Agents should take real work off the table, but never at the cost of auditability. Clear boundaries, tracing, and rollback paths are non-negotiable.
Systems you can evolve
Readable boundaries, boring infrastructure where it helps, and patterns the next engineer can extend. Great AI products are maintained for years, not weeks.
In the open
Where I share what I’m learning.
Newsletter
The Production Layer
Weekly field notes from an AI-native operator. Tuesdays.
BlogLong-form writing
Essays on building production software with AI in the loop — design, infra, ops, and the seams in between.
Open sourceGitHub builds
Tooling, templates, and patterns from real work — shipped in public.
SocialBuilding in public
Real-time updates on what I'm shipping, learning, and breaking.
Want to talk?
I take one intro call a week with founders exploring fractional AI engagements. Thirty minutes, no sales pressure. If we’re not a fit, I usually know who is.