# Sergey Kruglov Sergey Kruglov is a product designer and engineer helping founders turn complex technology into clear, practical digital products. Canonical page: https://skruglov.com/ ## Selected projects - [Surrly](https://skruglov.com/projects/surrly/): A solo-built iOS dream journal on the App Store — designed, coded, and shipped in three months. - [Vana](https://skruglov.com/projects/vana/): R&D for Vana Labs — insight cards, 3D reconstruction on Metal, generative audio, and messenger agent templates in a native iOS demo. - [4K Download Site](https://skruglov.com/projects/4k-download-site/): As Head of Design, led the 4K Download website redesign for 60M+ users, launched subscription UX in 190 countries, and built the token-based design system behind it. - [LALAL.AI](https://skruglov.com/projects/lalal-ai/): Founding designer behind the product, brand, and design system foundations that helped LALAL.AI scale to 3.8 million MAU. - [Waveroom](https://skruglov.com/projects/waveroom/): Principal designer on Waveroom — a browser-based remote studio with a cross-platform design system and UX built around the constraints of recording in the browser. - [Combin](https://skruglov.com/projects/combin/): Founding designer on Combin, an Instagram growth product — two cross-platform desktop apps, product pages, and marketing assets from zero to launch. - [Flipp](https://skruglov.com/projects/flipp/): Web3 product design for a Gen Z crypto app — iOS MVP from onboarding to flip flow. Acquired by Rarible. - [4K Download apps](https://skruglov.com/projects/4k-download/): Led redesign of five desktop apps at 4K Download, shipped new products, and helped grow the suite past 60 million users. - [Ai Video Cut](https://skruglov.com/projects/ai-video-cut/): Founding designer for an AI video tool that shipped an MVP in six weeks and reached 25,000+ users in its first growth stage. ## Latest writing - [Apple Presentations Have Always Been Something Special to Me](https://skruglov.com/blog/09-one-year-with-dot/): My journey to WWDC 2023, from getting an invitation to experiencing Apple Park, meeting the Vision Pro, and everything in between ## Contact hello@skruglov.com --- # About About me and my work Canonical page: https://skruglov.com/about/ ## Experience I work across product direction, design, and engineering, helping teams turn complex technology into clear, practical products. Over the past 14+ years, I've worked as both a senior individual contributor and a founding designer: taking products from 0 to 1, shaping brand and product direction, building scalable design systems, and helping teams grow without losing speed or clarity. My work has contributed to products used by millions of people worldwide, including [**LALAL.AI**](https://www.lalal.ai/), [**4K Download**](https://www.4kdownload.com/), [**Waveroom**](https://waveroom.com/), and [**Ai Video Cut**](https://aivideocut.com/). I focus on turning complexity into clear, practical experiences and creating systems that help teams ship better work faster. I am currently building [**Bright Future Studio**](https://brightfutures.studio), an independent practice for early-stage and AI-enabled product work. I help founders clarify the product, prototype the experience, design and build the interface, and connect AI into real business workflows. ## Elsewhere - Email: [**hello@skruglov.com**](mailto:hello@skruglov.com) - RSS feed: [**skruglov.com/rss.xml**](/rss.xml) - Twitter: [**@kryglovsergey**](https://x.com/kryglovsergey) - GitHub: [**@anarchoenthusiast**](https://github.com/anarchoenthusiast) - LinkedIn: [**@kruglovse**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kruglovse/) - Instagram: [**@kruglovse**](https://www.instagram.com/kruglovse/) - Are.na: [**@sergey-kruglov**](https://www.are.na/sergey-kruglov/channels) ## Contact Open to new products, redesigns, AI workflows, and coffee in Berlin. [**Say hello!**](mailto:hello@skruglov.com) --- # Surrly A solo-built iOS dream journal on the App Store — designed, coded, and shipped in three months. - Role: Builder - Company: n/a - Project type: Side Project - Duration: Summer 2025 - Scope: Product strategy, UX/UI, AI-assisted engineering, iOS development, release workflow, launch - Contributions: Built and shipped the app solo — from product idea to App Store release and a growing user base - Live: https://www.surrly.com/ - Canonical page: https://skruglov.com/projects/surrly/ Most people lose a dream within minutes of waking up. Surrly was a summer side project: a gentle iOS journal for capturing dreams and reading them back with AI. I built it alone over three months in 2025. The app is on the App Store now, and the audience is still small, but it keeps growing. ![Surrly — dream journal home screen]() **Video.** Screencast of capturing a dream in Surrly and reading the AI interpretation. ![Surrly — AI dream interpretation]() > The core loop had to feel quiet, not like a productivity app. Voice or text, a few taps, done. The home screen shows recent dreams without pushing you to write more than you want. ![Surrly — journal entry flow]() **Video.** Onboarding tour for Surrly, shown as looping Lottie animations. > AI interpretation was the part I was unsure about. I wanted readings that felt thoughtful, not like generic horoscope copy. Each entry pulls themes and symbols from what you actually wrote, not a fixed template. ![Surrly — app experience overview]() > I used Cursor and other AI tools heavily while building, but the release work was still mine: App Store listing, onboarding, subscriptions, crash fixes. The project was a test of whether I could take something from idea to a live app people would download. --- # Vana R&D for Vana Labs — insight cards, 3D reconstruction on Metal, generative audio, and messenger agent templates in a native iOS demo. - Role: Builder - Company: Vana Labs - Project type: R&D - Duration: 2 months, 2026 - Scope: R&D, native iOS demo, 3D body reconstruction, insight card system - Contributions: Product research, UX strategy, native demo, 3D Lab interaction design - Live: https://www.vanalabs.ai - Canonical page: https://skruglov.com/projects/vana/ Wearables already collect more about your health than most people ever look at. The R&D brief for Vana was about the next step: how to raise the value of insights for the user, how to shape UX so the experience feels maximally seamless, and how to increase social interaction within the audience. ![Vana — estimated biometrics with 3D body visualization]() ![Vana — glass UI cards for recovery, goals, and activity]() > I explored a few directions. Insights could live in cards with interactive graphics per data type: a weekly recovery view, a longevity estimate, an update people want to share. **Video.** Longevity weekly update cards in Vana, including the share flow. > A 3D reconstruction from one photo makes the card feel like something worth forwarding, not a row in a table; estimated biometrics from that same photo add context Apple Health does not carry on its own. I also looked at sound as a separate track: audio for a finished insight video built from the user's variables, not a fixed library clip. **Video.** 3D avatar visualization in Vana and the display settings around it. **Video.** Product demo of the native Vana iOS experience. ![Vana — messenger agent insight templates]() > The native iOS demo I built covered cards, Metal 3D reconstruction, and that generative audio pipeline. In parallel I explored a messenger agent for quick back-and-forth in channels people already use, without opening another app for a single answer. The templates above show insight types and how each one could be assembled. ![Vana — messenger agent chat from onboarding to recovery insight]() --- # 4K Download Site As Head of Design, led the 4K Download website redesign for 60M+ users, launched subscription UX in 190 countries, and built the token-based design system behind it. - Role: Head of Design - Company: 4K Download - Project type: Web / Growth Design - Duration: 2024 — 2025 - Scope: Design leadership, marketing site redesign, subscription UX, design system, brand refresh - Contributions: Site redesign, subscription surfaces, token-based design system, brand refresh, AI-assisted marketing graphics - Live: https://4kdownload.com/ - Canonical page: https://skruglov.com/projects/4k-download-site/ As Head of Design, I took on the marketing site for a product suite already used by more than 60 million people. The site still carried legacy UX friction, and the company was preparing to launch subscriptions worldwide. My scope covered the site itself, every subscription surface, and the design system that would keep marketing and product aligned. ![4K Download product suite overview]() > Clearer navigation, a tighter suite overview, simpler download paths — after the new site shipped alongside the subscription launch, conversion moved up about 8 percent. A token-based design system with 60+ components kept marketing and engineering aligned as we scaled. **Video.** Screencast of subscription pricing cards on the 4K Download site. ![4K Download subscription pricing page]() > Subscriptions were new territory: product pages, pricing cards, promo screens, and checkout had to read as one continuous flow across 190 countries and several product lines. ![4K Download subscription loyalty screen]() ![4K Download refreshed brand visuals across marketing channels]() > 4K Download is consumer software used by tens of millions — notable enough to have its own Wikipedia article. --- # LALAL.AI Founding designer behind the product, brand, and design system foundations that helped LALAL.AI scale to 3.8 million MAU. - Role: Founding Designer - Company: LALAL.AI - Project type: AI Product Design - Duration: 2020 — 2022 - Scope: Brand platform, cross-platform product design, design systems, DesignOps - Contributions: Scaled the product to 3.8M MAU, built the visual standard, validated the Voice Cleaner direction - Live: https://www.lalal.ai/ - Canonical page: https://skruglov.com/projects/lalal-ai/ LALAL.AI needed to turn complex AI audio processing into a product millions of people could understand and use with confidence. As the founding designer, I helped shape the product from its earliest stage and turn that direction into a scalable experience across web, mobile, and desktop. My role covered product direction, brand foundations, interface design, and the system behind the experience. I created the visual standard that unified the platform and shaped a product language that could support rapid growth without losing clarity or consistency. As the company expanded, I also helped build the design function itself: hiring designers, introducing DesignOps practices, and making product work more repeatable. The product scaled to 3.8 million monthly active users, and one of my key contributions was proposing and validating the Voice Cleaner direction, which became a meaningful revenue driver. ![LALAL.AI — stem selection interface]() ![LALAL.AI — audio upload screen]() ![LALAL.AI — mobile app marketing]() ![LALAL.AI — desktop control panel]() --- # Waveroom Principal designer on Waveroom — a browser-based remote studio with a cross-platform design system and UX built around the constraints of recording in the browser. - Role: Principal Designer - Company: Waveroom - Project type: Product Design - Duration: 2022 — 2023 - Scope: End-to-end UX, brand platform, token-based design system - Contributions: Product design, brand platform, design system, and design leadership - Live: https://www.waveroom.com/ - Canonical page: https://skruglov.com/projects/waveroom/ Remote recording in the browser comes with a specific set of constraints: local capture, codec differences across devices, latency, dropped connections, post-processing. Every UX decision on Waveroom had to account for one of those. I was Principal Designer. Two things made this project interesting. The first was the UX itself — building flows that felt simple for a podcaster while hiding a lot of technical complexity underneath. The second was the design system: Waveroom needed to work across web, iOS, and desktop, and multimedia interfaces have edge cases that generic component libraries do not cover. I built the system from the ground up for that. The result was a product with a consistent cross-platform UI, a brand platform built from scratch, and a design foundation the team could actually work with as the product grew. ![Waveroom — recording studio interface]() ![Waveroom — session setup flow]() ![Waveroom — brand system]() ![Waveroom — design system components]() ![Waveroom — mobile experience]() --- # Combin Founding designer on Combin, an Instagram growth product — two cross-platform desktop apps, product pages, and marketing assets from zero to launch. - Role: Founding Designer - Company: Combin - Project type: Web / App / Growth Design - Duration: 2018–2020 - Scope: Product concept, Combin and Combin Scheduler desktop apps, product pages, marketing campaigns - Contributions: Invented the product direction, designed two desktop apps for Mac, Windows, and Ubuntu, and built the marketing surfaces around them - Canonical page: https://skruglov.com/projects/combin/ I joined Combin as founding designer when the product was still an idea. The job was to figure out what Instagram marketers actually needed, then design two desktop apps for Mac, Windows, and Ubuntu, the product pages that sold them, and the campaign assets the team ran in parallel. ![Combin — product page and pricing cards]() ![Combin — marketing landing page layout]() **Video.** Screencast scrolling through the Combin product page and feature sections. ![Combin Scheduler — calendar and post queue]() ![Combin Scheduler — weekly planning view]() ![Combin — campaign landing pages and promo layouts]() --- # Flipp (Acq. by Rarible) Web3 product design for a Gen Z crypto app — iOS MVP from onboarding to flip flow. Acquired by Rarible. - Role: Founding Designer - Company: n/a - Project type: Web3 Product Design - Duration: 2024–2025 - Scope: UI/UX for iOS MVP — onboarding, wallet connection, currency overview, exchange - Contributions: Designed the iOS MVP for a Gen Z crypto app, acquired by Rarible - Canonical page: https://skruglov.com/projects/flipp/ I designed the iOS MVP for Flipp, a Gen Z crypto app where you buy and flip coins in seconds without figuring out wallets first. The team validated the idea, found traction, and Rarible acquired the product. ![Flipp — portfolio overview and hold-to-flip exchange modal]() > Featured tokens like $DOG needed meme energy, not a Bloomberg terminal. A chart, one line about the asset, one button to flip. Fractional ownership without the spreadsheet feel. **Video.** Screencast of the Flipp swap widget expanding from a community feed post. > The MVP was closer to a one-button app than a wallet. A grid of holdings with live gains and losses, then one tap into a flip sheet: swap pair, a short countdown, hold to confirm. More r/WallStreetBets than Uniswap. ![Flipp — swap widget expanding from a community post]() > You do not start a flip from a portfolio screen. You see a token in a thread, a card slides up from the feed, opens into a chart, and you flip from there. The context stays social. ![Flipp — onboarding welcome and wallet connection]() --- # 4K Download apps Led redesign of five desktop apps at 4K Download, shipped new products, and helped grow the suite past 60 million users. - Role: Senior UI/UX Product Designer - Company: 4K Download - Project type: Product Design - Duration: 2016 — 2020 - Scope: Desktop product redesign, new product design, onboarding, paywalls, and design system - Contributions: Redesigned five core apps, launched new products, and improved conversion across key product flows - Live: https://4kdownload.com/ - Canonical page: https://skruglov.com/projects/4k-download/ 4K Download had five desktop apps used by millions of people, and most of the UI still carried years of legacy decisions. I led design across the core suite, several new products, and a tighter cross-platform experience on Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu. I spent most of my time on the parts that move numbers: onboarding, paywalls, control panels, and making the main flows easier to read. I also proposed and shipped a built-in browser. Daily engagement rose about 18%, and the product stopped feeling like a download-only tool. By the time I moved on, the suite had passed 60 million users. The apps looked cleaner, shared more structure, and were easier to extend without rewriting everything from scratch. ![4K Download apps interface redesign preview 1]() ![4K Download apps interface redesign preview 2]() ![4K Download apps interface redesign preview 3]() ![4K Download apps interface redesign preview 4]() ![4K Download apps interface redesign preview 5]() ![4K Download apps interface redesign preview 6]() ![4K Download apps interface redesign preview 7]() ![4K Download Wikipedia article]() > 4K Download is consumer software used by tens of millions. It even has its own Wikipedia article. --- # Ai Video Cut Founding designer for an AI video tool that shipped an MVP in six weeks and reached 25,000+ users in its first growth stage. - Role: Founding Designer - Company: Ai Video Cut - Project type: AI Product Design - Duration: 2023 — 2024 - Scope: MVP design, brand platform, scalable design system, team hiring - Contributions: Shipped the MVP in 6 weeks, reached 25k+ users, supported ~12% MoM growth - Live: https://www.aivideocut.com/ - Canonical page: https://skruglov.com/projects/ai-video-cut/ Ai Video Cut started with a focused challenge: make AI video repurposing feel fast, directed, and ready for publishing from day one. I proposed the initial product direction, designed the MVP, and helped take the product from idea to launch on an aggressive timeline. The first version shipped in six weeks. From there, I built the brand platform, design system, and early product language needed to scale the experience beyond the MVP. The product reached 25,000+ users and roughly 12% month-over-month growth during its first six months. The result was a focused workflow for creators and marketers: prompt-based clipping, transcript editing, smart crop, captions, multilingual support, and flexible export formats designed around fast publishing. ![Ai Video Cut — video categories UI]() ![Ai Video Cut — tone of voice feature]() ![Ai Video Cut — target audience research]() --- # Apple Presentations Have Always Been Something Special to Me My journey to WWDC 2023, from getting an invitation to experiencing Apple Park, meeting the Vision Pro, and everything in between Published: 2023-08-08 Canonical page: https://skruglov.com/blog/09-one-year-with-dot/ ![WWDC 2023 — Apple Park](/blog/wwdc23/cover_wwdc-1.jpg) Every year since 1983, Apple has hosted a conference for developers across its platforms — the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. This year, Open Media's lead designer Sergey got to attend WWDC in person, and decided to write about it. He covers everything: how to get an invitation, what the day looks like on the ground, and yes — what they serve at the café. ## How to Get an Invitation Apple presentations have always felt like something special to me. I've pored over their website and design guidelines more times than I can count. So when the event was announced, I applied without a second thought — and then promptly forgot about it. When the invitation actually came back, I was genuinely shocked. The process this year was straightforward: 1. Have an active developer account. 2. Catch the application window — about a week long, opening right after the official announcement. 3. Fill out a simple form and let Apple's random selection do the rest. After that, you have until a set deadline to confirm. I sat on it for a long time. I had no visa, no real plan for getting one, and — honestly — I'd somehow convinced myself the whole thing would be online anyway. That I'd just fly out to watch a livestream from the Visitor Center store. I nearly let the deadline pass. But my wife Ksyusha and a few colleagues talked me into at least trying. ## Visa The tricky part was that Apple never sent an official letter or invitation — nothing I could attach to a visa application. So I wrote them. My thinking was: if they reply, I'm going. A few days later I heard back from Esther Hare (Senior Director, Developer Marketing, Worldwide Developer Relations), with an official document confirming my invitation and an offer to help expedite the visa process. At the interview, they didn't even ask about the conference. But getting that letter on official Apple letterhead meant something — it made me feel like the company genuinely cares about the people in its developer community. The visa came through. Everything moved quickly and warmly. We picked up our passports just a couple of days before the flight, still scrambling for affordable tickets. Big thanks to Sasha and Mitya for stepping in and pointing me toward [Google Flights](https://www.google.com/flights) — it's remarkably fast, and surfaces combinations you simply won't find on Aviasales or Skyscanner. ## Conference Day: There Was a Feeling of Belonging and Excitement Flying in the day before the conference was not a smart move. I'd always assumed jet lag was overblown — until I flew this far for the first time. Conference morning: we were up before four. But we still managed to pull ourselves together and find coffee and donuts at a wonderfully strange café that looked like it was frozen in the first season of Twin Peaks. We were staying in Santa Clara, about a twenty-minute bus ride from Apple Park. We showed up early — around 7 AM — and there was already a line. But everything ran smoothly: documents checked, badges handed out, a bag of promo materials pressed into your hands. ![Participant badge and registration materials](/blog/wwdc23/IMG_3371-2.JPG) Participant badge and WWDC materials ![WWDC badge and registration area](/blog/wwdc23/Frame-3205395-3.jpg) Registration and badge pickup ### Inside Apple Park The campus is stunning. Every detail has been considered — from the landscaping to the architecture. The main ring-shaped building is as impressive in person as it looks in photos, and the café that kept us fed throughout the day deserves its own mention. ![Apple Park building — one of the most technologically and aesthetically refined projects in the world](/blog/wwdc23/apple-park-4.jpg) The stunning Apple Park campus during WWDC The keynote was the same one that streamed online, but being there in person was a completely different experience. You felt the energy of the room, watched other developers react in real time, and were caught up in something that's hard to put into words. The seating was comfortable, the acoustics were perfect. Even the volunteers impressed me — many seemed to be engineers themselves, directly involved in making the whole event run. There was also a snack break — popcorn, fruit, various treats — followed by the Apple Design Awards ceremony. ## The Keynote Experience Walking through the park and around the ring with other attendees, we made our way toward the enormous outdoor stage — the one that opens seamlessly into that legendary café. Music was playing, the energy was good. ![Approaching the keynote outdoor stage](/blog/wwdc23/IMG_4774.jpg) Walking toward the outdoor keynote stage ![The keynote outdoor venue at Apple Park](/blog/wwdc23/IMG_4786-2.jpg) The outdoor keynote venue with the park in the background ![Apple Park outdoor stage before the keynote](/blog/wwdc23/IMG_4800-1.jpg) A view of the Apple Park campus before the presentation ### Key Announcements The main announcements of this WWDC were: - **iOS 17** with new messaging features and interactive widgets - **macOS Sonoma** with new screensavers and enhanced Safari - **Vision Pro** — Apple's entry into spatial computing - **Mac Studio** and **Mac Pro** with M2 chips But honestly, everyone was waiting for one thing — the Vision Pro announcement. And when Tim Cook finally said those words, the entire theater erupted. ### Vision Pro: First Impressions What struck me most about the Vision Pro presentation wasn't just the technology itself, but how Apple positioned it. They didn't call it VR or AR — it's "spatial computing." This framing immediately sets it apart from everything else on the market. The demo videos they showed were incredibly polished, as you'd expect from Apple. But what impressed me more was the confidence with which they presented a $3,499 device. Only Apple could announce a product at that price point and have people genuinely excited about it. ![Tim Cook at WWDC 2023](/blog/wwdc23/tim.jpg) Tim Cook and Apple's leadership were remarkably open and patient — everyone who wanted a moment got one ## Behind the Scenes After the keynote, we had access to various labs and sessions. These were much more technical and focused on specific development topics. The Apple engineers running these sessions were incredibly knowledgeable and patient with questions. ### Lunch at Apple Park Lunch was genuinely impressive — multiple world cuisines laid out side by side: Japanese, Italian, and plenty more. Everything was excellent. ![Lunch at Apple Park cafe — diverse world cuisines](/blog/wwdc23/IMG_4835.jpg) Lunch at the Apple Park café ![Food spread at Apple Park cafe during WWDC](/blog/wwdc23/IMG_4837.jpg) An incredible variety of dishes ![Apple Park cafe dining area](/blog/wwdc23/IMG_4839-1.jpg) Dining under the trees in the park ### The Labs Experience The hands-on labs were where the real magic happened. You could: - Get one-on-one help with your apps - Ask questions directly to Apple engineers - See new APIs in action - Get feedback on your design and implementation choices I spent most of my time in the design labs, discussing interface patterns and getting feedback on some of our projects at Open Media. ![WWDC labs and sessions area](/blog/wwdc23/IMG_4858.jpg) The labs and sessions area, divided by platform direction ![Developer sessions at WWDC 2023](/blog/wwdc23/IMG_4866.jpg) Meeting Apple teams and discussing feedback ![Apple Park campus tour during WWDC](/blog/wwdc23/IMG_4871.jpg) Campus tours — both inside the ring and outside through the park ### Meeting Fellow Developers One of the unexpected benefits was meeting developers from around the world. The diversity was incredible — from indie app developers to teams from major tech companies, all united by their passion for creating great software. ![Apple Park interior office tour](/blog/wwdc23/IMG_4882.jpg) Office tour — the legendary staircases and wood veneer details ![Apple Park campus details during the office tour](/blog/wwdc23/IMG_4903.jpg) The tour was led by Apple employees who witnessed the construction of Apple Park Our founder Slava started his career in interface design — and that background has shaped everything about how we think about our products. In the nearly eight years since I first met him, I've never stopped being impressed by his aesthetic instincts and attention to detail. Without that influence, I'm not sure I would have grown into the designer I am today, or learned how to make complex interfaces feel genuinely simple. I'm hoping that in a couple of years, we'll be back here for an award of our own — maybe for [Waveroom](https://waveroom.com/) or [LALAL.AI](https://lalal.ai/). ### Apple Design Awards ![Apple Design Awards ceremony at WWDC 2023](/blog/wwdc23/Awards.jpg) Apple Design Awards — celebrating the best in app design and development Here's a small bonus for lovers of interesting UI solutions and attention to detail. ## Steve Jobs Theater I kept asking volunteers where I could actually see the new glasses. Nobody knew anything. The official schedule had nothing listed either — except for a single entry at 6:00 PM: "Special evening event." My imagination ran wild. I thought: if this turns out to be a party with Billie Eilish or Philip Glass, this trip will officially become one of the most memorable experiences of my life. ![Evening event schedule at WWDC 2023 — the mystery evening event](/blog/wwdc23/timing-3.jpg) The mysterious 6:00 PM event on the schedule About half an hour later, they began leading us out in small groups of 25. Employees lined the entire path, coordinating and thanking everyone — but no one said where we were actually going. When we passed through the exit, I realized we weren't leaving. We were heading to Steve Jobs Theater — the highest point of Apple Park, where every major product announcement had been made. ![Steve Jobs Theater exterior — panoramic view of Apple Park](/blog/wwdc23/IMG_4942-1.jpg) A beautiful and serene view of the entire Apple Park from Steve Jobs Theater ![Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park, WWDC 2023](/blog/wwdc23/IMG_4937-1.jpg) Steve Jobs Theater — architectural perfection at the highest point of Apple Park ![Apple Park ring view from Steve Jobs Theater](/blog/wwdc23/IMG_4947-1.jpg) The silence of the building together with the sound of trees and grass from the wind gave additional drama Outside, a beautiful and serene view of the entire Apple Park and the ring opened up. The silence in the building along with the noise of trees and grass from the wind gave even more drama to what was happening. I still don't understand what it was. Inside, ambient music filled the space. Apple employees lined the entire first floor, welcoming everyone who passed. Every product from the keynote was on display around the room — except the Vision Pro. We circled the floor, then followed each other down in one continuous stream. At the bottom: a small, perfectly lit room with the glasses on a dedicated stand. An Apple employee and security stood beside each device — but the whole atmosphere was warm and relaxed. Taken together, it hit me just as hard as the keynote itself. ### Vision Pro Experience The hands-on experience with Vision Pro was truly remarkable. Here's a glimpse of what the demonstration looked like: ![Apple Vision Pro on display at Steve Jobs Theater](/blog/wwdc23/IMG_4961.jpg) A small hall with precisely set lighting around the Vision Pro display ![Vision Pro hands-on experience at WWDC 2023](/blog/wwdc23/IMG_4955.jpg) First hands-on experience with Apple Vision Pro at WWDC 2023 ## The Café Experience Again I wanted to wring every last bit out of the day, so I headed back to the café while most people called it a night. A light dinner was waiting — mini crab burgers, vegetables, and drinks: beer, sparkling wine, still wine. By that point, it was mostly employees and organizers left. They'd formed something like an informal receiving line — everyone relaxed, laughing, genuinely grateful for each other. ## Technical Sessions The next day, presentations from various teams began. They could already be watched online, although the schedule implied a second offline day on campus. There were 175 video presentations in total. The technical depth of these sessions was impressive. Topics ranged from: - **SwiftUI** advanced techniques - **Core ML** and machine learning integration - **ARKit** and spatial computing concepts - **Performance optimization** across all platforms - **Accessibility** best practices Each session felt like a masterclass, delivered by the people who actually built these technologies. ## Ideas and Partnership I wrote this not just to share the experience, but to say something about who we are at Open Media: we look to companies like Apple for inspiration — their culture, their standards, their way of thinking about what matters. We try to stay ahead of where our industry is heading. One of the Vision Pro demo labs is in Munich, which happens to be right near our German office. So if you have ideas or projects where spatial interfaces could genuinely shine, reach out with the subject line "Vision Pro Partnership." We're open to new ideas and collaborations — and happy to help with development, design, and getting your project in front of a global audience. ## Reflections Attending WWDC was more than just a professional development opportunity — it was a glimpse into Apple's vision of the future. The attention to detail, the focus on user experience, and the commitment to quality were evident in every aspect of the event. What struck me most was how Apple thinks about technology not as an end in itself, but as a means to enhance human capability and creativity. This philosophy permeates everything they do, from the design of their products to the way they organize events like WWDC. For someone working in design and technology, being at WWDC was like attending a masterclass in how to think about products, users, and the future. It reinforced many of the principles we try to follow at Open Media and gave us new ideas for how we can improve our own work. The Vision Pro announcement, in particular, opened up new possibilities for spatial design that we're only beginning to explore. The potential for creating truly immersive, intuitive interfaces is enormous, and I'm excited to see how this technology evolves. --- # Colophon How this website is made Canonical page: https://skruglov.com/colophon/ ## About this site I designed and built this site myself. It's a home to share my work, thoughts, and experiences as a product designer and engineer. The design emphasizes simplicity, readability, and performance—putting content first. ## Technology This site is built using [**Astro**](https://astro.build/). Content is written in [**MDX**](https://mdxjs.com/), with full [**TypeScript**](https://www.typescriptlang.org/) for type safety. The initial foundation was based on the [**AstroNano**](https://github.com/markhorn-dev/astro-nano) template, though it has been extensively modified and customized to match my design vision and requirements. Code is edited using [**Cursor**](https://cursor.sh/) on a [**MacBook Air M1**](https://www.apple.com/macbook-air/). My terminal of choice is [**Warp**](https://www.warp.dev/). Domain registration is through [**iWantMyName**](https://iwantmyname.com/). Hosting and deployment are via [**Netlify**](https://netlify.com/). Email is handled by [**Proton Mail**](https://proton.me/mail). ## Typography Text is set in [**Tiempos Text**](https://klim.co.nz/retail-fonts/tiempos-text/) for headings with [**Scto Grotesk B**](https://www.schick-toikka.com/scto-grotesk-b) for body text and UI elements. Typography scales fluidly across devices using responsive design principles. ## Styling Styles are written using [**Tailwind CSS**](https://tailwindcss.com/) with custom components. The design system supports both light and dark modes with careful attention to contrast ratios and accessibility standards. ## Accessibility This site aims to conform to [**WCAG 2.1 AA**](https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/?levels=aaa) accessibility standards. Features include semantic HTML, proper heading hierarchy, keyboard navigation, and screen reader compatibility. ## Privacy I collect basic, fully-anonymized page view analytics using [**Fathom Analytics**](https://usefathom.com/). No tracking scripts, personal data collection, or invasive analytics. ## Source Code The complete source code is available on [**GitHub**](https://github.com/anarchoenthusiast/skruglov.com) under an open source license. If you spot an issue or have a suggestion, feel free to [**file an issue**](https://github.com/anarchoenthusiast/skruglov.com/issues).