Rodolfo Ferro Casagrande, Head of Design at Helcim, leads the charge in shaping payment experiences that are smarter, more affordable, and deeply human.

In this episode, Rodolfo dives into the art of designing products that delight. With over a decade of expertise in product and brand design, he shares insights on creating user experiences that resonate, merging creativity with functionality, and empowering design teams to transcend the ordinary.

For Rodolfo, delight isn’t just a finishing touch — it’s the foundation of user engagement and loyalty. Let’s see what he has shared on the podcast with our host and CEO of Cieden, Yuriy Mykhasyak.

What is Product Delight 

Yuriy: Hello, everyone! Welcome to our podcast. Thank you, Rudolfo, for joining us today.

Rodolfo: Hi, Yuriy. Thank you so much for having me.

Yuriy: It’s great to have you here because the company you represent has such an inspiring success story. You’re a leader in the financial payments industry, but what sets you apart is your focus on business software combined with a love for design. I know you’ve been sharing thoughts recently about bringing delight into applications.

Rodolfo: Yes, absolutely. We recently hosted a great event in Calgary called Adding Delight to Elevate the Product Experience. This is a topic I’m deeply passionate about. Delight, to us, isn’t a replacement for UX. It’s a layer on top of a great user experience—a set of small, thoughtful touches that reflect the brand’s personality. When done well, they make a product more enjoyable and memorable. The goal is to create something not just usable and intuitive, but also unique and delightful.

Yuriy: Should companies focus on this idea of delight from the start, or can it be introduced later, say, in a company that’s already been around for 10 years?

Rodolfo: It’s not something you necessarily start with when founding a company. At the beginning, your focus is on building a brand and a culture, which happens organically as you scale. But it’s crucial to think about your brand personality early, especially if you’re a startup aiming to grow.

As you scale, you can find ways to bring more of that personality into your product. Unfortunately, many companies struggle with this. Marketing often feels polished and intentional, but when users onboard and engage with the product, it feels sterile or disconnected. This gap is a missed opportunity because, to users, the product and brand are one and the same. Bridging that gap ensures continuity across the customer journey, from marketing to the actual experience of using the product.

The SaaS Sales Method

Yuriy: I love your perspective. There’s a methodology called The SaaS Sales Method developed by Winning by Design that evaluates the impact of products and services. It emphasizes that real value comes from the product itself. It’s not about just closing deals; it’s about creating loyal, long-term customers who refer others to your business.

Source: The SaaS Sales Method

Yuriy: Does this mean product designers should collaborate more with marketing teams or even learn branding principles?

Rodolfo: That’s a great question. When we talk about delight, I often say designers need to think more like brand designers than just product designers. In our case, we’re fortunate to have both a product design and a brand design team, and there’s a lot of collaboration. But if you’re a solo designer or part of a smaller team, you need to embrace both disciplines.

Design craft is key, not only UX

Rodolfo: These days, there’s an overemphasis on UX processes and methodologies, which are vital but can overshadow the importance of crafting visually appealing designs. If a designer spends a month on research but delivers a cluttered or unrefined design, the effort is wasted. UX and UI are deeply interconnected. Poor execution affects usability, which in turn impacts the overall experience. Designers need a balance between research-driven problem-solving and the ability to craft high-quality, aesthetically pleasing solutions.

Yuriy: It reminds me of the saying, “When you kill the dragon, you become the dragon.” Designers spent years fighting to have a seat at the table, pushing for recognition beyond just “making things pretty.” Now, some may have swung too far in focusing solely on strategy and process.

Rodolfo: Exactly. Historically, designers were seen as order-takers, tasked with “making things pretty.” In pushing for recognition and strategic involvement, we’ve achieved a lot. But now, there’s a need to bring balance back, emphasizing craftsmanship as much as strategy.

Balancing agility and scale in design teams

Yuriy: What about the challenges of working in large organizations versus startups? Startups move fast, but bigger companies tend to slow down with layers of approval. How does that impact designers?

Rodolfo: Every company wants to move fast, but the stakes change as you scale. Startups must move quickly—that’s their edge. Larger organizations, however, need processes to manage risk and complexity. The key is to avoid letting bureaucracy kill agility. Even major companies like Google or Apple strive to maintain a startup mentality by adopting lean and agile methodologies.

That said, larger companies sometimes over-index on risk aversion. They conduct months of research for minor changes, fearing the cost of mistakes. Startups don’t have that luxury; they launch, learn, and iterate. The challenge is striking a balance between thoughtful decision-making and the speed of execution.

Design leadership

Yuriy: How has your role evolved as you’ve grown your design team? You started as a solo designer and now manage a team.

Rodolfo: The biggest shift for me was learning to delegate. As an individual contributor, your value is in what you deliver. As a leader, it’s about unlocking your team’s potential. You can’t scale if you try to do everything yourself.

Leadership also means adjusting your style to the people you manage. Some team members need guidance; others prefer autonomy. Building relationships helps you understand how to create the right environment for each person to succeed.

Yuriy: What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned as a design leader?

Rodolfo: That leadership is about adaptability. Different people need different approaches to thrive. Building trust, offering the right balance of guidance and autonomy, and creating a supportive culture are key.

Yuriy: Thank you, Rodolfo. This was an inspiring conversation. We explored how to build successful teams, balance utility and delight in design, and foster collaboration without bureaucracy. It’s been a pleasure having you here.

Rodolfo: Thank you, Yuriy. I loved our discussion!