Current role
FOMO Spark
A motion design studio serving venture-backed crypto and AI teams.
Managing Partner & Executive Design Director
Jul 2026 – presentPartner in the studio, leading operations, hiring and client design strategy.
- Built the studio's entire operating system from scratch in two months, using AI throughout: contracts, offers and client agreements generated and tracked automatically, multi-currency payments and invoicing with automatic FX handling, project management and production workflow from brief to delivery, freelancer onboarding and payment tracking, and client briefing and intake
- Delivery continued uninterrupted while the system was being built
- Hire and lead production and creative talent
- Lead the expansion of the studio's offering beyond motion design
2017 to 2026 · Four roles, three promotions
AirHelp
AirHelp is the world's largest air passenger rights company, headquartered in Berlin and a Y Combinator alumnus. Robert joined during hypergrowth and stayed nine years, through the pandemic that grounded aviation and the rebuild that followed.
Design Director, Brand & Experience
Mar 2024 – Jun 2026- Set brand and experience strategy across web, app and every customer touchpoint in more than 30 markets
- Led a team of ten spanning brand design, product design, UX research and UX writing
- Expanded the remit to include localisation across 23 languages and customer communications, including email and push
- Built UX research and UX writing into first-class functions from nothing
- Member of the leadership team, contributing to company strategy and quarterly planning
Design Director, Product & Brand
Oct 2021 – Mar 2024- Rebuilt the design organisation from zero after the pandemic, hiring and structuring a ten-person cross-functional team
- Owned the joint brand and product design roadmap alongside company growth strategy
- Led a homepage redesign that improved valid claim conversion by 5.7% in desktop A/B testing
- Led the AirHelp+ subscription work, including a rejection-page offer that raised click-through by 141%
- Contributed to early development of the AirHelp mobile app, and personally designed the mobile claiming flow
- Established design processes and critique culture that scaled with the team
Art Director / Design Manager
Jul 2018 – Oct 2021- Built AirHelp's first dedicated creative team, including motion design and videography
- Directed creative output across social, performance marketing, digital advertising, outdoor, CRM and email, localised in more than 20 languages
- When the pandemic grounded aviation and the design team was let go, led AirHelp's full rebrand alone, directing a network of external contractors with no direct reports
- Designed and rolled out a new design system across every product and touchpoint
Senior Designer
Feb 2017 – Jun 2018- Joined during hypergrowth and built the brand design function from the ground up
- Defined the visual language and brand guidelines rolled out across more than 30 global markets
- Coached two junior designers as the first design team took shape
- Progressed to Art Director within 18 months
2007 to 2017
Founder years
and early career
Co-Founder & Creative Director
Feb 2015 – Feb 2017Co-founded a boutique design studio serving small and medium-sized businesses, delivering brand strategy, visual identity, digital design and e-commerce. Ran creative direction, client relationships and business development at the same time. AirHelp became a client, which led to a full-time role.
Co-Founder
Jan 2013 – Jul 2016Co-founded an award-winning funeral design studio producing bespoke coffins, ash urns and memorial products. Built the company's brand, marketing, PR and sales from zero, and won multiple European design awards.
Architect
Mar 2012 – Aug 2013Contract architectural role at an award-winning practice, contributing to project design, 3D visualisation and technical documentation across residential and commercial briefs.
Freelance Designer
Jan 2007 – Dec 2011Five years of self-directed work spanning visual identity, 3D modelling, product visualisation and front-end web development.
Education
Training
M.Arch, Architecture and Urban Planning
2011 – 2014Leading Teams in the Digital Age
2019Common questions
Frequently
asked
What does Robert Kowalczyk do?
He is a Design Director who leads brand and product design as a single function. He builds design teams from nothing, sets design direction across brand and product, and connects design work to business outcomes such as conversion, retention and subscription revenue.
Where is he based, and is he open to remote work?
Berlin, Germany. He is open to roles in Berlin or fully remote, and works in English and Polish, with basic German.
Is he available for hire?
Yes. He is open to Design Director roles on a full-time basis, and also takes fractional design leadership and strategic consulting engagements. The fastest way to reach him is hello@robkow.com.
How large a team has he led?
Ten people across four disciplines: brand design, product design, UX research and UX writing. He has built a design function from zero three separate times.
What is his background before design leadership?
He trained as an architect, earning an M.Arch from Gdańsk University of Technology, then co-founded two companies: Aeon Form, an award-winning funeral design studio, and CYAN.STUDIO, a boutique design agency.
Does he work with AI?
Yes, as an operator rather than an enthusiast. At FOMO Spark he built the studio's entire operating system using AI in two months, covering contracts, invoicing, project workflow, freelancer management and client intake.
Open to Design Director roles, full-time, fractional or consulting. Berlin-based or fully remote.