Maria Vareva
Q What do you do?
“Recently at Hints, I’ve been designing for the future of how humans and AI interact with software, pure utility, nothing over-pretentious. I take “AI should help here” and turn it into tools people can actually use and trust: what an AI agent can do, how it performs, when and what it confirms, how it shows the results of its work, and how users stay in control.”
I design the Human-AI-Software interaction patterns, the end-to-end experience around them, and the system rules behind the scenes so it feels fast, natural, clear, and safe.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I got here, however we define “here,” by pursuing the quality of work I genuinely loved and repeatedly putting myself in situations where I had to deliver. I got formally design-educated at Parsons and Cornell Tech, and sharpened my design by putting in the work through every role and project I’ve had: at Hints, Copilot Money, TakeOFF, Cornell projects, Group-IB, and my independent practice. And I’m not settling any time soon. I’m shooting for the stars :)
Q How do you stand out in your field?
Well, to put it simply, I stand out because I combine high craft and sharp design intuition with grounded, strategic systems thinking. I’m always aiming for measurable product and business outcomes, owning the design while enjoying close collaboration. I work smart and deliver fast without sacrificing quality. Which means I’m your super IC design partner you can truly rely on.
Q What are you working on right now?
Right now I’m designing AI-first product experiences with AI agents that make probabilistic systems feel predictable, safe, and genuinely useful in often ambiguous sales workflows. It’s a lot of fun.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
varevama@gmail.com
Q Let's bring out the time machine. What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I’d go back to 2020–21, right before I stepped into my first product design role, and tell myself: you’re on the right path. Stay curious, trust your judgment, and it will work out.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
I checked out Arkhip Kuindzhi’s work a couple of weeks ago, and I’m still thinking about it. He’s a genius.
This member profile was originally published in January 2026.