Alex Balydin

Founder, Service Designer & Architect of Meaning
I’m not an interface designer.
I design systems — out of people, processes and meaning.

I’ve worked with IKEA, INGKA and CBRE, creating customer experience strategies, service ecosystems and product visions.

Now I’m building the Artell — an ecosystem of life, thinking and action.
It’s a village, a method, and a tool — for those who create by being.

As a consultant I lead customer and service transformation projects across retail, real estate, and digital services.
I help organizations design systems that work for people.
my cases
Digital Transformation, A101
2025, External Transformation Consultant
How to rebuild the PR function and launch digital architecture in a large developer

Challenges
- Ineffective PR department structure: processes were not streamlined, there was no separation between strategic, operational and digital communication components.
- Lack of a DAM system and content architecture: thousands of pieces of visual and textual content were stored without rules, metadata and version control.
- Fragmented IT landscape: dozens of unrelated tools with no common architectural logic.
- Zero integration between communications, marketing, product and IT.
A101 is one of the largest residential real estate developers in Moscow. By the time I arrived, the PR, communications and digital content management functions were fragmented, did not reflect the scale of the company and did not meet the objectives of a modern brand.
At the same time, the business badly needed a unified information system and end-to-end logic for managing content, data and projects.

Led the reorganization of the PR function, including the creation of a new structure, roles and processes.
- Launched the transformation and implementation of the DAM-system (Digital Asset Management) as a single repository of brand resources, with meta-level, access differentiation and content cycles.
- He supervised the project of creating a unified information system integrating product data, documents, visual materials, user statuses and marketing analytics.
- Acted as a mediator between digital, PR, architecture, marketing and commerce.

What was done
- The PR department was completely restructured: roles were formed by areas (corporate communications, project media, digital PR, visual communications), clear processes of approval, publication, and interaction with contractors were introduced.
- DAM-system covering the whole brand structure was implemented: from architectural renderings and layouts to LCD visuals and media materials. Created approval pipelines and usage templates.
- A unified information system was designed and initiated, into which the key flows flowed: product information, client statuses, media data, plans and documents - all in a single interface.
- Developed an approval interface that visualizes the lifecycle of an object - from idea to publication.

Results
- A new public perception of the brand was formed: +56% increase in engagement across key PR channels
- Launch of digital services reduced transaction cycle time by 20%
- Built a product core within the marketing and digital directorate
- Internal transformation: the culture became focused not only on construction, but also on user experience

This project showed how important it is to build not just communications, but information ecosystems where PR, content, processes and data work in concert. I saw how even in a traditional development environment it is possible to launch a systemic transformation - from the culture of coordination to the technological core.
Product Offer for Commercial Real Estate, CBRE Russia
2024, Associate Commercial Director, Head of Client Experience and Product.
How to build a product approach where there have always been only services

Challenges
- Zero maturity of product approach in corporate real estate - no one spoke the language of CJM, JTBD, NPS.
- Resistance from internal teams - employees were used to operational thinking and “working by the book”.
- Multi-layered client - we worked with owners, tenants, investors and everyone had their own experiences, pains and challenges.
How to build a product approach where there have always been only services
When I joined CBRE, a world-renowned commercial real estate company, the product approach in the Russian office was essentially non-existent. There was a strong operational machine focused on providing services - FM, PM, brokerage - but not on developing the client experience as a product.

My challenge was to translate the service business into product logic, create a framework for CX management and lay down principles that would build sustainable value for the customer, not just fulfill SLAs.

What was done
- Launched a CX transformation in a complex B2B environment: started with research, mapping customer paths and developing new value-propositions for different segments.
- Translated services into a product structure: from a 200-page document to simple, transparent solutions - “products” with clear value and success metrics.
- Created an internal Service & Product Design methodology that unified teams and provided a common language: from brokers to building managers.
- Developed the RX model (Real Estate Experience), which shifted the focus from operations to tenant perception - and helped retain some of the largest clients.

Result
The projects allowed CBRE Russia:
- accelerate Go-to-Market for new services by 30%
- improve retention of large corporate clients
- Form a sustainable product methodology in a traditionally service-oriented B2B structure

I realized how much service design can bring to the table even in places where it seems that “everything has been solved for a long time”. And how important it is to be not just a functional manager, but an agent of transforming the culture of thinking.
Global Commercial Offer for Parcel Delivery, IKEA Global
2023, Service Experience Designer
How to create an honest and universal last-mile customer experience - from Mexico City to Osaka

Challenges:
- Fragmented practices: countries set their own prices, SLAs and promises without global alignment.
- Uneven perception of value: what was considered “affordable delivery” in Germany was a luxury in Portugal.
- Difficulty customizing a global model: a way had to be found to make pricing fair and the experience uniform, while maintaining operational efficiency.
In 2023, IKEA's global team initiated a strategic project: to redesign the parcel delivery approach for all countries where the company has a presence.
It wasn't just about logistics - it was about creating a unified, human and efficient customer experience that would work in Canada, Japan, Germany, Russia, Saudi Arabia and dozens of other countries with different levels of digital maturity, logistics partners and consumer expectations.

As a Service Experience Designer on a global team, I was responsible for:
- Shaping a unified customer experience architecture for delivery.
- Conducting research and interviews with customers in key countries (Saudi Arabia, Canada, Japan, EU, Latin America).
- Building a unified CJM taking into account local constraints.
- Optimization of customer pricing logic for parcel delivery.

What was done
- Developed a new global commercial offer model for the delivery of small orders.
- Introduced a fair pricing approach based on the Big Mac Index - as a benchmark of relative purchasing power in each country. This allowed us to determine what delivery cost would be perceived as “fair” in a local context without losing profitability.
- Created a universal Service Blueprint aligned with logistics, sustainability, digital and operations teams.
- Created 4 customer archetypes that guided all decisions, from option selection to return processing.

Results
- Global delivery customer experience model approved
- Supported by Global Digital and Global Retail Operations
- Pilot launched in countries with different levels of maturity (Canada, Saudi Arabia, Chile)
- New pricing approach has simultaneously increased customer trust and delivered unit economics for delivery

This project was a confirmation that systems thinking and empathy for context can change even “technical” aspects like delivery. Using the Big Mac Index became not just a tool - but a way to show that IKEA's value should be adaptive, but still fair to everyone.
Design Service Package, IKEA Russia/ IKEA Global
2021-2022, Service Experience Designer
How to save an unprofitable service, make you believe in it and turn it into a driver of business growth

Challenges
-Services were unprofitable: low demand, high costs, unclear value.
- Internal skepticism: both local and global teams were ready to give up on development.
- Disjointed approach: there was no unified structure, standards, sales logic and positioning.
- No connection to the core business: the service did not strengthen the sale of goods and was not built into the IKEA funnel.
At the time of the project's launch in Russia, IKEA offered two services to clients: offsite design and paid planning. Both proved unprofitable, unpopular and were considered candidates for closure. The global structure did not believe in their potential - it was thought that they did not match the scalability of the IKEA model.
But I saw them as an under-realized product. My challenge was to rethink the service as a commercially effective and valuable experience for the customer, rather than an additional burden on the business.

- Re-launch unprofitable services as a full-fledged product package with business metrics.
- Justify its value both for the customer and for IKEA (by linking it to sales, satisfaction, LTV).
- Build the business case, protect and convince the global office to scale.
- Initiate and lead the development of a new digital solution for easy space planning as a logical extension of the package.

What was done
- Conducted a series of studies of clients and internal teams and identified a key need: people don't want “design”, but confidence and a ready-made solution for a specific room.
- Completely repackaged the service into a new product: from two disparate options into a clear and modular Design Service Package with fixed logic, end-to-end economics and a link to furniture sales.
- I set up monetization through upselling and cross-selling: the service became a purchase trigger rather than a stand-alone service.
- Defended and implemented the model at the level of the entire IKEA Russia, and got approval from the global team for scaling.
- Initiated a project to create a quick digital planning tool that any user can understand without training - as a logical extension of the customer journey.

Results
- The service began to pay off with a multiple of x2 (revenues exceeded the break-even point by more than +200%).
- Significant contribution to the growth of IKEA sales - customers using the service converted to purchases above the median amount.
- Changed the perception of the service from ballast to a strategic asset that enhances the experience and business.
- The project became a reference for other markets and moved into the area of interest of IKEA's global product office.
- A pilot of a new digital solution for planning was launched, which became the basis for a future global product.

Sometimes, to change a product - you must first change the belief in it. This case showed how service design, business thinking and perseverance can not only save a dying service, but make it a driver of growth and a source of pride for the entire company.
Overload of Goods and Trust, IKEA Russia
2019, Quality & Recovery Manager
How to create a commercial engine from a “scrap yard” to become the best in the world

Challenges
- Inherited system overload: more than 20% of warehouse capacity was occupied by written-off or damaged goods.
- The department was perceived as secondary: employees were demotivated, functions were formal, customer impact was nil.
- Lack of value recovery process: no logic of resale, loss minimization, customer interaction.
- Extremely limited resources: a team of 4 people, no support, with a reputation as a “write-off group”.
When I took over the Quality & Recovery department, IKEA's warehouse had over 20% of its total capacity in stock, with an allowance of 3%. This meant that tens of tons of goods were taking up space, generating losses and no transparent disposal strategy.
The 4-person team was in constant defense, operating on inertia, and any attempts to change the approach were met with resistance. Discounted goods were perceived as a “failure” rather than an opportunity.

- Complete audit of all processes: from incoming damaged goods to final sale.
- Re-launching markdown as a new commercial division, not a “write-off warehouse”.
- Forming a new team of employees who no one had given a chance - but who were willing to give it a try.
- Launching a new logic of customer experience in the markdown department: “maximum service where no one expects it”

What was done
- Developed and implemented a recovery and presale model: a customer could buy a written-off product and immediately complete it in the department, for example, add the necessary fittings or delivery to a written-off kitchen door.
- Completely reorganized the physical and digital markdown space: new merchandising, visualization, customer service scripts.
- Incorporated markdown into IKEA's overall sales funnel - from a UX perspective, it became an alternative entry point to purchase.
- I formed a team of internal outsiders, invested in their development, and gave everyone a fulcrum: responsibility, trust, and an opportunity to prove themselves.

Results
-Warehouse pressure was reduced from 20% to a normative 3.2% in 4 months
- The discount department has become a profitable business unit, with turnover higher than some new product categories
- For 14 consecutive months the department was recognized as the best KPI and customer experience among all IKEA stores in the world.
- Established a strong internal culture of trust, growth and focus on results

When no one believes in a team, system or idea, it's no reason to give up. It's a chance to set a precedent. I've seen how outsiders can become leaders when given a clear purpose, autonomy and real accountability. And how even a “markdown” can become a showcase of brand values - if approached with intelligence and respect.
Contacts
I do services where there is a place for the human being. If something resonates with you, let's talk."
Moscow, Russia