01
Product & UX
Research, flows, interfaces and systems that make digital products easier to use.
UX/UI · Prototyping · Design SystemsProduct/Brand/Front-end
I design products,
brands and stories —
then I build them.
I’m a multidisciplinary designer and builder with 6+ years across product, brand, illustration, presentations and digital experiences. I take ideas from concept and visual direction through interface, implementation and launch — including the AI feature inside my own product.
6+Years across creative roles
5Case studies, start to finish
Ask PholuAI feature I designed and built
Design → BuildFrom Figma to working product
Selected work
Selected work.
Six case studies across AI, product, brand and visual systems — a mix of shipped work and self-initiated concepts that show how I think, design and build.
View all work
Shipped / Founder01Product · Brand · Mobile
Pholu
A private memory app for couples and families, taken from brand and UX through React Native implementation and launch on Google Play.
Founder · Brand · Product · Web2024 → Present
Product / Learning02A Mandarin learning concept built around tones, useful conversation and short daily practice.
View case study
Brand / Concept03A self-initiated Chinese tea brand and storefront exploring identity, packaging and digital retail.
View case study
Product / Systems04A self-initiated life-OS concept exploring habits, progression and game-inspired interface systems.
View case studyCapabilities
Design. Build. Communicate.
My work moves between product, brand, code and communication — depending on what the problem actually needs.
02
Brand & Illustration
Identity, illustration and art direction that give ideas a recognisable visual language.
Brand Identity · Illustration · Art Direction03
Front-end Build
I take selected designs into responsive, working interfaces instead of stopping at mockups.
React · Next.js · TypeScript04
Presentations & Storytelling
High-stakes decks that turn dense information into something clear, visual and easy to follow.
PowerPoint · Think-cell · Information DesignMore Projects / Playground
More work.
Smaller products, websites and experiments that show what I make when the brief is mine.
Explore the playground
IP / Web
Illustration · Web · UniverseFACTION
A fictional universe and reader site combining writing, illustration, character design and front-end.
faction-alpha.vercel.app ↗Web · IP · Illustration
Web app
Product Design · Front-endOpenQuiz
A small quiz platform I designed and built end-to-end.
openquiz.xyz ↗Web app
YohuroBoxWEB APP · MUSIC · UI
A custom web player I built for my music catalogue, exploring interface, playback controls and visual identity.
yohurobox.vercel.app ↗Web app · Player
CLIENT · UX · WEB · 2026
OGLA
Take away the checkout.
Keep the sale.
Catalogue-first retail · enquiries over checkout
A catalogue-first redesign for a Leeds appliance retailer, built around enquiries instead of checkout.
ogla.online ↗Client · UX · Web
Ricardo
Costa
李启达 · Multidisciplinary Designer
Leeds, UKOpen to China / Shanghai
( About )
I’m a Portuguese multidisciplinary designer based in Leeds, working across product, brand, presentations, illustration and front-end — and planning my move to China.
I studied Animation at the University of Huddersfield, then moved through freelance illustration, graphic design and presentation work for international teams. Along the way I taught myself product design and front-end development and started building my own digital products, including Pholu.
- Now
- Presentation Associate, Williams Lea · Founder, Pholu Labs
- Education
- BA (Hons) Animation · University of Huddersfield
- Languages
- English · Portuguese · French · Spanish · Mandarin (learning)
- Tools
- Figma · Adobe CC · PowerPoint · Think-cell · React · Next.js
( Contact )
Let’s build
something people keep.
I’m open to design roles in China, freelance collaborations and interesting products. If you think we’d make something good together, send me a message.