Welcome to Product Design Lab By Sabina Rana
UI/UX Design
Design Systems
Responsive Design
Product Strategy
Product Branding
Interactive Design
Welcome to Product Design Lab By Sabina Rana
UI/UX Design
Design Systems
Responsive Design
Product Strategy
Product Branding
Interactive Design
Sabina Rana
Senior Product Designer specializing in UI/UX
10+ Years of Expertise in Digital Design
Based in the Toronto area, I craft user-centered digital experiences that are engaging, delightful, and accessible—with a sprinkle of fun in every design!
Design Services 🌟
✦ UI/UX Design
✦ Illustration & 3D
✦ Responsive Design
✦ Interactive Design
✦ Product Strategy
✦ Product Branding
✦ Design Systems
✦ Web Design (WordPress)
Shipping Interactive Experiences That Delight Users and Elevate Brands Since 2005
Each of these companies has been a vital stepping stone in my design journey, providing invaluable learning experiences.
Top 3 Wins 🌟
Boosted monthly revenue by 300% (+$600,000) with The Sims Resource team through mobile sign-up optimization and platform modernization.
Enthusiast Gaming
April 2021 – December 2023
Role
Senior Product Analyst (UI/UX Design)
Contributed to award-winning navigation with accessible map designs, iconography, and patent catalogue.
Mapsted
March 2019 – March 2021
Role
Senior User Experience Designer
Helped Webkinz hit 1M players and $100M in revenue by 2006 (Wired), partnering with top brands like Mattel and Universal Pictures.
Ganz Studios
November 2005 – September 2016
Role
Senior User Experience Designer
With 10+ years in digital marketing, eCommerce, and UX/UI design, I blend toy industry expertise with creator economy innovation. I contributed to award-winning Webkinz products, enhanced The Sims Resource at Enthusiast Gaming, and designed intuitive indoor wayfinding solutions at Mapsted, driving community growth, revenue, and brand loyalty through user-centered design and strategic collaboration.
Product Design Lab
April 2017 – Present
Role
Senior Product Designer (UI/UX Design)
Every click, swipe, and tap is designed to connect, simplify, and elevate your brand.
Product Design Lab by Sabina Rana is a creative studio specializing in user-centric digital design and branding, creating captivating experiences for games, apps, interactive platforms, and branded merchandise.
Tools used in the Lab
Since 2005, I’ve designed a diverse range of digital experiences—from the music industry to children’s educational games, indoor wayfinding products, and community-driven content sites. I specialize in crafting user-centered designs that elevate digital experiences across platforms. With a focus on intuitive interfaces, seamless user journeys, and visually compelling branding, I ensure each product I work on is optimized for engagement, consistency, and long-term success.
“An object has to be functional, but it also has to be fun, because the word ‘fun’ is inside of function.”
– Oki Sato, Japanese architect and designer
This philosophy has been a guiding principle throughout my career. Whether I’m designing user experiences for children’s games, crafting seamless onboarding flows, or revamping complex platforms like The Sims Resource, I strive to create solutions that not only serve their purpose but also bring a sense of delight and ease to the user.
- UX/UI Design ✨
- Creating intuitive, user-centered designs for seamless digital experiences.
- Design Systems 📐
- Developing scalable design systems for consistency and collaboration.
- Responsive Design 📱
- Optimizing designs for smooth experiences across all devices.
- User Research 📊
- Leveraging user insights and data to drive impactful design decisions.
- Web Optimization ⚡
- Streamlining user journeys to increase engagement and retention.
- Product Branding 🎨
- Crafting visually compelling designs that connect with users emotionally.
My Design Journey: Designing Interactive Experiences Since 2005 🎨🚀
I’ve spent almost two decades creating meaningful digital products across music, children’s games, wayfinding, and community-driven gaming websites. Whether I’m exploring new design trends or diving into research, I bring fresh, strategic insights to every project. When I’m not designing, you’ll find me enjoying music, experimenting in the kitchen, sampling limited-edition foods, watching documentaries and horror movies, laughing at memes, or playing The Sims!
From DVD Covers to Interactive Design 💿🎬
My design journey began during my time at Blockbuster, where the artistry of DVD covers and the newsletters handed out to customers sparked my fascination. A pivotal moment came when I discovered the interactive website for the movie Identity, which revealed the potential of digital experiences to tell compelling stories. These inspirations led me to study Multimedia Production at Humber College, where I honed my skills in interactive design.
Career Highlights 🌟🏆
I started my career at EMI Music, designing Flash players and animated GIFs for Canadian musicians. At Webkinz, I developed a wide range of engaging games and features that continue to bring joy to users, with many sharing how much they loved playing them as kids. Transitioning into wayfinding design, I created intuitive navigation systems and apps for shopping malls, college campuses, and airports, helping users navigate complex environments with ease. Most recently, at The Sims Resource, I revamped a 23-year-old community-driven platform, collaborating with a vibrant team to enhance the user experience, boost revenue, and earn glowing feedback from the community.
Fueling Creativity Through Passion 🔥🎶🍽️
My love for music, movies, documentaries, cooking, and food fuels my creativity, inspiring designs that leave a lasting impact. Whether it’s the visual allure of a movie poster, the taste of a delicious meal, or the rhythm of a catchy tune, these passions shape my work. Looking ahead, I’m excited to keep pushing the boundaries of digital design, creating products that truly connect with users.
From the Kitchen to the Artboard: The Recipe for Product Design 👩🏻🍳
Designing a digital product is a lot like cooking—both are about putting care, creativity, and attention into every step to create something truly satisfying.
- Ingredients 🍅🥕 (Research)
- I start by gathering insights through research and analysis to ensure I’m using the right ingredients for the design.
- Menu 📜
(Ideation) - I brainstorm, sketch, and create wireframes, exploring multiple solutions to find the best fit for users.
- Dish 🍣
(Prototyping) - I develop prototypes using tools like Figma and UXPin, bringing concepts to life for stakeholders and users to interact with.
- Taste Testing 👅
(User Feedback) - I gather feedback through usability testing, refining the design to ensure it’s perfect, just like adjusting flavors.
- Serving 🍽️
(Delivery) - I present the polished design to stakeholders and developers, ensuring clarity for smooth implementation.
- Celebration 🎉
(Launch & Iteration) - After launch, I continue to gather feedback, making tweaks and improvements, like perfecting a recipe over time.
Design Methodologies & Frameworks 📐
These frameworks are the backbone of every project, shaping and guiding the process to ensure thoughtful, efficient, and impactful design solutions
- Google Material
Design - Proficient in applying Material Design principles to create intuitive, visually appealing user interfaces across platforms.
- Atomic
Design - Experienced in using the Atomic Design methodology to build scalable and reusable UI components, ensuring consistency and efficiency in design systems.
- Design
Thinking - Skilled in applying Design Thinking principles to empathize with users, define problems, ideate solutions, prototype, and test user-centered designs.
- Human-Centered
Design - Focused on understanding user needs and behaviours to craft solutions that are both effective and empathetic.
- Lean
UX - Experienced in implementing Lean UX practices to quickly prototype and test ideas, ensuring designs meet both user and business goals with minimal waste.
- Agile
UX - Comfortable working within Agile teams, collaborating with developers and stakeholders to deliver iterative, user-focused design solutions.