If I could do anything I want…
I would do design!
I often found myself wracking my brain over complex tasks—mapping user journeys, navigating a flood of layout ideas, and slipping into panic mode from the sheer volume of possibilities.
I’d relentlessly chase feedback from potential users, probe into edge cases, initiate interviews, and build low-fidelity prototypes—constantly experimenting with the latest AI tools to push ideas forward.
User-centric design, in theory, puts the user first. Yet in practice, there’s often hesitation to invest the time, effort, and resources needed to truly understand them. At times, I feel like my favorite character, Don Quixote, charging at windmills—fighting for users who can’t always advocate for themselves.
“To surrender dreams — this may be madness.”
My path
I’ve always loved art. I began taking classes at an art school in Cheșnău, Moldova when I was seven years old. After graduating, I continued my education at the Repin Art and Pedagogic College, where I received BFA degree in Fina Arts with emphasis in pedagogy.
When I moved to the United States, I was accepted to the art program at San Jose State University, where I studied art, design and printmaking.
Drawn to the possibilities of digital creativity, I went on to complete an AA in Multimedia and Presentations through a two-year program at Masters Institute in the heart of Silicon Valley.
My first non-waitressing job after college was a night shift role as a graphic designer and illustrator for the San Jose Mercury News. From there, I transitioned to a design and branding agency, Scree Interactive, where I learned how to manage multiple client projects under extreme deadlines.
After a year at the agency, I joined my first high-tech startup, Hellobrain.com, where I refined and expanded my UI/UX skills. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working with numerous prominent companies across Silicon Valley—continuing to evolve as a designer and creative problem-solver.
Art
I’m deeply obsessed with fine art—constantly thinking about how much we can learn from the masters and apply to every form of design.
Travel
I’m naturally restless—I need to keep moving. Traveling is both liberating and humbling, offering fresh perspectives with every journey. Having explored 39 countries so far, I’m eager to discover many more.
Love of learning
I love learning in all areas of life—whether it’s science, history, or exploring the latest AI tools and apps.
I have a particular passion for languages (no special talent, just endless curiosity and persistence). I’m an avid user of Duolingo and Memrise, and I’m constantly inspired by the creative design solutions that make learning more intuitive. Currently, I’m focused on learning French, it facinates me, I am in love with people, language, and culture.
My hustles
I’ve been fashion-obsessed since an early age—thanks to my mom, an incredibly talented seamstress and knitter. Over the years, I launched and managed three online clothing stores across different platforms, selling both new and pre-loved pieces. Through that experience, I gained invaluable hands-on skills in e-commerce: from product sourcing and advertising to shipping logistics, customer service, and dispute resolution.
Equally passionate about animals (I have had them all my life from dogs, cats to reptiles, birds and cute rodents), I ran a dog ‘lodge’ from an online app, where I hosted dogs over short or long period of time. Doing that have taught me of careful observation and planning, being firm and concise and ways of understanding non-verbal expressions - when dealing with pets and lots about dealing with pet ‘parents’.
What my colleagues/customers are saying…
“Rufina Shteynberg never stopped creatively pursuing better design. Rufina provided the vision behind our design and continued innovating all the way through development, optimizing along the way.”
“Rufina gets working with developers! Couple this with her great esthetic sense as well as a tireless advocate for the end user and you have an excellent designer!”
“Congratulations! You are an honored recipient of TiVo 4th quarter 20/20 Award as part of the GameSkip IFTT Team. Thank you for making TiVo a world leader in creating the ultimate entertainment experience. Congratulations once again on your outstanding efforts!”
“Many thanks to for her endless efforts to modernize our customer facing experience in preparation for stream TV ingestion to the Support Center.”
“Many thanks to Rufina for her great designs and diligence in continuing to push things toward for this release (TiVo DVR Online) while also jumping on projects for STB, 10-foot Atom, and mobile. She has been the lifeboat of the portal platform.”
“Thanks so much for the focused effort in launching this important support pillar. You did amazing work in accelerating the support for all of the territories that launched ahead of forecast. ”
“Rufina, Congratulations on getting this done! The support site looks 100000% better than previous design. The screen shots at the very bottom look beautiful.
Great job!”
“Thanks so much for the focused effort in launching this important support pillar. You did amazing work in accelerating the support for all of the territories that launched ahead of forecast.”