Salman Farsi🇩🇪

About Salman Farsi

Product Design Architect at SAP

As a Product Designer, I'm committed to positively impacting people's lives through user-centered design, with over 10 years of experience in Product/UX Design.

But my interests go beyond just design; I'm also dedicated to mentoring and giving back to the community.

Mentoring is incredibly fulfilling because it's an opportunity to help others achieve their goals and develop their skills. Seeing my mentees grow and succeed in their careers is one of the most rewarding experiences, and I'm committed to providing guidance and support to help them reach their full potential. I believe mentorship is a two-way street, and I'm always learning from my mentees, which keeps me motivated and inspired.

As a member of the ADPList community, I'm excited to connect with like-minded individuals who are passionate about design and eager to learn and share their experiences. Let's work to create impactful design and build a better future for all users.

Expertise

Sessions with Salman Farsi

• Intro Call: Find the Right Session for You (15 min): A quick, no-pressure call to figure out where you are and which session actually fits, before you book anything paid. This is a fit check, not a working session, so we won't review your portfolio or run a mock here. That's what the paid sessions are for. How the 15-minute run: - A couple of minutes on your goal, your stage, and what's blocking you right now - A direct read on which session fits: career strategy, mock interview, portfolio, or breaking into the European / enterprise market - What to prepare so that the session is worth your money Come with a specific goal in mind (for example: "I have interviews next month" or "my applications aren't converting"). The clearer you are, the faster I can point you to the right next step. If you already know what you need, skip this and book the paid session directly.
• Design Interview Dry Run: Practice + Debrief (60 min): You have an upcoming interview where you present your work and talk through your experience. This is a realistic mock of that conversation, followed by a direct, specific debrief you can act on the same day. Built for the rounds where you talk about what you've already done: - Portfolio presentation and case-study deep-dive (most common) - Behavioral and "walk me through your process" questions - Handling follow-ups, pushback, and "Why did you make that call?" How the hour runs: - First few minutes: align on the role, company type, and interview stage - ~30 min: live mock, you present and defend as if it's the real thing - ~20 min: debrief on narrative, clarity, ownership, and where you lost the thread, plus how an interviewer would actually score you - Last few minutes: a short, prioritized action list Come prepared: send your portfolio link, the job description, and the interview stage before we start. The more context I have, the sharper the session. Facing a live whiteboard or product exercise instead? Book "Live Design Challenge." Still early and unsure of direction? Book "Design Career Strategy: Your Next Move."
• Live Design Challenge: Fresh Prompt, Real Feedback (90 min): You have a live design challenge coming up, a fresh prompt you solve in the room while someone watches you think. This is a realistic mock of that round, followed by a direct debrief on how you actually performed under the clock. Built for the rounds where you solve something live, not present past work: - Product design or whiteboard exercise from a cold prompt - App or product critique - Thinking out loud, structuring your approach, and managing your time How the hour runs: - First few minutes: align on the role, company type, and challenge format - ~30 min: I give you a realistic prompt and play the interviewer while you work through it out loud - ~20 min: debrief on framing, structure, trade-off reasoning, communication, and time management, plus the signals interviewers actually score - Last few minutes: a short, prioritized action list Come prepared: send the job description and the challenge format if you know it. No portfolio needed; we work on a fresh problem together. Best for mid- and senior designers facing a live exercise. Prepping to present your portfolio or answer behavioral questions instead? Book "Design Interview Dry Run."
• Navigating Cross-Functional Teams as A Designer (60 min): Being a strong designer isn't enough if you can't navigate the people around you. In cross-functional teams, your impact depends on how well you work with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders, not just how good your screens are. This session gives you a direct, no-fluff playbook for holding your ground and driving design decisions in complex teams. This session is for you if: - You feel like decisions get made without you, or your design work gets watered down - You struggle to push back on PMs or engineers without friction - You want a real seat in prioritization and roadmap conversations - You're moving into enterprise/B2B, and the collaboration dynamics feel different What we'll cover: - Reading your team: where design actually sits in the decision-making, and how to shift it - Working with PMs: aligning on problems, handling scope pressure, disagreeing productively - Working with engineers: earning trust, defending constraints, knowing which battles to fight - Managing stakeholders and getting buy-in without endless rounds of feedback - Communicating design decisions so they stick Bring a specific situation you're dealing with, and we'll work it live. You'll leave with concrete tactics you can use in your next standup, not theory.
• Design Career Strategy: Your Next Move (60 min): I'm a Product Design Architect at SAP with 10+ years in product and UX design across enterprise B2B. I mentor designers at every stage, from breaking in to breaking through to lead. This 60-minute session is built around your specific situation. Come with a real question, leave with a plan. What we can cover: - Breaking into product/UX design and building a portfolio that gets interviews - Landing your next role: positioning, applications, interview prep - Moving from mid to senior/lead, and what actually earns the promotion - Choosing your path: IC track vs management vs hybrid architect roles - Getting unstuck: vague expectations, weak feedback, a plateaued year How it works: - Before the call, send me your context and the one outcome you want. - We spend the full session on your real problem, not generic advice. - You leave with concrete next steps and follow-up resources where useful. I'm direct. I'll tell you what I actually think, not what's comfortable. Best fit if you're serious about your next move and ready to act.

What mentees say

“Salman is very easy to talk to. His insightful questions made me think, and his subject knowledge brought clarity. He shared his perspective with grace, and I’m very glad we had the chance to meet.”

“I'm really appreciative to have met Salman. He not only guided me as a professional mentor but also welcomed me and provided insights and tips to help me overcome my challenges with a problem-solving mindset and show me the right way to ladder my career path I wish I had known Salman earlier. Thank you”

“I only had one session with him, which was free. In that single session, he shared very important and helpful points with me. For me, as someone who is just starting out in product design, his warmth and humility made the mentoring experience truly valuable.”