Strategic Product Designer for high-stakes operational UX
I led the wayfinding redesign that achieved #1 ranking in Europe for passenger navigation across three consecutive quarters (ACI-ASQ 2024) - outperforming 350+ airports globally.
Strategic Product Designer for high-stakes operational UX
I turn regulated, high-stakes systems into clear journeys and automation-ready product workflows.
I'm Gancho Churkov (Ганчо Чурков) - Creative Lead at Sofia Airport with 13 years of experience designing wayfinding, operational UX, and digital systems for aviation, fintech, and regulated environments. My work has moved Sofia Airport from unranked to #1 in Europe for passenger navigation (ACI-ASQ 2024), reduced website bounce rates from 80% to under 18%, and delivered flight information systems serving 9 million passengers annually. I specialize in design systems that reduce operational friction, pass regulatory review, and scale under pressure.
500+
Projects shipped
200+
Teams supported
13
Years of Excellence
Global
Markets Served
(EU & USA)
Certified
Product Designer
Case Studies
Projects showing how I design end-to-end systems for regulated environments - from strategic planning through implementation - that deliver measurable outcomes.
Sofia Airport Wayfinding Redesign - #1 in Europe for Passenger Navigation
Challenge: Following Bulgaria's Schengen accession, Sofia Airport restructured passenger flows across Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. The existing wayfinding system ranked at the bottom of European airports for way-ease.
Impact: #1 ranking in Europe for "Ease of Finding Way" across three consecutive quarters (Q2, Q3, Q4 2024) in the ACI-ASQ benchmark- outperforming 350+ airports globally.
View case study
Sofia Airport Wayfinding Redesign - #1 in Europe for Passenger Navigation
Challenge: Following Bulgaria's Schengen accession, Sofia Airport restructured passenger flows across Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. The existing wayfinding system ranked at the bottom of European airports for way-ease.
Impact: #1 ranking in Europe for "Ease of Finding Way" across three consecutive quarters (Q2, Q3, Q4 2024) in the ACI-ASQ benchmark- outperforming 350+ airports globally.
View case study
Sofia Airport FIDS Redesign - Passenger Info Made Clear
Challenge: Old FIDS screens were hard to scan, lacked clear hierarchy, and created confusion at peak times.
Approach: Designed the FIDS UX/UI system - visual concept, information hierarchy, and accessibility—aligned with SITA technical specs and Sofia Airport standards.
Impact: Clearer at-a-glance comprehension, faster decision-making at gates/baggage, and a scalable template system across screen types.
Result: Certified by SITA as FIDS Product Designer for the concept and graphical design of Sofia Airport’s new FIDS screens.
View case study
Sofia Airport FIDS Redesign - Passenger Info Made Clear
Challenge: Old FIDS screens were hard to scan, lacked clear hierarchy, and created confusion at peak times.
Approach: Designed the FIDS UX/UI system - visual concept, information hierarchy, and accessibility—aligned with SITA technical specs and Sofia Airport standards.
Impact: Clearer at-a-glance comprehension, faster decision-making at gates/baggage, and a scalable template system across screen types.
Result: Certified by SITA as FIDS Product Designer for the concept and graphical design of Sofia Airport’s new FIDS screens.
View case study
Sofia Airport Website Redesign - Bounce rate ↓ 80% → <18%
Challenge: >80% bounce rate, inconsistent information architecture, poor navigation
Approach: Task-first information architecture, content governance (templates), self-identification assistant
Impact: Bounce rate <18%, reduced support friction on high-intent tasks, unified design system.
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Sofia Airport Website Redesign -
Bounce rate ↓ 80% → <18%
Challenge: >80% bounce rate, inconsistent information architecture, poor navigation
Approach: Task-first information architecture, content governance (templates), self-identification assistant
Impact: Bounce rate <18%, reduced support friction on high-intent tasks, unified design system.
View case study
FCZone Custom CRM
Challenge: Credit brokerage work is fragmented across messages, spreadsheets, documents, and bank-specific requirements. That slows processing and increases errors.
Approach: Built with Supabase and Next.js, using Cursor and LLM workflows to structure client data and generate bank-ready packages with a clear status pipeline.
Impact: A scalable operational system that reduces manual handling and creates a foundation to connect website forms and calculators directly to CRM processing.
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FCZone Custom CRM
Challenge: Credit brokerage work is fragmented across messages, spreadsheets, documents, and bank-specific requirements. That slows processing and increases errors.
Approach: Built with Supabase and Next.js, using Cursor and LLM workflows to structure client data and generate bank-ready packages with a clear status pipeline.
Impact: A scalable operational system that reduces manual handling and creates a foundation to connect website forms and calculators directly to CRM processing.
View case study
FCZone Website (Brand + Calculators)
Challenge:Launch a trustworthy credit intermediary brand from zero - with clear positioning, compliant messaging, and a self-serve calculator experience that converts visitors into qualified inquiries.
Approach: Built the FCZone brand and website around calculator-first journeys with validated inputs and transparent fee logic.
Impact: Clearer pre-qualification, fewer back-and-forth messages, and cleaner cases before a broker call.
View case study
FCZone Website (Brand + Calculators)
Challenge: Launch a trustworthy credit intermediary brand from zero - with clear positioning, compliant messaging, and a self-serve calculator experience that converts visitors into qualified inquiries.
Approach: Built the FCZone brand and website around calculator-first journeys with validated inputs and transparent fee logic.
Impact: Clearer pre-qualification, fewer back-and-forth messages, and cleaner cases before a broker call.
View case study
Strategic Product Design for high-stakes digital systems - UX/UI, IA & Webflow execution.
© Churkov, 2026