Portrait of Masaki Haruta

Masaki HARUTA

My path into design wasn’t linear. I studied accounting and business at university in Japan, but became increasingly interested in a different question: how can complex products feel clear and approachable?

Early in my career, I struggled with the pace of design work. Discovering Sketch became a turning point—it gave me the confidence and momentum to pursue product design professionally.

Since 2016, I have worked primarily on B2B products for people who build and run businesses. At freee, I designed products across accounting, tax, HR, and global experiences. I later joined GMO Flatt Security as its first product designer, working on developer-facing cybersecurity products from research and product definition through UI design and implementation.

Today, I am based in Copenhagen and work as a UX Designer at Eskild Hansen Design Studio.

Beyond client and product work, I speak about design, build small digital experiments, and roast coffee. If I’m away from the screen, I’m probably brewing another cup. ☕️

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Career journey

  1. Eskild Hansen Design Studio logo

    Eskild Hansen Design Studio

    UX Designer

    Present

    Designing digital experiences from Copenhagen as part of an interdisciplinary design studio.

  2. GMO Flatt Security logo

    GMO Flatt Security

    Lead Product Designer

    Led product design for developer-facing cybersecurity products, working across research, domain understanding, product definition, UI design, prototyping, and frontend implementation.

  3. freee logo

    freee

    Design Manager

    Senior Product Designer

    Product Designer

    Spent eight and a half years designing B2B products across accounting, tax, HR, and global product experiences. Progressed from Product Designer to Design Manager while contributing to both product development and team growth.

Beyond the screen

Masaki Haruta speaking to an audience

Speaking

I share practical lessons from product design, AI, B2B UX, and working across cultures.

Masaki Haruta working with the core staff of an international design conference

Conference

I work as a core staff member for international design conferences, including Spectrum Tokyo and Design Matters Tokyo, helping bring global design communities together.

Masaki Haruta building a digital product on a laptop

Building

I create small digital products and experiments to explore ideas beyond the boundaries of design tools.

Masaki Haruta brewing pour-over coffee

Coffee

I roast, brew, and drink an unreasonable amount of coffee. It is both a craft and an ongoing source of curiosity.