Alexio Vay is a German full-stack software engineer specializing in UI/UX, performance and scalable systems of apps and websites. Since childhood he learned about art from his Italian mother on museum visits and developed a passion for drawing. At the age of 13 he turned pencil sketches into pixels and created his first hand-coded websites. He learned mainly from books and by dissecting source code, recognizing how vital it is to stay up to date with technological developments; that habit still fuels his day-to-day work and is deeply rooted in his practice.
Starting small with personal pages and early commissions taught him to ship reliably and also strengthened his business skills.
That path became 
VayDesign, the independent studio he founded while studying Computer Science at school Humboldt University of Berlin,
one of Germany’s leading universities. His business proved sufficiently lucrative that, after graduation, he chose to continue running the studio full time.
Established 2005 in Berlin
20+ years of experience: His early projects paid off through hard work, focus and dedication, initially within the entertainment industry.
Out of the box, he delivers all-inclusive solutions for models, photographers and local establishments (restaurants, real estate agencies)
which later grew into collaborations with 
Mercedes-Benz, 
Lufthansa, 
Delivery Hero, 
IKEA, and other large-scale organizations or brands.
Therefore, his spectrum varies from interface design and application logic to migration of obsolete systems and strengthening infrastructure
across web, mobile and app-related solutions.
He favors small, testable components and reuse: evaluating pros and cons early, mapping database schemas and application architecture in depth to avoid any unforeseen consequences. These practices improved Core Web Vitals metrics (LCP, INP, CLS), reduced server and client response times, lowered abandonment rates, and increased conversion rates. The same approach supports large-scale migrations and integrations — from full legacy rewrites to incremental, zero-downtime rollouts — critical for systems that cannot afford service interruptions. Furthermore, he values teamwork and open communication, preferring close collaboration and experienced in pair programming, code reviews and cross-functional delivery. He also communicates technical trade-offs clearly to non-technical stakeholders and collaborates internationally in German, English and Italian, while applying basic Thai and Mandarin when useful.
A curated set of project highlights is shown above. While logos provide a visual reference, several engagements are confidential or not published at the client’s request; many smaller or private commissions are therefore not listed. For in-depth case studies, technology stacks and measurable outcomes, visit vaydesign.com.
Multi-Cultural Personality
Alexio was born to a Thai father and an Italian mother while being born in Germany, thus he grew up with the influence of three different cultures. From his father’s strict Asian upbringing he learned to work hard, stay disciplined and be resilient, being taught nothing in life is simply given. From his mother he inherited warmth, deep empathy and a vivid imaginative sense — he instinctively pictures scenes and moments in his mind, which helps him read situations and understand people quickly. This combination of visual thinking and emotional sensitivity shapes how he perceives, communicates and builds relationships.
Raised between Thai and Italian family tables, Alexio learned that cooking is first and foremost about people.
Thai homes taught him hospitality, generosity and the instinct to feed others;
Italian meals taught him patience, respect for simple ingredients and the ritual of gathering.
For him, every recipe is an invitation: a way to connect and to turn ordinary moments into shared memories.
Therefore he shares his passion and cooking inspiration on 
youtube.com/@alexiovay with authentic and honest recipes presented
with aesthetic edits that highlight the love for food, sometimes spending up to 12 hours filming, scripting and editing
to craft a single 30-second short, a quiet measure of his dedication.
Alexio grew up in Germany and, because of his mixed appearance, often experienced a sense of exclusion. The computer became his refuge and the foundation of a lasting passion for the digital world. He didn’t always get the chance to prove his abilities right away, but once his work and references spoke for themselves, recognition followed — and he kept pushing, learning beyond what school required and turning that extra effort into real capability.
A one-year solo trip through 30+ countries taught him that the best experiences come from local recommendations.
AskLocals was built out of that journey, the most ambitious solo-project he has developed so far.
His goal was to let people share the same authentic value of local insight even without traveling the world themselves —
ideal for expats, people curious about specific locations, and of course travelers.
The project deepened his cultural awareness and sparked a lasting passion for languages.
While he already masters numerous programming languages, he keeps expanding his spoken languages such as Thai and Mandarin,
using every free moment productively to master them.
For him, learning is a continuous path that enriches both his craft in code and his ability to connect with people.
Naturally, these experiences often lead to recurring questions about his background, work and approach — a few of the most common ones are answered below.
What is your favorite task when developing?
It may sound unexciting, but I truly enjoy performance optimization. There are countless ways to make processes faster, always balanced against the effort required — and I like finding the smart solutions. Using native capabilities, reducing load times, and applying reusable, centralized, modular code makes development both challenging and rewarding. For me, thinking ahead and building systems that are lean, scalable, and efficient is one of the most satisfying parts of development. It may sound unexciting, but I truly enjoy performance optimization. There are countless ways to make processes faster, always balanced against the effort required — and I like finding the smart solutions. Using native capabilities, reducing load times, and applying reusable, centralized, modular code makes development both challenging and rewarding. For me, thinking ahead and building systems that are lean, scalable, and efficient is one of the most satisfying parts of development.
How did it influence you growing up in Germany but being mixed race?
Growing up mixed race in Germany shaped me in simple but lasting ways: I put a lot of value on punctuality, reliability and keeping commitments. At the same time, I learned to handle things like paperwork and structure — which made me organized and disciplined in both work and life. In Thailand these things are often seen more casually, so I really value having grown up with that mindset. At the same time, from my Thai and Italian roots I carry warmth and empathy which I think is not only helpful in personal relationships. Growing up mixed race in Germany shaped me in simple but lasting ways: I put a lot of value on punctuality, reliability and keeping commitments. At the same time, I learned to handle things like paperwork and structure — which made me organized and disciplined in both work and life. In Thailand these things are often seen more casually, so I really value having grown up with that mindset. At the same time, from my Thai and Italian roots I carry warmth and empathy which I think is not only helpful in personal relationships.
What should people expect when working with you?
Clear, practical delivery. I focus on outcomes, iterate quickly, and value demonstrable progress over lengthy discussions. I like to visualize solutions and communicate them so everyone in the team understands their role and contribution. That way, we avoid wasting time on approaches that fail because of miscommunication. I’ve learned that collaboration works best when people are open to objective technical advice — stubbornness helps no one, progress helps everyone. Clear, practical delivery. I focus on outcomes, iterate quickly, and value demonstrable progress over lengthy discussions. I like to visualize solutions and communicate them so everyone in the team understands their role and contribution. That way, we avoid wasting time on approaches that fail because of miscommunication. I’ve learned that collaboration works best when people are open to objective technical advice — stubbornness helps no one, progress helps everyone.
Do you prefer personal websites or large-scale projects?
Early on I enjoyed building small sites for photographers, restaurants and law firms. Over time I gravitated toward larger projects because I thrive on real technical challenges and constrained complexity — system design, scaling, observability, cross-functional coordination and clean architecture. Solving those constraints (making trade-offs, designing for maintainability, and working across teams) is where I learn most and deliver meaningful impact. As a result, I rarely work exclusively on personal pages today. Early on I enjoyed building small sites for photographers, restaurants and law firms. Over time I gravitated toward larger projects because I thrive on real technical challenges and constrained complexity — system design, scaling, observability, cross-functional coordination and clean architecture. Solving those constraints (making trade-offs, designing for maintainability, and working across teams) is where I learn most and deliver meaningful impact. As a result, I rarely work exclusively on personal pages today.
What does empathy have to do with business and IT?
For me, empathy is more than a soft skill — it is a practical tool in business and IT. It allows me to step outside my own role and imagine the priorities of others, whether it is a marketing manager thinking about customer perception, a designer focusing on usability, or an end user trying to accomplish a simple task. By putting myself in their position, I can anticipate needs, communicate more clearly, and avoid solutions that look good technically but fail in practice. This perspective makes products more user-focused, teamwork more effective, and strategies more aligned with real-world out… For me, empathy is more than a soft skill — it is a practical tool in business and IT. It allows me to step outside my own role and imagine the priorities of others, whether it is a marketing manager thinking about customer perception, a designer focusing on usability, or an end user trying to accomplish a simple task. By putting myself in their position, I can anticipate needs, communicate more clearly, and avoid solutions that look good technically but fail in practice. This perspective makes products more user-focused, teamwork more effective, and strategies more aligned with real-world outcomes.
