Hi, Im Cristian. I design digital products that have a vision and create impact.

What I do

I'm a product designer with 12+ years of experience creating user-centered products that blend business strategy with design. My approach is rooted in having a vision, data-driven insights, user validation, and a collaborative, results-driven mindset.

Throughout my career, I’ve worked across agencies, startups, and enterprise companies, focusing on effective problem-solving and driving successful product launches. I prioritize clear roles and responsibilities within teams to foster accountability and transparency.

While my design fundamentals are rooted in classic design principles, my product design approach has been shaped by a mix of product experiences, insights from Marty Neumeier’s Zag, Marty Cagan’s Inspired, and principles from Whitney Hess. I’m passionate about building empowered teams and delivering products that not only meet business goals but also resonate with users.

My Experience

Wellfound (formally AngelList)

/ Lead Product Designer

NYC (Remote) · Jul 2021 - Present

Led design and product strategy for Raven, an AI-powered job search tool for candidates. Collaborated with the CEO to design RecruiterCloud (WellfoundAi), our premier paid AI-driven candidate sourcing product. As business lead and designer for the innovation team Sponge, I reimagined job listings and tackled employer branding, helping companies attract talent and providing candidates with valuable information before applying. The beta resulted in notable company hires. Additionally, I conducted user research, led sales pitches, facilitated workshops, mentored colleagues, and influenced design across the organization with significant autonomy.

Tuft&Needle

/ Lead UX Designer

Pheonix, AZ (Remote) · Nov 2018 - Jul 2021

I led the UX design for the e-commerce cart and checkout experiences for T&N and Serta Simmons House of Brands, focusing on user research, testing, analytics, and mobile conversion. I built scalable, cross-brand design systems to improve efficiency and directed creative strategy for top-of-funnel promotional initiatives, which resulted in record-breaking profits, including the second and third highest grossing days in company history. Additionally, I provided UX mentorship to junior and intermediate designers.

Vennauto

/ Co-Founder & Product Designer

Greenville, SC · Jun 2018 - Dec 2018

Designed an Automotive Predictive Marketing Platform that enables dealerships to predict their next automotive buyer.

Transplace (now Uber Freight)

/ Lead UX Designer

Dallas, TX · Jan 2018 - Sep 2018

Spearheaded design thinking, research, UX strategy, and visual redesign for the company's logistics transportation management software platform. Product improvements highlighted and improved dozens of product, operational and cost inefficiencies. Maintained relationships across several departments such as engineering, sales+marketing and C-suite.

Jackson Agency

/ UX Designer

Greenville, SC · May 2012 - Jan 2018

Led user centered design for agency clients such as Michelin North America, BFGoodrich Offroad, Trijicon, BNSF Railway, Oliver Rubber, North American Rescue, among others. Responsible for the design verticals such as UI/UX design, information architecture, wireframing, prototyping, visual UI design, AR, branding and event space design in both Jackson Marketing and Motorsports divisions.

Demergo Studios

/ UI Designer & Artist

Greenville, SC · Jan 2012 - June 2012

Part of a cross-functional indie studio team creating concept art, rendering art digitally, level design creation, game QA testing, and promotional materials for the apple iOS game, function.repair.

How I do it

Vision Work

I align user needs with business goals, focusing on clarity and differentiation, inspired by The Brand Gap and Zag. A strong vision simplifies complexity and ensures the product stands out. A key question I always ask is, "What do you want to be known for?" This drives the product’s aspirations and shapes its identity, ensuring the vision resonates with both the team and users.

Product Strategy

I translate business objectives into user-centered solutions, defining design goals that reflect both user needs and business priorities. I use feedback and market trends to iterate and adapt strategies for measurable results.

UX Research

I conduct qualitative and quantitative research to gather user insights, validate decisions, and continuously improve the user experience.

Data Analysis

I use data to drive design decisions, optimizing user experiences through actionable insights that align with both user and business needs. This ensures designs are impactful and contribute to user satisfaction and business success.

Collaboration & Communication

I foster cross-functional collaboration, ensuring transparent communication and a team-oriented approach to product development.

Behind the Scenes

A bit more about me

I live with my wife and our two dogs, Kaine (a blue nose pitbull) and Kovu (a black Pomeranian) in Greenville, SC (for now).

Outside of design, my wife and I stay active together, with a shared love for travel—so much so that she started her own travel agency, which fuels my photography hobby. Capturing nature and the people around us sparks my creativity and deepens my love for concept art. I’m also a motorsports enthusiast, having participated in events like the Baja 1000. Fitness and health have become increasingly important to me, and I’ve maintained a routine while also starting a small motivational following called RSLV (Resolve).