About

My core expertise

I’m a product designer with 12+ years of experience turning complex systems into clear, trustworthy user experiences. I lead end-to-end work across research, strategy, interaction design, and prototyping to ship AI and platform features that scale.

My projects include Raven and Wellfound AI, and I’ve built design-system and platform work that sped up engineering delivery and improved user outcomes. I partner closely with product and engineering to define metrics, prototype quickly, and ship instrumented solutions that prove impact.

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.

I am available for Staff or Lead product design roles.

My Experience

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Wellfound (formally AngelList)

/ Staff Product Designer

NYC (Remote) · Jul 2021 - Present

As Staff Product Designer at Wellfound, I lead design and strategy for Raven, an AI job-search agent launched to 1,600+ beta users with 70+ paid subscribers that automates search and reduces job-search time from 10–40 hours to minutes. I also led the design of RecruiterCloud, which became Wellfound AI’s premier paid sourcing product. My work spans user-centered design, product strategy, research, and cross-organizational collaboration; I ship instrumented changes and reusable patterns that drive UX and business impact. I also served as business lead and designer for Sponge, guiding its beta to early hires that shaped future product direction.

Tuft&Needle

/ Lead UX Designer

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

As Lead UX Designer for Tuft & Needle and the Serta Simmons brands, I revamped cart and checkout with user research, analytics, and mobile optimization, driving an average daily revenue lift of $94K for Serta and $37K for Beautyrest.

I maintained a cross-brand design system, authored product strategy specs, and led top-of-funnel campaigns that produced the company’s 2nd and 3rd highest-grossing days in its history. I also mentored junior and mid-level 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

Contracted position were I spearheaded design thinking, research, UX strategy, and visual redesign for the company's logistics transportation management software platform including a new design system. Product improvements highlighted and improved dozens of product, operational and cost inefficiencies.

Jackson Agency

/ UX Designer

Greenville, SC · May 2012 - Jan 2018

Led user experience design strategy and successful launches for agency projects and clients such as Michelin, Trijicon, Junior Invitational Golf, BNSF, Harlem Globetrotters, and BFGoodrich.

Redesigned websites, user interfaces and processes with an increased focus on usability for several agency clients. Responsible for UX design research, information architecture, wireframing, prototyping, visual design system implementation and branding.

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).

Cristian Valdes

Clients