Resume

Karl Schultz

Highly skilled product designer specializing in solving complex problems by aligning user needs with business goals to create engaging experiences that deliver measurable results. Expert in product design, UX/UI, design strategy, and certified in UX design essentials for AI. Experienced in developing and evaluating AI systems, balancing user control with automation, and addressing trust implications through design patterns for AI-powered products and chatbots.

Karl Schultz

Email: uxkarl@gmail.com

Product Design Research Lead

Coalition, Inc.

Jan 2022–Feb 2024 (2 yrs 1 mo)

Established and led Coalition's dedicated user research capability, aligning product development with user needs for insurance and security platforms. Created research frameworks that improved product innovation and increased user satisfaction for diverse customers.

Research Leadership: Managed comprehensive research projects implementing Airtable, Jira, and Miro tools to streamline workflows
User Insights: Led interviews, concept testing, usability tests, card sorting, and surveys to identify user needs and opportunities
Strategic Visualization: Created experience maps, user journeys, flows, and scenarios that guided product development decisions
Cross-functional Collaboration: Facilitated user-centered and service design workshops to align teams on customer experience improvements
Stakeholder Management: Strengthened business relationships through direct broker and policyholder engagement

Senior Product Designer

Coalition, Inc.

Nov 2019–Dec 2021 (2 yrs 2 mos)

Developed innovative product designs addressing complex user needs in regulated industries for diverse insurance and security customers, resulting in increased engagement, improved policy renewal outcomes, and decreased claims.

Platform Innovation: Designed the Control platform that improved risk management for policyholders, security teams, and brokers
Feature Development: Created features facilitating collaboration between wholesale and retail brokers that expanded market access
User Testing: Developed wireframes and prototypes to test concept models with direct user feedback
Research Implementation: Conducted user interviews and usability tests to identify business opportunities and validate concepts
Team Leadership: Supported operational growth through hiring, onboarding, and mentoring junior designers

Senior Designer

Atlassian

Jun 2018–Aug 2019 (1 yr 3 mos)

Led UX design projects to improve customer experiences for B2B team productivity products, resulting in a 3% increase in conversion rates through streamlined purchasing experiences.

Conversion Optimization: Created UI designs that reduced user friction and facilitated cloud product adoption
Concept Visualization: Developed sketches and storyboards to build concept models with stakeholders
Validation Testing: Constructed prototypes for research and usability testing to validate concepts and identify opportunities
Design Collaboration: Participated in 'design pods' to solve complex challenges across product teams
System Implementation: Applied design systems to ensure continuity in user experiences across platforms

Principal UX

Macys.com

Apr 2016–May 2018 (2 yrs 2 mos)

Led the redesign of omnichannel customer experiences for Macys.com to boost engagement and conversion, with particular focus on optimizing the buy online pickup in store (BOPIS) experience.

Service Innovation: Developed strategies to improve customer convenience and streamline associate fulfillment processes
Methodology Implementation: Applied Object-Oriented UX (OOUX) to improve the product design process across teams
Design System Creation: Developed a modular UI design pattern library that streamlined UX and decreased development costs
Experience Mapping: Created journey maps to illustrate user actions and pain points across touchpoints
Strategic Planning: Defined design principles to guide initiatives across multiple platforms for short and long-term improvements
Risk Mitigation: Drafted hypotheses, created prototypes, and tested concepts to validate assumptions

Senior UX Designer

Macys.com

Oct 2014–Mar 2016 (1 yr 6 mos)

Designed multi-channel user experiences for consumer retail platforms across Macys.com and Bloomingdales.com, implementing a responsive modular UI design system that significantly increased conversion rates.

Checkout Optimization: Streamlined checkout process across mobile, tablet, and desktop platforms
Concept Testing: Created wireframes and prototypes to test hypotheses and new design concepts
User Advocacy: Developed personas, journey maps, and user scenarios to represent customer perspectives
Data-Driven Design: Analyzed user behavior data to inform design decisions and measure improvements
Vision Development: Created strategic customer experience vision by synthesizing user research with core capabilities
Mentorship: Promoted UX best practices while mentoring junior team members

Senior UX Designer

Razoo Global Network (Mightycause)

07/2013–01/2014 (6 mos)

Implemented unified product design strategy for a startup using innovation accounting to align teams, optimize resources, and foster continuous product development.

Strategy Implementation: Developed product design strategy aligned with marketing objectives to achieve growth initiatives
Resource Optimization: Implemented innovation accounting to track feedback and create efficiencies with limited resources
Knowledge Transfer: Hosted workshops on user-centered design, customer development, and Lean Startup methodologies
Research Management: Administered research logistics including recruitment, interviews, and feedback collection
Data Analysis: Compiled quantitative data from surveys, multivariate tests, and weblogs to drive insights
Competitive Intelligence: Conducted audits across corporate giving, petitions, and social activism domains

Senior Interaction Designer

Hotwire (Expedia, Inc.)

09/2009–06/2013 (3 yrs 9 mos)

Created new UX/UI designs that increased engagement and conversion for an online travel marketplace across international markets.

Innovation Strategy: Developed controlled environment to safely test and measure innovative concepts while minimizing risks
User Testing: Conducted research and remote testing to optimize products and identify business opportunities
Experience Design: Created experience maps to align user and business goals with stakeholders
Prototype Development: Built mock-ups and prototypes to validate concepts and iterate quickly
Process Improvement: Partnered with product managers and engineers to enhance team development using Agile Scrum
Lean Implementation: Applied Lean Startup techniques to enterprise products to build features with proven value

Manager UX Design

CBS Interactive

06/2008–02/2009 (9 mos)

Managed UX design team of four designers, subcontractors, vendor resources, and mentored a design intern while creating strategies to optimize design processes.

Team Management | Project Planning | Design Strategy | Process Optimization | Information Architecture

Project Management: Developed tracking plans, sizing, organizing, and prioritizing tasks to manage deadlines
Design Standardization: Created design strategy to standardize page layouts, reducing development efforts
Pattern Library: Implemented pattern libraries and style guides to improve cross-functional team development
Navigation Design: Created wireframes for broadcast media websites to improve discoverability and user engagement

Senior UX Designer

CNET Networks

2006–2008 (2 yrs)

Created new product designs for a media website helping customers learn about consumer electronics, developing product finders that increased user visits, page views, and advertising revenue.

Market Need Identification: Identified unmet consumer needs through targeted user research
Goal-Directed Design: Created personas, user flows, and scenarios to represent existing and newly discovered consumers
Concept Development: Explored new product design concept models with innovative UI designs
Content Structure: Developed wireframes featuring in-line buying advice content architecture
Prototype Testing: Created rapid prototypes to test adoption and optimize design approaches
Usability Optimization: Conducted tests to identify issues and finalize product designs

Skills

AI and Technology: AI design, chatbot design, generative AI design
Research: User research, qualitative research, quantitative research, UX research, design research
Design: Product design, UX design, UI design, interaction design (IxD), information architecture
Strategy: Design strategy, concept development, concept modeling, strategic planning
Design Exploration: Prototyping, rapid prototyping, paper prototyping, wireframing, storyboarding
User-Centered Design: Persona creation, user journeys, user scenarios, task flows
Testing: A/B testing, user experience testing
Leadership: Management, leadership, teamwork, product planning, workshop facilitation

Tools

Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Indesign, Adobe Photoshop, Airtable, Axure RP, Balsamiq, Confluence, Figma, Google Analytics, Jira, Looker, Microsoft Visio, Miro, Notion, POP, Proto.io, Sketch

Methodologies

Agile methodologies, design thinking, Lean Startup, Innovation Accounting (Eric Ries), Listening Labs (Creative Good), Object-Oriented UX (Sophia Pratter), service design, user-centered design

Education

California College of the Arts, BFA with Distinction Graphic Design, New Media, 2003

Certifications

AI UX Design Essentials: Human-Computer Interaction for Enhanced User Experiences, Stanford Engineering Online Education
Certified ScrumMaster, Scrum Alliance

Publications

Lean Customer Development: Building Products Your Customers Will Buy, Cindy Alvarez (featured in case study)