Katie Blackman, Designer in Denver, CO, United States
Katie is available for hire
Hire Katie

Katie Blackman

Verified Expert  in Design

Designer

Location
Denver, CO, United States
Toptal Member Since
December 2, 2020

For more than 15 years, Katie has worked in large design teams, as a solo designer, and, most recently, for startups. She specializes in user experience, responsive web design, app design, branding, and development (HTML/CSS). Her designs are eminently engaging, and she cultivates alignment to ensure the integrity of design from concept through implementation. As a former startup founder, Katie excels when working at high speed and collaborating on iterative designs.

Digital DesignVisual DesignLogo DesignUser Interface (UI)Mobile UIResponsive UIProduct DesignUser Experience (UX)Web UX DesignUX FlowsWireframingUser FlowsAdobe CCSketchBranding

Portfolio

Image of Cactus Dashboard project
Cactus Dashboard
HTMLCSSProduct DesignProduct StrategyUser Interface (UI)User Experience (UX)+ 13 more
Image of Cactus Brand project
Cactus Brand
BrandingLogo DesignUI PatternsMood BoardIterative DesignUser Interface (UI)+ 8 more
Image of Craftsy Journal project
Craftsy Journal
Animated InteractionsProduct DesignHTMLCSSRemote User TestingDesign Systems+ 13 more
Image of Kinecho App project
Kinecho App
Logo DesignProduct DesignSquarespaceEmail DesignHTMLCSS+ 13 more
Image of Anecdotal App project
Anecdotal App
UX FlowsWireframingXcodeUser Interface (UI)User Experience (UX)Product Design+ 10 more
Image of Cactus Illustrations project
Cactus Illustrations
IllustrationBrandingProduct DesignAdobeiPadApple Pencil+ 9 more

Work Experience

Head of Design

2018 - 2020
Cactus (Kinecho)
  • Designed a mindfulness app where users could journal their thoughts and reveal insights on how positive their writing was and what emotions came through.
  • Led the brand strategy, which we used to inform early interface choices and guide us toward our broader vision.
  • Focused on product strategy, design, UX, and development.
  • Worked in an Agile environment with rapid prototyping and constant deployment.
  • Collaborated and participated in every phase from inception to implementation.
Technologies: Product Design, User Experience (UX), Vue, CSS, HTML, Sketch, Figma

Senior UX Engineer

2013 - 2019
Craftsy (Bluprint)
  • Launched new social discovery, community, and monetization for over 12 million users.
  • Played a key role in two major launches and the acquisition by NBC.
  • Created a living design system to foster cohesion in our work from design to implementation.
  • Polished features in the code so that engineers could focus on more technical functionality.
Technologies: Product Design, User Experience (UX), React, CSS, HTML, Adobe CC, Sketch

UI Designer and Web Developer

2012 - 2013
Freelance
  • Collaborated with multiple businesses on new web designs, responsive web design and development, infographics, icons, and logos.
  • Set up content management systems and coached clients on how to maintain their sites.
  • Managed accounts and client expectations.
Technologies: WordPress, Drupal, CSS, HTML, Adobe CC

Web Production

2008 - 2012
Elevated Third
  • Developed responsive websites using content management systems for multiple businesses.
  • Maintained relationships with clients and conducted client coaching sessions.
  • Specialized in keeping the integrity of designs through to implementation.
Technologies: Drupal, CSS, HTML, Adobe CC
1999 - 2003

Bachelor's Degree in Journalism

Iowa State University - Ames, IA, USA