
Nathan Thomas
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Phoenix, AZ, United States
Toptal member since July 14, 2020
Experienced senior product designer with a track record of driving end-to-end design innovation in complex workflows, from early-stage startups to mature platforms. Passionate about scaling user-centric design, integrating design systems, and collaborating cross-functionally to enhance usability, engagement, and business growth. Seeking to shape and elevate digital experiences through strategic design leadership and continuous iteration.
Portfolio
Work Experience
Senior Product Designer
Showit
- Designed and implemented a scalable, component-based UI system, ensuring consistency across Showit’s web and mobile platforms.
- Standardized typography, color palettes, button styles, and form elements, reducing inconsistencies and improving overall user experience.
- Created detailed documentation and component guidelines, improving collaboration between design and engineering teams.
- Developed a Figma component library, reducing design time for new features and accelerating iteration cycles.
- Ensured WCAG compliance by refining color contrast, interactive elements, and text readability, improving accessibility for a diverse user base.
- Established training resources and onboarding documentation, reducing ramp-up time for new team members and improving design adoption.
- Audited and removed outdated UI elements, aligning the design system with modern UX standards and creating a more cohesive experience across products.
- Optimized design tokens and UI components, ensuring the design system could scale with new product features without breaking visual consistency.
Senior UI/UX Designer
Provide
- Owned the UI/UX for the entire Provide product, including the customer-facing portal, the internal loan origination software tool, and the practice marketplace listing for a practice buying experience.
- Collaborated with the product team to map complex workflows, design, and prototype ideas for validation or stakeholder alignment. Worked with engineers to ensure feasibility daily.
- Built and managed two component libraries for marketing and customer-facing interfaces and our internal loan servicing tools.
- Mentored junior designers through sessions and workshops, fostering attention to detail, user-centricity, and strategic thinking, elevating team quality and innovation.
Product Design, UI/UX
Freelance
- Managed the UX design and relationships with IT stakeholders and the outsourced development team for a major financial institution. My experience as a designer and a project lead led to the project's success.
- Developed the visual brand, designed the UX, and prototyped a teaching application for healthcare professionals. The content-driven mobile app teaches essential soft skills needed to thrive.
- Reimagined and modernized the UX of the Cancer Treatment Center of America's cancer survivor tree (IST). The IST provides hope, empowerment, and community for survivors and patients fighting cancer.
- Led the UX and UI for a Certified B Corporation founded by a nationally recognized neonatologist. This software improves accuracy and removes human error in assessing infants born withdrawn from in-utero substance abuse.
Product Design, UI/UX
Brushfire Interactive
- Designed 30 world-class custom-consumer and business products as the sole designer on the team.
- Created intuitive user experiences while collaborating with product owners, engineers, and project managers.
- Designed an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop lesson builder for Sunday school teachers and volunteers. The success of this product was due to the market and user research I conducted as a UI design consultant.
- Introduced and transitioned the team to work with Sketch, Figma, InVision, and Principle, which I used to present interactive functionality to clients and stakeholders.
User Interface and Visual Designer
Freelance
- Designed elegant, innovative solutions, such as a beautiful UI/UX for a pixel-perfect website, a detailed icon set, and logo concepts for comprehensive branding projects.
- Created beautiful designs for major brands like Disney, Subway, and Pepsi, as a contractor for large agencies.
- Designed complete web experiences and art directed a video and photoshoot to create assets for a project.
User Interface and Visual Designer
Mindspace Agency
- Designed high-end, pixel-perfect websites and digital marketing communications with solid attention to detail.
- Created beautiful, user-centered solutions for major brands like Shutterfly, LifeLock, Sage Group, and MGM Grand.
- Delivered superior-quality designs that functioned intuitively and in ways people could easily understand. Planned user experiences through sketching, wireframing, and site mapping.
- Presented design concepts, critiqued peers' work, and received constructive feedback as I cultivated strong interpersonal skills.
Visual Design and Package Design
Design Packaging, Inc.
- Designed world-class, dynamic packaging and created print-ready files for popular retail brands, such as Sephora, Barney's New York, DKNY, Marc Jacobs, and American Eagle.
- Produced innovative assets, including logos, brand systems, and packaging that reflected the brand.
- Developed and effectively communicated creative strategies to influence design solutions.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Visual Design
The Art Institute of Phoenix - Phoenix, AZ, USA
Certifications
The Ultimate Guide to Usability and UX
Udemy
Skills
Tools
Figma, Zeroheight, Lookback
Platforms
Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
Other
Interactive Design, Product Design, UI Design, UX Design, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Wireframing, Mockups, MVP Design, Interactive Prototypes, Prototyping, Visual Design, Collaboration, System Process Mapping, Systems Thinking, B2B, Dashboard Design, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Web Design, Branding, Startups, Web Platforms, User Journeys, Web App Design, Web App UX, Web App UI, Responsive Web Apps, Agile Project Management, UX Wireframes, Dashboards, Mobile UI, Mobile Design, Design Leadership, UX Strategy, Planning, Enterprise Design, Consumer-facing Product Design, Storybook, ClickUp, Beta Testing, User Testing, Fintech, Design Systems, App UI, Product Requirements Documentation (PRD), Stakeholder Engagement, Desktop App Design, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Enterprise SaaS, SaaS Design, Workflow Optimization, Complex Problem Solving
Experience
- Agile Project Management - 10 years
- Interactive Prototypes - 10 years
- UI Design - 10 years
- UX Design - 10 years
- Product Design - 10 years
- Interactive Design - 10 years
- User Interface (UI) - 8 years
- User Experience (UX) - 6 years
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