Stephen Callender
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Austin, Texas, United States
Toptal member since January 17, 2019
Stephen designs brands, software applications, and IoT hardware solutions in Austin. His variety of experience comes from founding and running a design and PR agency and also launching two tech startups – one a consumer interactive video app and the other data-driven solutions for airports and airlines. Stephen is a team player, eagerly takes on responsibility, and is always up for doing things differently and breaking the mold.
Portfolio
Plot - Data-Driven Software Solutions for Airports
Feverfit - A Booking Platform for Fitness Trainers
Plot - Data-Driven Software for the Airline Industry
Qount - Accounting Mobile Application
Qount - Accounting Web Application
Work Experience
Vice President of Product Management
CrowdVision
- Worked directly with airports and airlines to develop understandings of their needs for passenger motion analytics and transferred that knowledge into our product offerings.
- Designed new UI/UX for software products that assisted in improving operations for airports and airlines.
- Managed multi-month enterprise projects to ensure high-quality product delivery.
- Maintained, nurtured, and grew customer relationships.
- Managed the development and release of an enterprise travel data API offering.
- Designed decks that communicated product value to executive-level stakeholders at new and existing corporate customers.
Founder, Director of Branding
Stellar Impeller
- Took a calculated risk and quit my job to start this design and public relations agency.
- Became a Squarespace specialist to better serve clients and rapidly design and develop websites.
- Developed a full client roster and were hiring employees in the first year.
- Developed a team over the next 2+ years to design brands, websites, and other materials for Fortune 100 companies, trendy local restaurants in Austin, and pro bono work for nonprofits.
- Acquired new business and managed new and ongoing client relationships.
Vice President of Product
Plot
- Designed Plot's brand logo.
- Designed complete web application for top airport personnel to view real-time, predictive, and historical data about passenger movement in airport facilities.
- Designed complete web application for airline personnel to view real-time, predictive, and historical data about customer movement in their check-in areas.
- Tested and selected pedestrian and vehicle movement sensor technology.
- Designed sensor systems for airports and airlines based on their data consumption requirements.
- Worked with airport and airline IT and facilities teams to plan networking requirements for their facilities.
- Conducted installations of integrated sensor systems in 15 airports and counting.
- Managed the relationship between Plot and airport/airline customers to ensure customer success.
- Designed, built prototypes, and presented new software ideas to top airport and airline personnel.
- Presented in-person sales presentations to groups of airport executives.
- Designed and wrote content for decks that present new product offerings to new and existing customers.
- Wrote responses to RFPs from 3 major airports and either won or reached final round.
- Wrote applications to the DHS Silicon Valley Innovation Program and the NYC MTA Transit Tech Lab and reached final rounds (still in progress).
Co-founder, Chief Product Officer
Videotape
- Designed complete brand and usage guidelines for consumer social media brand.
- Conducted extensive user research and interviewing.
- Developed product strategy with a team of 5 veteran entrepreneurs.
- Designed complete mobile product from start to finish.
- Hired (and fired) Swift and Objective-C developers – both individuals and teams.
- Managed front- and back-end mobile development team of 3-5 people, both remote and in-house, to develop and launch a mobile product to the iOS App Store.
- Designed and developed a marketing website and promotional materials for Videotape brand.
- Worked with an IP attorney on a provisional patent for the technology.
- Planned and executed user acquisition tactics (events, online contests, etc.).
- Secured partnership with ESPN Events and executed large-scale events, supporting them during U.S. college football bowl games.
Education
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Advertising with a minor in Marketing
Ball State University - Indiana
Skills
Tools
Slack, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Experience Design (XD), Trello, Asana, Adobe Photoshop, Sketch, InVision, Xcode, Jira, Adobe Lightroom
Platforms
iOS 11, Android, Web, iOS
Other
Graphic Design, Web Design, Software Design, iOS UI Design, Android UI Design, iOS UX Design, Android App Design, Google Material Design, Pitch Decks, Squarespace, Brand Design, Branding, Teamwork, Rapid Prototyping, Rapid Interactive Prototyping, Remote Work, Project Planning, IT Projects, PowerPoint Design, Front-end Design, Mobile Design, User Interface (UI), User Experience (UX), Product Design, B2B, Android Design Guidelines, Sensor Data, Optical Sensors, Internet of Things (IoT), Hardware Integration, Hardware/Software Interaction, Technical Project Management, Project Management, Image Manipulation, Data Visualization, Data-informed Visual Design, Management, Aviation Projects, Aviation, Airport Transportation, B2B2C, Business to Business to Consumer (B2B2C), Machine Learning, Hardware, Installation, Networking, LiDAR, iOS App Design, Mobile Apps, Event Planning, Event Branding, Leadership, Strategic Partnerships, Web Applications, Wireless Sensor Networks, Web UI, Responsive UI, System Design, Logo Design, Enterprise Design, Enterprise Software, Technical Design, Mobile App UI, Prototyping, UI Design, UI Design Standards & Best Practices, Mobile UI, Mobile UX, Product Strategy, Networks, Network Diagrams, Patents, Patent Applications, US Patent Process, Hiring, Technical Hiring, Photography
Experience
- Adobe Illustrator - 12 years
- Graphic Design - 10 years
- User Experience (UX) - 9 years
- User Interface (UI) - 9 years
- Mobile Design - 7 years
- Web Design - 6 years
- Web - 6 years
- Adobe Experience Design (XD) - 4 years
Tools
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Experience Design (XD)
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