Stephen Tompkins
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
North Ridgeville, OH, United States
Toptal member since August 7, 2026
Stephen is a strategic creative director and senior product designer experienced in leading complex enterprise initiatives across retail, insurance, financial services, cybersecurity, SaaS, energy, aviation, and emerging technology. His expertise spans product strategy, UX research, interaction and visual design, design systems, and cross-functional leadership. His art practice strengthens his visual intelligence, global perspective, originality, and disciplined creative judgment.
Portfolio
Luxury Interior Design Branding
Experience
- UX Design - 10 years
- Wireframing - 10 years
- Product Design - 10 years
- Responsive Web Design (RWD) - 10 years
- Mobile App Design - 10 years
- Human Interface Design - 10 years
- FigJam - 6 years
- Figma - 6 years
Tools
- FigJam
Work Experience
Creative Director, Senior Product Designer, Artist | UX Strategy and AI Enabled Design
Stephen Tompkins LLC
- Contributed to multiple enterprise and Fortune 100 projects: Home Depot, State Farm, Intuit/Mailchimp, and Chargepoint.
- Directed UX strategy for the Home Depot PRO Preferred Rewards Program.
- Redesigned the Home Depot Help Center experience serving 4+ million annual visitors.
- Architected and designed a Home Depot cybersecurity design system.
- Conducted end-to-end UX research and led the redesign of the EV-charging map.
- Led the full redesign of the My Mobile Office field-agent application.
- Directed UX discovery and design, optimizing onboarding conversion and unlocking a new high-value revenue tier for small-business users.
Creative Director, Associate Creative Director, Senior Creative Designer
Photon
- Created customized responsive web experiences and native apps for multiple Fortune 100 clients.
- Delivered end-to-end digital product design from inception through launch.
- Led designers as creative project manager, coach, and team builder.
- Applied Agile software design process in projects.
- Defined future states of complex digital experiences and created information architecture systems.
- Created project plans and production timelines within budget scope.
- Handled multiple enterprise Fortune 100/500 client engagements: Home Depot, State Farm, Mailchimp, and Chargepoint.
Web Designer & Marketing Consultant
Stephen Tompkins Studios / Stephen Tompkins LLC
- Built and operated a full-service practice for 15 years, delivering brand, web, and marketing solutions to clients across consumer, professional services, and technology sectors.
- Designed, developed, and maintained custom client websites using HTML, CSS, XML, and JavaScript, managing hosting, performance optimization, and ongoing administration end-to-end.
- Delivered comprehensive brand and marketing solutions—identity systems, collateral, and digital campaigns—building strong client market positioning across diverse industries.
- Developed a multidisciplinary foundation in visual communication, brand strategy, and digital product development that informs current UX leadership practice.
Education
Post-graduate Studies in Philosophy
Ohio University - Athens, Ohio, USA
Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy
Bowling Green State University - Bowling Green, Ohio, USA
Coursework Toward a Bachelor's Degree in Art & Design
Cleveland State University - Cleveland, Ohio
Certifications
Claude 101
Anthropic
Introduction to Agent Skills
Anthropic
Claude Code in Action
Anthropic
Skills
Tools
Sketch, InVision, Figma Component Library, Zeplin, Adobe CC, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Flinto, Microsoft Office, FigJam, Usertesting.com, Claude, Figma Make, Miro, Adobe Flash, Balsamiq, Adobe Dreamweaver, QuarkXpress
Platforms
Figma, iOS
Languages
HTML, CSS, Flash ActionScript, XML
Industry Expertise
Cybersecurity
Other
UX Design, UI Design, UX Analysis, Wireframing, Product Design, Illustration, Digital Art, Art, Art & Painting, Design, Analytical Thinking, Philosophy, Psychology, Computer Skills, Website Design, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Mobile App Design, Human Interface Design, Dashboard Design, User Experience (UX), Web Design, Mobile UI, User Experience Design, User Interface (UI), Data Visualization, Design Systems, App Design, Mobile Apps, Mobile Design, Responsive UI, Reusable Components, UI Components, SaaS, Web App Design, Web App UX, Websites, Microsoft Teams, Branding, ChatGPT, dscout, Drawing, Music Notation, Digital Music, InVision DSM, Artificial Intelligence (AI), iOS UI Design, Android UI Design, Animation, 3D Prototyping, Claude Design, Claude Code, Information Architecture (IA), Maps, Mobile Navigation, Electric Cars, Native Mobile Apps, UX Wireframes, Wayfinding, UX Direction, Email, B2B Marketing, SMS Marketing, Web Marketing, Mobile Prototypes, Dashboards, Web Dashboards, Campaigns, UX Research, Competitive Analysis, Competitive Intelligence, Landscape Analysis, Feature Prioritization, Administrative Support, IT Projects, Touch Interactions, User Research, Heuristic Analysis, Usability Heuristics, Luxury Retail, Logo Design, Collateral Design, Music Composition, Art History, Tokenization
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