Product Design Leader · Nashville, TN

Turning human insight into experiences people trust.

18+ years of setting vision, building teams, and shaping products that impact billions in revenue for 350M+ people worldwide. I believe less is more, users have the answers, and listening is my most valuable asset.

See the journey ↓
Brands I've worked with

What I Do

I lead design organizations that solve complex problems through human-centered thinking—from first sketch to system-wide strategy.

Set multi-year experience vision and align design strategy across business domains to drive measurable growth.
Turn ambiguous, high-impact problem spaces into clear design direction through research, prototyping, and experimentation.
Build and coach world-class design teams—recruiting talent, developing leaders, and raising the craft bar at every level.
Shape end-to-end service experiences that integrate people, processes, and systems across channels and touchpoints.

Core Skills

The craft I practice daily—from hands-on design to organizational leadership.

Design Thinking
Prototyping
UX Design
UI Design
User Research
Design Strategy
Systems Design
Service Design
Growth Design
Content Design
Brand Design
AI Prototyping

The Journey

From building websites to leading design organizations.

Senior Director, Product Design
Asurion · Oct 2024 – Present
Leading three teams—Partner Growth, Product Discovery, and Service Design. Setting multi-year vision and advancing strategic partnerships with Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. Built a zero-to-one research function from the ground up.
Director, Product Design
Asurion · June 2020 – Oct 2024
Owned experience strategy across multiple domains, shaping products critical to 70% of profitability within a $10B business. Built leadership bench strength and drove outcomes through research and experimentation.
350M+ customers served globally
Sr. Manager, Product Design
Asurion · Sept 2018 – June 2020
Launched Field App MVP and scaled to 1.2M in-home service jobs. Managed design across three domains with 7 designers and 2 researchers.
4.9-star customer rating
Sr. UX Designer / Strategist
Deloitte · 2014 – 2017
Shaped UX strategy across 30+ engagements. Designed E2E financial tools for all major business functions. Facilitated workshops with CFO and C-suite executives.
Sr. UX Designer / Strategist
redpepper · 2009 – 2017
Full-stack designer, strategist, and developer. Created Facedeals—featured on 60 Minutes, CNN, and Fox News. Mentored 18 emerging creatives. Built the agency's video and photography studio.
1B+ media impressions
Web Designer / Developer
Journal Communications · 2007 – 2009
Designed and developed a CMS for 150 websites, leading the transition from print to digital.

What I Believe

The principles that guide how I lead, design, and build.

Less is more
The most elegant solutions emerge when you strip away everything that doesn't serve the user.
Users have the answers
Great design starts with listening. Research isn't a phase—it's a practice woven into every decision.
Light a fire in others
The best teams aren't managed—they're inspired. I lead by example and invest deeply in growing people.
Complexity deserves elegance
The hardest problems don't need complex solutions. Human-centered design reveals the simplest path forward.

Let's connect

I'm always open to conversations about design leadership, product strategy, or what's next.

carlsdesigns@gmail.com 731-313-1641 LinkedIn Portfolio