Charles Klein, Design Strategy & Leadership • About

Craft beautiful experiences

I have worked for places like Capital One, Tact.ai, Kosmix (acquired by Walmart), YesVideo, and Humboldt State University where some of my designs have won awards; and have consulted for companies like ONI, Techstyle, Clique Media, Milliways Ventures, Rocketship.vc, and Target (DermStore), among others.

I have built apps that were featured by The New York Times, Editorial Picks on the Apple App Store, and featured in Pocket Sommelier on the App Store in the US, UK, France, Germany & more.

Once, back in 2006, I was interviewed by AdBusters Magazine to explain the hot, new social network … Twitter (RIP )

Outside of work you'll most likely find me at a park with my husband, our 2-year old son, and our Labradoodle Susan; over-ordering at some new (to me) restaurant; taking in the sounds of the city with a glass of wine on the rooftop; or, my favorite, exploring the greatest immersive user experience in the world: Walt Disney's Original Magic Kingdom, Disneyland.

Work Experience

2022 – Present	Capital One	Design Manager	NYC / Hybrid
2014 – 2022	Tact.ai	2021 → Sr Design Director & Head of Brand	Santa Clara, CA / Remote
		2019 → Design Director
		2018 → Head of Design
		2014 → Principal Product Designer
2013 – 2014	YesVideo	Head of Design	Santa Clara, CA
2011 – 2013	WalmartLabs (and formerly Kosmix)	Lead UX Designer	San Bruno, CA
2010 – 2022	Charles Klein	Design Consultant & Strategist	Remote
Clients: ONI (Oxford NanoImaging), Techstyle Fashion Group (supporting JFBrands: JustFab, ShoeDazzle, FabKids), Clique Media (WhoWhatWear), Rocketship.vc, Target/Dermstore, Milliways Ventures, Kosmix/WalmartLabs, Consultative Group on Biodiversity (now the Biodiversity Funders Group), Humboldt State University, Positork Distributing, PFI Bearings, Dr. Sophia Yin
2010 – 2017	Memorable Apps	Co-Creator/Co-Founder	San Francisco, CA
2009 – 2011	Peters Kimmerly Design Associates	Principal Web Designer	San Francisco, CA
2003 – 2010	Humboldt State University	2007 → Lead Designer & University Web Manager	Arcata, CA
		2004 → Staff Web Designer
		2003 → Student Assistant Web Designer

CliftonStrengths®

Strengths and behaviorial themes (more info). Presented in order.

1. Maximizer
People exceptionally talented in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.
2. Relator
People exceptionally talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.
3. Arranger
People exceptionally talented in the Arranger theme can organize, but they also have a flexibility that complements this ability. They like to determine how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity.
4. Adaptability
People exceptionally talented in the Adaptability theme prefer to go with the flow. They tend to be “now” people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time.
5. Consistency
People exceptionally talented in the Consistency theme are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They crave stable routines and clear rules and procedures that everyone can follow.

Skills & Tools

Design Strategy
Product Design (UI, UX, Interaction)
Leadership & Creative Direction
Mobile-First Design
Interactive Prototyping
User-Testing
Video Editing & UI animation
Branding & Design Systems
Project Management

Diverse experience designing for: Commercial Banking, Commercial Real Estate, Data Infrastructure, Enterprise SaaS (B2B, B2B2C), Pharmaceutical Sales, eCommerce, Client Services

Tools: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Apple Keynote, AfterEffects, Final Cut Pro, Principal, Zeplin, Pixate, InVision, Asana, Trello, Pivotal, Xcode, Git

Personal Interests

Doing pretty much anything with my 2-year old son, Ezra
Cooking & Baking, I'm all about the process, so give me a recipe and let me go
LEGO — I recently rekindled my love for these blocks, my collection has over 50,000 pieces and I fear I'm just starting
Traveling, I've been to Tuscany (Florence, Lucca, Milan), Berlin, Paris, Bangkok, Bangalore, Phuket, Kauai, and all across the contiguous US
I'm a huge fan of Disneyland, there's nothing quite like it for nostalgia and just immersive perfection
The Arts — Broadway, theatre, symphony, museums, opera... I love it all

Awards & Recognition

Apple App Store Editor's Pick for Memorable Wines app across US, UK, Canada, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark & more
Apple App Store Pocket Sommelier feature for Memorable Wines app
Apple App Store Editor's Pick for Memorable Meals app
The New York Times feature of Memorable Wines app for GadgetWise
CASE Division VII Circle of Excellence Award for Web Sites, Silver for the Meet Humboldt website
eduStyle Higher-Ed Web Award for Best Research Site, Sustainability in Mind website
eduStyle Higher-Ed Web Award for Best Use of Photography, Sustainability in Mind website

What his colleagues have said...

I worked together with Charles on many projects with integrated print and web design solutions. Charles and his amazing web skill set, great attitude, and high design standards added incredible value to every project. I would love a chance to work together with him again, and, am in fact plotting to do so...

– April Kimmerly, Visual Design Manager @ Ultimate Kronos Group (worked together at Humboldt State, Peters Kimmerly Design Associates, Memorable Apps)