Hi, I’m Cristian Valdes, a product lead, lead product designer and strategic thinker based out on the East Coast US but also anywhere remotely. Design and business strategy is constantly on the forefront of my mind. I value empowered teams and transparent leadership. During my design undergrad, I was able to study under very talented instructors and even have a direct design lineage to the Bauhaus school of design. My design career has stretched from working with SAAS clients, leading teams, Ad agencies and startups alike. What I love is creating products that are rooted from a real need. Using technology and design thinking equips me with the means necessary to empathize with both a business and its customers to create solutions that make our lives easier.
Outside of design I keep active with several activities. I'd place them in a few buckets. Entrepreneurship, traveling, staying active, and helping people. Freelancing or thinking of the next startup keeps my mind engaged with strategic thinking. I love new ideas. Photography as a hobby fuels my creative as I capture nature and the people around it. I suppose that falls in tandem with my love of concept art. There's so much out there. I'd say i've been blessed and so helping those around me, who are in less fortunate circumstances, makes it all worth it.
Over the past 12 years I've had the privilege of designing for several industries and companies both big and small. Whether it be freelancing a startup, a small business, working at an ad agency, or an enterprise company, these experiences have help shaped me into the designer and thinker that I am today. I am truly grateful. I feel like i'm just getting started.
