Karen Caldwell
Karen Caldwell
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Senior/Staff UX Product Designer
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I’m a Senior/Staff UX Designer and Product Strategist with 15+ years of experience simplifying complex systems into intuitive, efficient user experiences. I design AI-powered tools, lead user research and A/B testing, and create design systems that drive product success across industries like healthcare, financial services, and e-commerce. I thrive on mentoring teams, collaborating across disciplines, and applying human-centered design to everything from internal tools to large-scale volunteer programs — always focused on making technology clearer, smarter, and more impactful.
Email:
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Location:
Olympia, WA 98512
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About me...
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I am Senior UX/UI Product Designer with over 15 years of experience leading user experience design and research initiatives. I have a proven track record in shaping product strategy and creating user-centered design solutions that enhance usability and engagement. I am an expert in leveraging a blend of data analysis, user feedback, and industry trends to drive design decisions and improve user journeys. I enjoy mentoring and educating the team and stakeholders the fundamentals of user experience and the importance it has on the product.​​​
EXPERIENCE
Senior Product UX Design Lead
IHS - INSTITUTE HUMANE STUDIES
Remote
NON-PROFIT
IHS is a non-profit organization that supports the achievement of a free society by connecting and supporting graduate students, scholars, and intellectuals who are driving human progress in critical conversations shaping the 21st century.
Senior User Experience Lead
DRONEUP
Remote
DRONE DELIVERY SERVICES
DroneUp leads the way in autonomous drone delivery services, transforming the logistics industry with a focus on speed, efficiency, and scalability.
Senior Principal Lead
OPTUM - UNITED HEALTHCARE
Remote
MEDICAL HEALTH INSURANCE
Optum delivers care aided by technology and data, empowering people, partners and providers with the guidance and tools they need to achieve better health.
Senior Mobile UX Lead
OCLC/WorldCat
Remote
GLOBAL NONPROFIT
OCLC is a global library organization that provides shared technology services, original research, and community programs for its membership and the library community at large.
Senior UX/UI Manager
SME - Society of Manufacturing & Engineering
Southfield, MI
MANUFACTURING
SME helps manufacturers innovate, grow and prosper by promoting manufacturing technology, developing a skilled workforce and connecting the manufacturing industry.
Senior Product Specialist
ROCK CONNECTIONS - a subsidiary of Quicken
Detroit, MI
CUSTOMER SERVICES / TELEMARKETING
Rock Connections is a communications solutions that cultivate consumer journey and scale your business goals through their call centers.
UX/UI Manager
VELOCITY SOLUTIONS
Wilmington, NC
FINANCIAL SERVICES
Velocity Solutions is a provider of revenue-driving solutions for community banks and credit unions.
Digital Project Manager
GSK- GLAXOSMITHKLINE
Durham, NC
PHARMACEUTICAL
GSK is a global pharmaceutical business that researches, develops and manufacture innovative pharmaceutical medicines, vaccines and consumer healthcare products.
UX/UI Designer
BB&T BANK
Raleigh, NC
BANKING, FINANCIAL SERVICES
BB&T is a financial business with a long history of helping clients achieve economic success and financial security.
Web Product Manager
GEOMAGIC - 3D SOLUTIONS
Morrisville, NC
MANUFACTURING SOFTWARE
Geomagic is the professional engineering software brand of 3D Systems.
UX/UI Designer
RAILINC
Cary, NC
RAILROAD INDUSTRY
Railinc supports business processes and provides business intelligence that helps railroads and rail equipment owners increase productivity, achieve operational efficiencies and keep their assets moving. Railinc is the industry's largest and most accurate source for real-time interline rail data.
Web Strategist
NUVOX COMMUNICATIONS / WINDSTREAM
Greenville, SC
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Provider of broadband services. The company offers conference calling, data security and backup, internet access, voicemail and web hosting to businesses throughout the Southeast.
EDUCATION
University
Certification
UNIVERSITY OF MI - COURSERA
User Experience Research and Design Specialization
Community College
Associate's Degree
BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Internet Technologies & Web Development
Flat Rock, NC
University
Bachelor's Degree
LAWRENCE INSTITUTE OF TECH UNIVERSITY
Mechanical Engineering
Southfield, MI
SKILLS
DESIGN​
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Big-Picture Thinking
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AI Creative Ideation
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Figma (Software)
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Flow Diagrams
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Interaction Design
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Mobile Design
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Software as a Service (SaaS)
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Storytelling
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WAI
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Web Applications
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Wireframing
LEADERSHIP​
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Business Requirements
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B2B Enterprise SaaS
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Business-to-Business (B2B)
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Communication
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Design Lead
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Mentorship
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Product Road Mapping
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Production Management
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Strategic Roadmaps
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Team Performance
TOOLS
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ChatGPT
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v0.dev
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Google Colab
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Adobe CS
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JIRA / Trello
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Miro
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Google Analytics
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Lucky Orange
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Maze
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Optimal Workshop
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SharePoint/Confluence
UX RESEARCH
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Case Studies
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Customer Experience Design
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Journey Mapping
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Problem Solving
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Prototyping
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UX Research
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User-centered Design
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User Flows
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User Interviews
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Story Mapping
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Analytic Analysis