Design changed my life. I create so that others can experience the same thing.
Stories to Tell
We all have stories to tell. Some stories fit into 280 character molds, some don’t. The goal is to share our stories well.
My path in design hasn’t always been traditional, but it’s been authentically me. It’s centered on people and creating with purpose.
I studied psychology and sociology in college, thinking it would help my graduate studies as I trained to become a pastor.
That didn’t work out as I thought, but that divergence opened doors beyond my imagination. I’m so grateful for that because I’ve found my purpose and passion in design.
I love leading product design and working with others with others to build amazing products.
Where I’ve Worked
2020 - Now
Senior Product Designer / Design Lead @ Knapsack
2019 - 2020
Senior Product Designer @ Facebook (contractor)
2018 - 2019
Community Partnerships & Investments @ InVision
2017 - Now
Co-Host @ Epicurrence
2016-2018
Product Designer @ Treehouse
2015-2016
Product Designer @ Opolis
Using design to limit misinformation @Facebook.
A massive challenge facing any social network is the uninhibited flow of information.
How can we design a feature that doesn’t limit that flow but guides users to a healthier relationship with sharing content?
The proposed solution was to use just enough friction to help users pause before sharing information that might not be factual. The team went through dozens and dozens of iterations, both design and copy-related. During testing, we found the modal effectively gave the user enough pause to consider the content.
I was able to help guide the design of a modal that used Facebook’s best practices and user feedback to a successful outcome. After my work on the design finished, the project continued into development.
The project was featured on a few news sites after it shipped in the iOS app.
- Cross functional teamwork between content strategy, design, and research.
- On-site user testing in London and Manchester, UK for national elections.
- Incredibly fast turn around of work.
Designing the future of design system tools with Knapsack.
Design systems have the potential to unlock velocity and creativity on teams of any size. This past year I’ve led design on a product that aims to do just that: help teams design once, build once, and use everywhere.
I lead all of design at Knapsack: product, branding, and marketing. Most of my focus is designing the current and future states of our app. I’ve helped the team tackle massive design problems through design thinking, collaboration, and a strong sense of purpose for the app.
- Lead all of design for the early stage startup
- Cross functional work with engineering, go-to-market strategy, and support to build an amazing product
- Created a strong voice for Design at Knapsack through systems, principles, and executing at a consistently high level.
- Created features which invite everyone in an organization to participate in the design system.
Knapsack
Kind Words
“Kris is one of those rare design professionals who brings poignant product thinking, rich human skills, and the ability to inspire those around him consistently to each role he owns. I’d hire him again for his design acumen alone, but it’s his leadership talents on the teams he supports that truly sets him apart from the rest of the crowd.”
Ben MeszarosDirector Of Biz Dev & Design Leadership at O/M
“Anyone would be fortunate to have Kris as a product designer on their team. He is authentic and transparent in his collaboration with cross-functional team members. He consistently pushes his team in healthy ways to exceed expectations. As a product leader, I valued Kris's ability to embrace diverse perspectives, explore opportunities and solutions with an open mind and challenge his team to focus on the most pressing user needs in the market.”
Lisa InsleyFormer Head of Product @Knapsack
“Working with Kris has been a true pleasure and made every project 10x more fun to work on. Super talented human and designer. He’s a strong leader, takes action, and makes everything more enjoyable to work on.”
Dann PettyFounder Design Full Time, Epicurrence, and author