Chris Kirkman
About Chris Kirkman

Transforming business through creative visual experiences.

I'm a UX / UI / visual designer and strategist of digital products — also a creative director, front-end coder, videographer, and a friend to many.

Chris Kirkman at his studio
The short version

A leader who never left the craft.

With over two decades of experience in UX, UI, visual / graphic, and web design, I've held roles like Head of Design and Creative Director — leading and working hands-on within product and creative teams at large, publicly traded companies and small startups alike.

My user-centered designs bring simplicity, a strong attention to detail, and usability held of the highest importance. I also code responsive, standards-compliant websites in HTML5 and CSS3 — so I can take an idea from research all the way to shipped.

I co-founded two startups — one of which published a well-noted digital business-card app, uME, for iOS. I previously served as local chapter President of SDXD (formerly SandCHI), one of the two largest UX organizations in San Diego, and I now help lead OCXD in Orange County.

Beyond the screen

Adventure keeps the work honest.

I love the ocean, adventure, and travel. When time allows, you'll find my wife and me taking our ocean kayaks out, hiking a trail to the top of a mountain, or flying somewhere new.

Before design, I was a professional skateboard stuntman — Warner Bros' Grind, a Honda commercial, and more. I'm an Eagle Scout, and I lead teams the same way I learned to back then: from the front, leaving it better than I found it.

20+
years in design
2
startups co-founded
SDXD+OCXD
communities led
Eagle
Scout
Select client list

Twenty years of good company.

A cross-section of the brands, startups, and institutions I've designed for — from enterprise software to skate hardware.

Software & Tech
  • Veritone
  • Wolters Kluwer · Corsearch
  • Miva Merchant
  • MadCap Software
  • Vernier Software
  • Dome9
  • Social IQ Networks
  • and more…
Health, Sport & Fitness
  • CareFusion
  • Premier Nutrition
  • Pony Footwear
  • Armada Skateboards
  • GrindKing Trucks
  • Navigator Trucks
  • Direction Skateboards
  • and more…
Auto, Apparel & Consumer
  • Honda
  • Kia
  • LG
  • 3M
  • Black & Decker
  • Aspen Marketing
  • LuxeGlobal Real Estate
  • and more…
Law, Arts & Other
  • Higgs Fletcher & Mack
  • Meads Durket
  • San Diego Museum of Art
  • North Coast Church
  • City Church
  • RightLook Creative
  • Versa Computing
  • and more…
Email chris@chriskirkman.com Fastest way to reach me — I reply within a day. LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/chriskirkman ↗ Full experience history spanning back to 2000. Portfolio See my work → Products, brands, and pixels I've shipped. Résumé Download PDF The full CV — roles, impact, and skills.

Let's work together.

Open to senior design leadership roles across Orange County, San Diego, and remote.

Get in touch →