Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
I'm a multidisciplinary product designer and leader with a strong foundation of computer programing. Currently, I'm leading design and research for a major player in the fitness software space.
Over my 20+ year career, I've co-founded successful ventures, collaborated with innovators across many industries, built excellent teams, and designed or programmed digital products for some of the largest brands on the planet.
I'm very interested in the intersection of design + artificial intelligence.
Latest Passion Project
This AI tool for designers has been a lot of fun to get off the ground and hone.
Zero-to-One AI Product for Designers
Figma Plugin Dev • Research • UX/UI • Full-Stack Dev
As a passion project, I designed, developed and published an AI feedback tool for designers as a Figma plugin.
Design & Research @ Xplor Technologies
Here are a few case studies that highlight some of the things I’ve done at Xplor to improve the TrueCoach product over the past 3 years.
Mobile Products Overhaul
Strategy • Research • UX/UI
Comprehensive overhaul of TrueCoach's mobile apps, resulting in a dramatic improvement in app store ratings, while implementing a modern design system compatible with both platforms.
Growth Features
Strategy • Research • UX/UI
Led design and implementation of revenue-generating features for TrueCoach, overcoming significant engineering challenges to introduce gated features, upselling mechanisms, and integrations that enhanced user engagement and boosted overall platform revenue.
Design Systems
Strategy • Research • UX/UI • Programming
Led design and implementation of revenue-generating features for TrueCoach, overcoming significant engineering challenges to introduce gated features, upselling mechanisms, and integrations that enhanced user engagement and boosted overall platform revenue.
Feature Adoption
Strategy • Research • UX/UI • Programming
Led the initiative to enhance TrueCoach's feature adoption by implementing effective onboarding walkthroughs, in-platform announcements, and a standardized release checklist, significantly increasing user engagement and subscription upgrades.
Entrepreneurship
Before Xplor I was co-founder of and worked closely with a lot of startups. I may build case studies out of these at some point, but for now, I just want to give them the attention they deserve on the homepage.
Adjust Creative
Co-Founder
Strategy • Research • UX/UI • Programming • Management
Adjust Creative was a product design agency that created and developed many interactive products and experiences with a people-first approach. We functioned in the areas of user experience, internet, user interface, product design, product strategy, mobile, ruby on rails, javascript, entertainment, music, education, and healthcare etc.
TeamHop
Co-Founder
Strategy • Research • UX/UI • Programming • Management
TeamHop was a SaaS product company that serviced Major League Baseball travel managers and their teams. From travel managers, to coaches, to all the players on the tour, we handled the logistics and communication in our platform.
URM Academy
Strategy • Research • UX/UI • Programming
URM Academy is an online audio school created by Joey Sturgis, Joel Wanasek and Eyal Levi - the guys who spent years in the studio with bands like The Devil Wears Prada, Chelsea Grin, Of Mice & Men, Born Of Osiris, Asking Alexandria and dozens more of this generation's best metal bands.
Past Work
I've worked with some of the largest brands and creative companies on the planet as a freelancer or with consulting agencies. I've taken on the roles of graphic designer, creative director, animator, interactive programmer, full-stack programmer, and more. I'm basically a sponge of creativity and technology.
Figma Plugins
Because I work in Figma a lot, I've built a few blugins for it to make life easier for myself and others.
Design & Tech Education
For quite a few years I've worked as an educator both internally at companies I work with and also in the greater design community.
Designation.io
I helped a fantastic group of young Chicago-based entrepreneurs start a design education company called Designation. We went from 0-1 quickly having young professionals and students from all around the world coming to Chicago to attend our 12 week in-person bootcamp for Design, UX, and Coding.
Designation was ultimately aquired by the Flat Iron School in New York City.
AIGA
I've worked with AIGA intermittently throughout my career to help mentor less experienced designers. In-person in Chicago, remote across the Unied States and Europe, I've helped some bright students get past hurdles, given full bootcamp style classes, month long mentorship programs, or just given advice from a senior designers perspective.
Music & Audio Production
As long as I've been doing design and programming, I've also been playing guitar and doing music production with computers. I've played in quite a few bands over the years and produced some amazing music with some of my favorite people.
From trip hop, to R&B, to pop, to jazz, to absolutely brutal metal and prog—my music production portfolio has something in there for almost everyone.
Find my production playlists on YouTube and Spotify here:
Audio Plugin VSTs
Being part of the music industry has put me in a unique position to make some pretty rad audio software too. If you're an audio producer and you use MIDI drum software that sounds like real drums—these are for you.