Hi, I'm Chris! I treat every project like a research problem first, design problem second. My background spans UX research, psychology, and neuroscience, which shows up in how I dig into what users actually need before I touch a wireframe. These days that approach lives in Mindmeld Design LLC, the web design, development, and photography practice I run, where I've learned as much about client relationships and scope as I have about design itself. I build and design websites in Squarespace and Framer with responsiveness and accessibility in mind, from contrast and readability to clean, intuitive navigation, so the end product works for as many people as possible, not just the people testing it. When a template needs to flex beyond its defaults, I'm comfortable digging into custom code to identify exactly what needs to change. I also keep a creative practice going outside client work, most visibly through improv comedy, which keeps me comfortable improvising, reading a room, and finding the story in front of me, skills that translate directly into client collaboration and creative briefs.

Chris Nelson

Hi, I'm Chris! I treat every project like a research problem first, design problem second. My background spans UX research, psychology, and neuroscience, which shows up in how I dig into what users actually need before I touch a wireframe. These days that approach lives in Mindmeld Design LLC, the web design, development, and photography practice I run, where I've learned as much about client relationships and scope as I have about design itself. I build and design websites in Squarespace and Framer with responsiveness and accessibility in mind, from contrast and readability to clean, intuitive navigation, so the end product works for as many people as possible, not just the people testing it. When a template needs to flex beyond its defaults, I'm comfortable digging into custom code to identify exactly what needs to change. I also keep a creative practice going outside client work, most visibly through improv comedy, which keeps me comfortable improvising, reading a room, and finding the story in front of me, skills that translate directly into client collaboration and creative briefs.

Available to hire

Hi, I’m Chris!

I treat every project like a research problem first, design problem second. My background spans UX research, psychology, and neuroscience, which shows up in how I dig into what users actually need before I touch a wireframe. These days that approach lives in Mindmeld Design LLC, the web design, development, and photography practice I run, where I’ve learned as much about client relationships and scope as I have about design itself.

I build and design websites in Squarespace and Framer with responsiveness and accessibility in mind, from contrast and readability to clean, intuitive navigation, so the end product works for as many people as possible, not just the people testing it. When a template needs to flex beyond its defaults, I’m comfortable digging into custom code to identify exactly what needs to change.

I also keep a creative practice going outside client work, most visibly through improv comedy, which keeps me comfortable improvising, reading a room, and finding the story in front of me, skills that translate directly into client collaboration and creative briefs.

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Experience Level

Expert
Expert
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate

Language

English
Fluent
Spanish; Castilian
Fluent

Work Experience

Founder and Product Designer (Web, UX, Visual Strategy) at Mindmeld Design LLC
January 1, 2025 - Present
Lead discovery, Figma prototyping, and launch sites according to accessibility standards (WCAG). Deliver handoff specs detailing interaction states, responsive behavior, and implementation considerations. Align stakeholders on scope, timelines, and iterative Squarespace releases with custom code (HTML, CSS, JS).
Workshop Facilitator (Design-Thinking) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)
October 1, 2023 - November 1, 2023
Planned and facilitated design-thinking workshops on ideation techniques.
SaaS Product Designer (Discovery) at Independent Contract
August 1, 2023 - December 1, 2023
Led SaaS discovery, including user interviews, synthesis, analysis and UX requirements. Created flows/IA and Figma prototypes; built Tailwind design system components to validate in Bubble.
UX Design Consultant at VCU College of Health Professionals
March 1, 2023 - April 1, 2023
Synthesized workshop recordings into themes, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations. Delivered low-fidelity wireframes and a stakeholder-ready slide deck.
Product Discovery Researcher (Energy Tech Pilot Study) at Dominion Energy
August 1, 2022 - December 1, 2022
Led discovery interviews to validate pilot segments; identified themes and opportunities. Synthesized insights into recommendations, personas, flows and Figma concepts.
Laboratory Operations and Content Manager at VCU Department of Neurobiology
August 1, 2019 - October 1, 2023
Managed research ops; standardized documentation system to improve consistency and compliance. Authored lab protocols/SOPs; trained undergraduate researchers and maintained a knowledge base.

Education

Master of Product Innovation at Virginia Commonwealth University
June 1, 2022 - December 1, 2023
Bachelor of Science, Neuroscience & Psychology at Virginia Tech
August 1, 2015 - May 1, 2019

Qualifications

Scrum Master (CSM)
January 11, 2030 - June 19, 2026
Product Owner (CSPO)
January 11, 2030 - June 19, 2026

Industry Experience

Software & Internet, Professional Services, Education, Energy & Utilities, Media & Entertainment