Product Design Leader · Nashville, TN

Turning human insight into experiences people trust.

18+ years of setting vision, building teams, and shaping products that impact billions in revenue for 350M+ people worldwide. I believe less is more, users have the answers, and listening is my most valuable asset.

See the journey ↓
Brands I've worked with

What I Do

I lead design that solves complex problems—from first insights to system-wide strategy.

Set multi-year experience vision and align design strategy across business domains to drive measurable growth.
Turn ambiguous, high-impact problem spaces into clear design direction through research, prototyping, and experimentation.
Build and coach world-class design teams—recruiting talent, developing leaders, and raising the bar on craft.
Shape five-star service experiences that integrate people, processes, and systems across channels and touchpoints.

Core Skills

The craft I practice daily—from hands-on design to organizational leadership.

User Research
Service Design
Design Strategy
Design Thinking
UX Design
Content Design
Prototyping
AI Prototyping
UI Design
Systems Design
Brand Design
Growth Design

The Journey

From building websites to leading design organizations.

Senior Director, Product Design
Asurion · Oct 2024 – Present
Leading the teams that grow our biggest partnerships, discover what customers need next, and design how it all comes together—driving zero-to-one innovation across partner and direct-to-consumer products, from research to implementation.
Director, Product Design
Asurion · June 2020 – Oct 2024
Owned experience strategy across multiple domains, shaping products critical to 70% of profitability within a $10B business. Built leadership bench strength and drove outcomes through research and experimentation.
350M+ customers served globally
Sr. Manager, Product Design
Asurion · Sept 2018 – June 2020
Launched Field App MVP and scaled to 1.2M in-home service jobs. Managed design across three domains with 7 designers and 2 researchers.
4.9-star customer rating
Sr. UX Designer / Strategist
Deloitte · 2014 – 2017
Shaped UX strategy across 30+ engagements. Designed E2E financial tools for all major business functions. Facilitated workshops with CFO and C-suite executives.
Sr. UX Designer / Strategist
redpepper · 2009 – 2017
Full-stack designer, strategist, and developer. Created Facedeals—featured on 60 Minutes, CNN, and Fox News. Mentored 18 emerging creatives. Built the agency's video and photography studio.
1B+ media impressions
Web Designer / Developer
Journal Communications · 2007 – 2009
Designed and developed a CMS for 150 websites, leading the transition from print to digital.

Selected Work

A glimpse into the products and experiences I've shaped.

Xbox Game Pass
Game Pass Experience
Dashboard Design
Appliance Selection
Product Design
Design Work
Product Experience
Enterprise Design
Consumer Products
Growth Design
Brand Experience
Interface Design
App Design
Product UI
Digital Experience
UI Design
Mobile Experience
Service Design
Product Strategy
UX Design
Visual Design
Interaction Design
UX Research
Design Strategy
Product Vision
Design Systems
Experience Design
Platform Design
User Experience
Xbox Game Pass
Game Pass Experience
Dashboard Design
Appliance Selection
Product Design
Design Work
Product Experience
Enterprise Design
Consumer Products
Growth Design
Brand Experience
Interface Design
App Design
Product UI
Digital Experience
UI Design
Mobile Experience
Service Design
Product Strategy
UX Design
Visual Design
Interaction Design
UX Research
Design Strategy
Product Vision
Design Systems
Experience Design
Platform Design
User Experience
Portfolio work

What I Believe

The principles that guide how I lead, design, and build.

Less is more
The most elegant solutions emerge when you strip away everything that doesn't serve the user.
Users have the answers
Great design starts with listening. Research isn't a phase—it's a practice woven into every decision.
Light a fire in others
The best teams aren't managed—they're inspired. I lead by example and invest deeply in growing people.
Complexity deserves elegance
The hardest problems don't need complex solutions. Human-centered design reveals the simplest path forward.

Let's connect

Let's nerd out about AI, strategy, or what's next.

carleschulz@gmail.com 731-313-1641 LinkedIn Portfolio