About

As a UX/UI & Product Designer and Webflow Developer, I help business leaders create user-friendly web experiences that inform, instruct, and inspire.

Cartoon portrait of Chris Blanz.

Skills & Services

My focus is the web, but I'm not limited to online only. I have experience designing for a wide range of traditional media, including browsers, banners, emails, apps, and social media campaigns. So, I am just as comfortable creating pitches, print ads, animations, brochures, billboards, trade shows, t-shirts, and direct mail—whatever the campaign calls for.

User Experience (UX) is more than how a user interacts with a digital screen. It's where they learn about you and where they're inspired to believe in your brand... or not. From a user's first impressions and initial interaction, to when and how they take action and entice them to return, I help product owners strategize, design, and build the specs of how people interact with a brand, site, or product.  

User Interface (UI) is more than a website or app's colors, fonts, and pictures. UX is how people physically and mentally engage with your brand, product, and even your people. It's what people use to judge your value against the competition. That's why I take a holistic approach to UI, where the words and phrases used mean as much to me as which colors and buttons go where.

You may not have expected to see Copywriting from a designer, but after writing that last paragraph above, it makes sense to mention it. The old saying about a picture being worth a thousand words... Well, the opposite is just as true sometimes. A few well-crafted words in a headline or on a button can give far more clarity than any photo or icon. I do my fair share of short-form word-smithing, but I also work with some great copywriters who are always happy to help.

Presentations are meant to attract, hold, reveal, and highlight critical information... usually in sync as the presenter speaks. Although I do get the occasional "I just need a template that follows brand standards" PowerPoint request, many are new business pitches that aim to impress and sell. Others are investor decks, where everything is on the line for the presenter, and there's a tiny 3-5-minute window to pitch. In every case, the "deck" is a critical part of the presentation. I help presenters refine their message and present it succinctly.

Illustration has been described as punctuation or even shorthand for storytelling. I agree. Kids are usually amazed, and I'm even surprised sometimes when I tell people I draw for a living. Okay, maybe it's not my full-time gig, but still... I love it when I'm asked to illustrate an icon or infographic.

Photography has always fascinated me. When I first started in design, I hired the best photographers a project's budget could afford and studied everything about their process. Later, with smaller budgets, I started experimenting with my own camera, lights, and eventually a full-blown studio. Those experiments led to a portfolio of passion projects—some paid, all fun.

Development

I'm lucky to have worked with some of the best and brightest programmers, developers, and engineers to build intelligent websites, progressive web apps, and hybrid and native mobile apps. I'm always eager to work with a team of front-end or back-end wizards when the opportunity comes up.

But not every web project needs that kind of heavy lifting. It could be a matter of smaller scope or simply budget constraints. In either case, Webflow is my go-to platform for website development. As a designer, it gives me the freedom and flexibility to design and produce pixel-perfect, responsive websites with powerful database-driven content and hundreds or even thousands of pages without needing a big team of developers. Bonus: They provide a built-in editor that makes it easy for clients to maintain web content without me having to make changes.

Testimonials

All this fuss over little ol’ me? I’m honored.

“Others may try to bamboozle you with fancy geek talk. But it’s not about what they say; it’s about what they do. Chris gets it; he makes it happen—in the greatest, most comfortable way ever.”
Sam Zien
Sam Zien
YouTuber | Restaurateur | Author
“One could not ask for a better partner. Through every phase and trial of a startup, Chris is a leader and a contributor.”
"His ability to craft truly unique insights, skillfully manage the creative and branding process, and then deliver results is a very rare combination... and a true team player."
Bill Brennan
Bill Brennan
Angel Investor | Entrepreneur
“He’s extremely easy to talk to, which makes project related communication a breeze... To say that I would work with him again is a ridiculous understatement.”
Seth Whiting
Seth Whiting
Senior Developer
“Chris has an enthusiasm for his work that is infectious. He is very passionate about solving clients’ problems and is extremely honest and trustworthy.”
Deke Smith
Deke Smith
Senior Technical Account Manager
"...he is a genius at understanding and unraveling the complexities of the human condition and implementing beautiful, intuitive solutions at what appears to be superhuman speed."
Tullie Helene
Tullie Helene
Product Designer
“Chris’ attention to detail and ability to design high-quality, well-thought-through assets and specs made feature development for our mobile team smooth and reasoned.”
Bob Rochford
Bob Rochford
Manager, Technical Product Innovation
"Chris has that rare ability to grasp important concepts, break them down into digestible pieces, and create simple yet elegant content and visuals..."
Page Thompson
Page Thompson
Senior Sales Executive
“His smart, thoughtful, creative approach; his friendly, easy-going style; and his ability to get the job done make it easy for me to endorse him wholeheartedly.”
David Mann
David Mann
Creative Director | Copywriter
"He achieves at a consistently high level, no matter what skills the day’s challenges call for [and] manages to remain insightful, funny, empathetic, and unfailingly optimistic."
Michael Dukes
Michael Dukes
Copywriter | Creative Director
“...has an amazing talent for understanding exactly what users need, [then] translate their need into design elements that [trigger] interaction and positively represent the brand”
Chip Gallent
Chip Gallent
Entrepreneur & Executive Coach
“He's a powerhouse when it comes to branding. His visual aesthetic is simple, yet the design solution and functionality is simply profound. That is a rare balance not found in most creatives.”
Von Glitschka
Von Glitschka
Creative Director | Brand Strategist
“Chris’ innovative ideas [and] approachable nature, make collaborating with him a breeze. Opting to hire him will undoubtedly be one of the most rewarding decisions you can make.”
David Goldstein
David Goldstein
Founder & Creator of Opportunities
“He ranks as one of the most creative, down-to-earth, results-obsessive people I’ve ever met in my 20+ years in the field of marketing.”
Mark Newsom
Mark Newsom
CEO | Senior Executive Recruiter
"His enthusiasm for creating and telling the story about a new business or venture is infectious... I found Chris to be a pragmatic business partner, reliable, loyal and honest."
Tim Choate
Tim Choate
CEO | Tech Entrepreneur
"Chris can do, few can match. The one inspirational design idea, the one core concept that floats an entire project...that is what Chris can do."
Steve Curnutte
Steve Curnutte
CEO | Chief Restructuring Officer
“Chris Blanz is one of my favorite thinkers, period. He is a seeker of what’s next, a great thinking partner, and one heck of a great person to hang around.”
Mark Montgomery
Mark Montgomery
Entrepreneur | Investor

Background

My career started in traditional advertising, marketing, and PR campaigns. After some time working on the client side and a short stint with a regional agency, I started a small agency of my own based in Nashville. We worked with national brands like Band-Aid, ExxonMobil, MIT, The Washington Post, LEGO, and National Geographic.

Band-Aid Vector SVG LogoLEGO Vector SVG LogoExxon Mobil Vector SVG LogoPlaytex Vector SVG LogoMIT Vector SVG LogoCracker Barrel Vector SVG LogoRockwell Vector SVG LogoNational Geographic Vector SVG LogoTwelve South Vector SVG LogoUnilever Vector SVG LogoJohnson & Johnson Vector SVG LogoThe Washington Post Vector SVG Logo

Being the founder of an agency was fun... for a while. Still, after a dozen years, I found myself managing insurance policies, negotiating rent, and dealing with HR issues more than the fun side of helping clients. However, after an inspiring period as a mentor with Jumpstart Foundry and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, I sold the agency and dove head-first into hands-on product design.

Since then, I have worked with teams (mainly as an independent contractor but sometimes as a shareholder) to facilitate strategy, design, and manage web-based SaaS products, apps, and creative campaigns.

Recogition

I have been honored to receive some nice accolades, including 75+ American Advertising Federation Addy awards, 50+ American Graphic Design Awards, 5 AIGA CASE Awards, a Telly, and Communication Arts website of the week.

American Advertising Awards LogoGraphic Design USA - American Graphic Design Awards LogoAIGA LogoThe Telly Awards LogoCommunication Arts Logo

In addition to winning awards for my work, I have served as a judge in multiple local, district, regional, and national American Advertising Awards competitions across the US.

Speaking of awards... while working with a team of talented tech people, we were awarded three patents for Mobile Content and Metadata Management and Beacon-Implemented System for Mobile Content Management.

Visit my LinkedIn profile to learn more about my professional experience as a Designer, Art Director, Creative Director, Product Designer, CXO, and CEO.

Location (Remote)

Long before the world hopped on Zoom, I have been working remotely with teams across the United States and Europe. Still, most of my work has been in the Nashville market, near home.

Occasionally, I’ll take on a role that requires me to be on location. Sometimes, it’s just a short drive, a quick flight, or a few days stay. But in most cases, with a fast web connection, I’ve proven that I can be far more productive as a remote team member, camped right here in my Bowling Green, Kentucky studio.

Software

Tools aren’t substitutes for creative and critical thinking, but it helps to be proficient in the right tool for the job. I use tools like email, Slack, and Teams for communication - Trello, Monday, or Asana for project management - and Google Analytics and SEMRUSH for analytics and auditsStill, those aren’t the tools I use to make things look good and function like they should.

Here’s a quick list of tools I use for design and production.

Figma

★★★★★ - My application of choice for UX/UI design, illustration, and prototyping.

Webflow

★★★★★ - My platform of choice when building a website.

Illustrator

★★★★★ - Expert user since version 1.0.

Photoshop

★★★★★ - Expert user since version 1.0.

Lightroom

★★★★★ - Expert user since version 1.0.

Framer

★★★☆☆ - Comfortable using it daily if needed for UX/UI design and prototyping. It feels like a definite contender if Figma loses it’s footing as king of the hill.

Sketch

★★★☆☆ - Comfortable using it daily if needed for UX/UI design and prototyping.

LottieFiles

★★★★☆ - Comfortable using it daily if needed for animating and prototyping.

Rive

★★★☆☆ - Comfortable using it daily if needed for animating and prototyping.

Spline

★★☆☆☆ - I love this tool. I just need an excuse to use it for something more than tinkering.

After Effects

★★☆☆☆ - I don’t use it often enough to claim proficiency, but I love animating when I get the opportunity.

Others

There are many other excellent tools available. I have tried many. While you may not see a particular app on the list, I am comfortable adapting to new tools and processes when needed.

Webflow +

The Webflow community is growing fast and I am constantly finding new and useful enhancements, including Relume, Web Bae's customs, and Finsweet's suite of goodies. By the time you read this, I'm certain there has been a new crop of utilities that will help enhance the experience of building in Webflow.

How can I help you?

Does your brand need a bit of a pick-me-up? How about your sales presentation or that big investor pitch? I can help. My brain is wired to find order in chaos. Call it a superpower if you like.