Chris Durgin

Resume

A summary of my professional experience, skills, and qualifications

Chris Durgin

Senior Product Designer | UX & Human Factors

Human-Centered Design for Enterprise, AI, and Complex Systems

Professional Summary

UX and Human Factors–focused Senior Product Designer specializing in human-centered product strategy, applied UX research, and the design of complex enterprise and industrial systems. I combine product design, human-systems engineering, and behavioral science to create solutions that improve decision-making, reduce error, and enhance the way people interact with technology in high-stakes environments.

With a background spanning consulting and internal enterprise roles, I lead cross-functional teams through research, visioning, prototyping, and iterative validation. I also support research operations — defining research approaches, ensuring methodological rigor, and enabling teams to move from discovery to actionable insights. My work centers on building intuitive, resilient tools across AI-enabled workflows, industrial operations, and large-scale digital transformation.

Skills

Human-Centered Design & Research

Human FactorsHuman Systems EngineeringUX StrategyService DesignDesign ThinkingBehavioral DesignUser ResearchMixed MethodsContextual InquiryJourney MappingParticipatory DesignUsability TestingCognitive AnalysisResearch Operations

Product Design & Technology

UX DesignUI & Interaction DesignInformation ArchitecturePrototypingDesign OperationsFigmaAdobe CCAgile / ScrumSystems ThinkingCross-Functional CollaborationAI & Emerging Tech UXData VisualizationEnterprise UX

Experience

Senior Product Designer – UX & Human Factors

Oct 2025 – Present

Freeport-McMoRan

Lead human-centered product design and applied research for global mining operations, AI-enabled tools, and enterprise platforms. Support research operations by defining strategic approaches, selecting appropriate methodologies, and guiding teams from discovery through validation.

  • • Design and optimize complex physical–digital workflows across North America, South America, Europe, and Indonesia.
  • • Conduct contextual field research, usability evaluations, and process analysis to drive product direction.
  • • Shape information architectures, screen flows, interaction models, and prototypes for enterprise applications.
  • • Evaluate physical processes and identify opportunities for digitization, automation, and system-level improvement.
  • • Mentor teams in Human-Centered Design and Agile practices to strengthen design maturity across the organization.

Lead UX & Product Designer (Progressive Roles)

Titles: Associate UX Researcher & Designer → UX Designer I → UX Designer II → Senior Product Designer I → Senior Product Designer II – UX & Human Factors Consultant
Nov 2020 – Oct 2025

Neudesic, an IBM Company

Lead discovery and product strategy across enterprise and industrial domains, specializing in complex systems for utilities, logistics, and AI-powered tools.

  • • Led UX for enterprise platforms, AI tools, and operational systems in energy, telecom, and logistics sectors.
  • • Embedded with client teams to drive product strategy, user research, and design execution.
  • • Applied Human Factors principles to reduce user error, streamline workflows, and improve trust in digital tools.
  • • Directed mixed-method research and usability testing, turning insights into actionable design decisions.
  • • Mentored cross-functional teams and scaled human-centered design practices across client organizations.

Graduate Research & Teaching Assistant – UX Research (GIT Program)

Jul 2019 – Dec 2020

Arizona State University

  • • Mentored undergraduates through usability studies, prototyping, and applied UX research methods
  • • Supported instruction for GIT340: Information Design and Usability, a research-focused UX course
  • • Graded student research plans, findings reports, and high-fidelity digital prototypes

Education

M.S. User Experience & Human Systems Engineering

2020

Arizona State University – Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering

B.S. Technical Communication & User Experience

2018

Arizona State University – Summa Cum Laude

A.A. Concentration in CIS & Digital Design

2017

Mesa Community College

CCL Certificate in Digital Design

2017

Mesa Community College

A.A.S. Visual Communications & Design

2012

ITT Technical Institute

Certifications & Awards

Certifications

  • • IBM Human-Centered AI: Design Thinking & Strategy
  • • IBM Enterprise Design Thinking Practitioner
  • • CITI Program: IRB – Social & Behavioral Research (Recertified 2025)
  • • CITI Program: IRB – Native American Research (2020)
  • • Lean UX & Product Discovery – Sense & Respond (2022)

Awards

  • • Most Outstanding UX Graduate, ASU Fulton Schools (2020)
  • • Top Gun Award, Neudesic (2024)
  • • Customer Experience Award, Neudesic (2023)

Select Clients

  • • Freeport-McMoRan
  • • Station Casinos
  • • DTE Energy
  • • AFS Logistics
  • • AT&T

Recent Project Highlights

Mill Operations Forms Digital Transformation

Paper-based forms slowed reporting and created inconsistencies. I led research and UX design to digitize the workflow, improving speed, accuracy, and operational visibility.

Metallurgical Accounting Web App

A legacy accounting workflow was slow, manual, and error-prone. I redesigned the end-to-end entry process with user-validated flows, boosting accuracy and reducing cognitive load.

FinWIP Accounting System Modernization

Teams relied on a complex Excel process that caused delays and review gaps. I created a guided reconciliation workspace that increased transparency and reduced bottlenecks.

Mobile Throughput Tracking

Manual, on-shift data entry created errors and delayed insights. I designed a tablet-first input tool that streamlined capture and enabled real-time operational tracking.

Career Highlights

  • • 8+ years of cross-industry UX leadership (utilities, logistics, AI, gaming)
  • • Delivered 10+ enterprise tools with measurable improvements in productivity
  • • Coached 15+ teams in HCD methods and systems thinking
  • • Led digital transformations for multi-site operations