I'm Nate, a Design Engineer who combines design, code, and product thinking

I turn complex product problems into simple, high-quality digital experiences, from the first pixel in Figma to production-ready code

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01 — DESIGN ENGINEERING

Building a complex operational platform from the ground up

I designed and engineered a new logistics and security platform, using React, React Native, and AI-assisted development to move from specification to UAT at exceptional speed.

Design Engineering
React
Front-End Development
Accessibility
AI-Assisted Development

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02 — UX RESEARCH

Understanding why customers weren't adopting the cloud

I conducted interviews and journey research that uncovered a critical barrier to cloud adoption: customers needed to understand the technology before they could feel confident choosing it.

UX Research
Customer Journey Mapping
Information Architecture
Synthesis
Figjam

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User Journey Mapping
User Journey Mapping

02 — UX RESEARCH

Understanding why customers weren't adopting the cloud

I conducted interviews and journey research that uncovered a critical barrier to cloud adoption: customers needed to understand the technology before they could feel confident choosing it.

UX Research
Customer Journey Mapping
Information Architecture
Synthesis
Figjam

View Project →

Image of Button Variants in Figma

03 —PRODUCT REDESIGN + MODERNIZATION

Rebuilding a legacy application for the modern web

I redesigned an entire legacy .NET application and rebuilt it in React, replacing inconsistent interfaces with a scalable component system and faster product experience.

Product Design
UX/UI
React
Design Systems
Modernization

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About Me

Over the past 6 years I have strived to make products that are enjoyable and fulfilling to use by users and developers. Since my childhood I have always felt the desire to give solutions to broken functions and experiences. I remember always thinking  "there must be a better way".

I am self-taught with a diverse background, and after 8 years in social work, I discovered a love for design and a natural talent for creating user-centered experiences. I have since worked with a variety of growing companies to design new applications and improve existing ones.

Along my journey of design, I discovered a deep excitement towards development and spent a year learning and practicing how to bring my designs into reality to break down the communication gap between cross-functional teams.

My Resume
Image of Nate and Wife

What I care about

Family

My Wife and I have a tiny black lab named Pepper, and a close-knit family.

Community

You are who you spend your time with, simple as that.

Products

Designing and developing a product that solves a solution is so satisifying.

Fishing

I love to explore new species and cook great meals with them. I started fishing last year and I am currently at 40 species caught (and counting)!

Music

I like to listen to a wide variety music with an open mind. I've been currently obsessed with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, but I highly encourage you to reach out and see what's been has been playing in my office recently.

Drinks

I'm a 3+ drink guy if you ever run into me while I'm working. Coffee, water, tea, or anything blue.

Design + Engineering

I bridge the gap between what should be built and how it gets built by understanding the underlying problem, designing complexity into a clear experience, and building that experience into working software.

UNDERSTAND
User Research
Information Architecture
Journey Mapping
Product Thinking
DESIGN
UX/UI
Interaction Design
Design Systems
Prototyping
BUILD
React
React Native
Front-End Development
AI-Assisted Development

Referrals

Jared Sims

UX Program Manager @ Granite Solutions Groupe

Direct Manager

Nate was (while I supported him), and is an incredibly attentive and skilled designer. He has an amazingly sharp understanding of his design tools with the most flattering output. With an intense attention to detail and design organization, his delivery in design rarely finds heavy feedback - this is an important note and quality takeaway as his understanding of the customer needs is always quickly translated to design, and his Product/Engineering counter-parts are equally well aligned. Outside of his design acumen, you will also find Nate to be a humble listener, which bodes well for all personas of Business, Stakeholder, Client, and Cross-functional communication. The best part, is that he's only going to get better. You are fantastic Nate Short!

Kish Khemani

Technology Leader @ Catalis

Direct Manager

Nate was the primary UI/UX Designer for my Catalis Tax project, and he did an awesome job working with the customers to understand their requirements, working with the Developers to understand their technology constraints/requirements and come up with excellent and flexible interfaces for our application. Nate also took feedback from multiple stakeholders and incorporated that into the designs along with making his own recommendations for the overall improvement of the Product. Overall Nate exceeded my high expectations on the project work he did, and I would not hesitate to hire or work with Nate again should an opportunity arise in the future.

Let's talk

I am always open to conversations about future work opportunities, tips and advice, and mentorship. You can find me through Instagram, LinkedIn, or through my email at nate@shortwebdesign.com