Hire Me

I’m Nate Balcom and this is my website, owned and operated since the year 2000.

Natebal.com…get it? I was born a .com..? I thought it was clever. No one ever gets it. I digress.

I’ve been working in the UX space for about 8 years. In fact, when I started my first official UX position with Chrysler in the Product Design Office in 2014, “User Experience” wasn’t even a term people Googled.

Rough Estimation of My Technical Strengths

The following bar chart is a rough break down of some of my technical skills that people inquire about the most. It’s based on how many years I’ve been working in the industry and how many years I have working with each of the skills listed.

I’ve been in the tech industry for longer than I care to admit and this seemed like a good way to sum up where my strengths lie. If you have any specific questions about anything not listed below please feel free to ask me more.

I have a much deeper tech tool box than what you see listed here. These skills are what I get asked about most.

Why You Should Hire Me

I’ve been a graphic designer, a video editor, a UX software designer, a responsive coder, an SEO specialist, a CMS professional, a web designer, an animator, an interactive college course developer, an e-commerce designer, a physical prototyper and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

I’m proficient in Adobe XD, Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch & Figma. I’ve been on multiple Google design sprints at Google HQ in Mountainview, CA. I spent years of my career designing and developing responsive websites and software in HTML5 & CSS3.

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Download My Resume

Are you looking for some particulars about my Geek cred? Download them here. If you need to know anything not listed please contact me. I don’t just live to work, but I work to live. I’m an open book. Talk to me. Lets make things happen. The sun is shining let’s make hay. I’m ready to start yesterday. Let’s go!

I’m looking for long term employment. I’d like to find a place where I can establish some roots and be part of a team of creative people pushing the boundaries of technology and design.

Portfolio Tour

Work I Can Show

The following examples have been released on the internet or social media. I have more examples that I can’t post online. We can have a video chat for more.

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FCA Product Design Office Airflow 2020 Project Crew. This prototype was built for Consumer Electronics Show 2020. Greatest team you’ll ever work with. 

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I was on the UX team in the Product Design Office at Chrysler that built the UConnect 5 in vehicle experience. This was a culmination of years of work, testing and collaboration with teams from all over the world.

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Connect On LinkedIn

You know I’m on LinkedIn. Connect with me to talk about your next project.

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Cardinal Health

User Experience Designer & Developer | Aug 2022 - Sep 2023 · 1 yr 2 mos 

 Skills: Adobe XD · Jira · Prototyping · Confluence · Adobe Creative Suite

Utilizing Adobe XD, I design software solutions that serve as a bridge between the healthcare and trucking industries. Operating in an Agile framework, I collaborate with various teams within Cardinal Health to develop a comprehensive suite of applications.

These applications are specifically crafted for pricing, distribution, and tracking opportunities within the company, contributing to seamless integration and efficient operations.Utilizing Adobe XD, I design software solutions that serve as a bridge between the healthcare and trucking industries.

Operating in an Agile framework, I collaborate with various teams within Cardinal Health to develop a comprehensive suite of applications. These applications are specifically crafted for pricing, distribution, and tracking opportunities within the company, contributing to seamless integration and efficient operations.

Key contributions and responsibilities:

• XD Prototyping: Designed with Adobe XD to create prototypes that showcased the envisioned design and functionality of the backhaul trucking routes of all vehicles.
• Jira Progression: Used Jira to communicate software progress between cross functional teams across the globe.
• Confluence Documentation: Documented the design process during every step of our sprints. Kept track of all nuances of design along the way.

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Ford Mobility

UX Designer for Electric Fleet Vehicles | Jan 2021 - Jun 2021 · 6 mos 

 Skills: Sketch · Prototyping · Jira · Confluence · Adobe Creative Suite

During my tenure at Ford, I played a key role in developing prototypes for electric fleet vehicle software using Sketch. As the liaison between the design upteam, responsible for creating a fresh look and libraries, and the engineering team, I facilitated a seamless collaboration. This involved a dynamic interplay, pushing the boundaries of the program while ensuring alignment with the practical constraints of code possibilities.

Key contributions and responsibilities:

• Sketch Prototyping: Leveraging Sketch to create prototypes that showcased the envisioned design and functionality of electric fleet vehicle software.
• Jira Progression: Facilitating progression within Jira, ensuring smooth communication and workflow between the creative and engineering teams.
• New Feature Creation: Actively contributing to the creation of new features, exploring innovative solutions while maintaining alignment with coding constraints.

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FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

UX UI Interaction Developer & Prototype Design | Jun 2014 - Feb 2020 · 5 yrs 9 mos

 Skills: Adobe Creative Suite · Prototyping · Adobe XD · Sketch · Figma · Raspberry Pi · GSAP · Confluence · Google Design Sprints

In my role, I have been extensively involved in designing interactive models for user testing, particularly focusing on cluster, head unit, and rear seat entertainment designs for the recently launched Uconnect system. My responsibilities include wire-framing for interior vehicle experiences, anticipating future feature additions, and providing model support for external user testing.

Key contributions and responsibilities:

• BUC Creation and Programming: I took charge of BUC (Built Upon Commitment) creation, programming, direction, team coordination support, and onboarding for new tech hires.
• Ride Alongs and Debugging: Utilizing ride-alongs, I actively debugged future in-vehicle experiences to ensure a seamless user interface.
• Collaboration with HMI & EE: I closely collaborated with Human-Machine Interface (HMI) and Electrical Engineering (EE) teams to enhance user experiences within the vehicle.
• Global Communication Coordination: Played a pivotal role in coordinating Confluence to facilitate effective communication with regions around the world.
• Google Design Sprints: Attended multiple Google design sprints at Google home-quarters in Mountainview, CA to contribute to the creation of new vehicle designs.
• Lead UX Designer: Led UX design efforts for interior BUCs used in user testing and trade shows, showcasing projects like the 2019 Airflow model for CES and the 2017 Portal model for CES.
• Multi-disciplinary Team Leadership: Led several multi-disciplinary teams, working as a modeler and coder, to create interactive prototypes for a new in-vehicle experience.
• Technology Implementation: Directly responsible for the implementation of new technology, advancements in programming languages, and rapid prototyping.
• Technically Creative: Showcased the ability to blend artistic creativity with technical proficiency to design and develop interactive technology, fostering a workplace conducive to productive design initiatives.

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United Healthcare

Responsive Application Designer | Jun 2013 - Feb 2014 · 9 mos

 Skills: Responsive Web Design · Bootstrap (Framework) · CSS3 · HTML5

At United Healthcare, I collaborated with extensive global teams in an Agile fashion to swiftly deliver responsive web-based applications for prominent clients such as Walgreen’s Pharmacy, IBM, Microsoft, and Proctor & Gamble.

My specialization lies in object-oriented CSS and HTML5 tailored for the healthcare industry, ensuring that our applications are accessible and optimized for display on various devices.

Key contributions and responsibilities:

• Responsive Web Design: Focused on crafting responsive web designs to ensure seamless and consistent user experiences across different devices.
• Accessibility: Committed to ensuring that the web applications adhere to accessibility standards, providing an inclusive experience for all users.

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Contact Me