About

I bring the discipline of a professional musician and educator to product design.

For more than 20 years, my work happened in rehearsal rooms, classrooms, and onstage. I learned to notice where someone was struggling, ask a better question, and try a different approach. Product design gave me another way to put those habits to work. I’m drawn to products where the next step matters: finding a volunteer shift, beginning a practice session, or understanding where your money stands.

Trained through Nielsen Norman Group’s UX Certification and UT Austin’s Post Graduate Program in UX Design.

View resume
Portrait of Christopher Wilson on a warm caramel studio backdrop

How I work

Artistry

Years on stage trained my sense of rhythm, pacing, and hierarchy. In Practice Pulse, starting a session takes one tap from the home screen.

Precision

I work carefully through user flows, component states, and documentation. In my UT Austin capstone, I helped build a component library in Figma.

Communication

Years of teaching trained me to explain complex ideas and give useful feedback. I ran 15 interviews for Practice Pulse and delivered my team’s final Smart Budget presentation.

Discipline

Performance demands preparation and reliability under pressure. I audited my Smart Budget rebuild three times against WCAG 2.2 AA, fixing what each round found.

Experience

From the stage
to the screen.

  1. 2025 — Present

    Product Designer

    Independent · Portfolio projects

    • Redesigned Pittsburgh Cares as a self‑initiated project for first‑time volunteers, corporate organizers, and returning volunteers. Testing revealed friction in group booking, and both returning participants rated the revised flow 5/5 for ease of use in two follow‑up retests.
    • Designed Practice Pulse, shaped by 15 interviews and 23 test sessions.
    • Led quantitative research for Smart Budget, a six‑person capstone, where a 23‑participant survey anchored dashboard and alert priorities. Then rebuilt it solo as a coded prototype across three accessibility audit rounds.

  2. 2022 — Present · Part‑time

    Adjunct Professor of Trumpet

    Duquesne University

    Former Brass Area Coordinator

    • Design modular learning systems and lead weekly critique sessions.
    • Coach students individually, turning complex concepts into accessible learning experiences.
    • Mentor students to top regional and national competition placements through iterative feedback.

  3. 2017 — Present · Part‑time

    Principal Trumpet

    Pittsburgh Opera

    • Perform complex live work with precision under zero‑retake conditions, adapting in real time to conductors and production teams.
    • Held the principal chair for 8+ seasons of consistent high‑level performance.
    • Sharpen my sense of timing, pacing, and emotional communication with every production.
    Christopher Wilson performing on trumpet in concert dress, smiling at the audience
    Principal Trumpet, Pittsburgh Opera

  4. 2009 — 2020

    Professor of Trumpet

    Arkansas State University

    • Promoted to full professor; grew studio enrollment 200% through structured, iterative curriculum and recruiting design.
    • Led curriculum development and long‑term instructional strategy for undergraduate and graduate students, using iterative coaching and feedback.

  5. 2001 — 2009

    Trumpet Player

    United States Air Force Band, Washington DC

    • Performed at the White House for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and at national ceremonies for international audiences.
    • Played Taps at Arlington National Cemetery 500+ times, building discipline and composure under pressure.
    Christopher Wilson playing trumpet in Air Force Band dress uniform at an outdoor ceremony, with a uniformed band and audience behind him
    With the United States Air Force Band, Washington DC

Education

Design training

  1. UX Certification

    Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g) · May 2026

    • Five courses: UX Basic Training, Essential Skills for Any UX Practitioner, Interaction Design, Information Architecture, and Accelerating Research with AI.

  2. Post Graduate Program in UX Design

    UT Austin McCombs School of Business · March 2026

    • 12‑week UI/UX program for data‑driven business applications, including a six‑person capstone.

  3. Google UX Design Certificate

    Google / Coursera · April 2025

    • Full UX process, with fluency in Figma, wireframing, and usability testing.

  4. Certificate in Web Design

    Temple University · April 2025

    • Introduction to front‑end coding with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Music degrees

  1. Doctor of Musical Arts

    The Catholic University of America · 2009

  2. Master of Music

    University of Arkansas · 2001

  3. Bachelor of Music

    University of Arkansas · 1999