Top Skills

  • Design Strategy: Crafting comprehensive strategies to address unique UX challenges.

  • Leadership: Visionary leadership driving Cryptic Design's mission and fostering innovation.

  • Unreal Engine: Expertise in utilizing Unreal Engine for immersive and engaging experiences.

  • User Experience Design: Over two decades of experience in creating intuitive and innovative user experiences.

  • User Interface (UI) Design: Crafting visually appealing and functional UI designs for diverse platforms.

  • Communication: Seamless integration with clients and cross-functional teams for effective collaboration.

  • Client Engagement: Personalized engagement with clients to understand and address their unique needs.

  • Continuous Improvement: Commitment to openness, collaboration, and enhancing user experiences.

  • Cross-functional Integration: Collaborative integration with scrum teams for efficient solution design.

  • Validation: Ensuring proposed solutions meet the highest standards of innovation and user satisfaction.

  • Adobe Creative Cloud & Figma: Proficient in industry-standard tools like Adobe Creative Cloud and Figma for design excellence.

Platform Experience

Industry Experience

Robert Croft, Principal User Experience Designer, UXD

Pioneering User-Centered Design for Over Two Decades

As the founder and CEO of Cryptic Design, I lead a dynamic and forward-thinking organization that harnesses holistic user-centered design methodologies to unravel profound scientific insights and deepen our understanding of our life experiences. I have over 20 years of experience in creating intuitive, innovative, and comprehensive user experiences across Windows, Web, Android, iOS, AR, VR, Unreal, Unity, Xbox, Nintendo and Playstation platforms.

With a passion for crafting holistic, user-centered experiences across diverse mediums, I personally engage with stakeholders to discover and understand their unique needs, and collaboratively define a UX strategy to address their challenges. I seamlessly integrate with stakeholders' scrum teams, defining requirements, and designing solutions that ensure exceptional user journeys. I have played a pivotal role in shipping award-winning, multimillion-dollar products for renowned companies, such as EA, Zynga, Ubisoft, and more. My toolkit includes Axure, Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and more. I drive creativity, empathy, and excellence in every project I touch.

Experiences

Cryptic Design CEO & Principal UX Designer

February 2019 - Present | Austin, Texas Metropolitan Area

  • Lead the conceptualization and implementation of holistic user-centered design methodologies, unraveling profound scientific insights and deepening our understanding of our life experiences.

  • Engage personally with clients and stakeholders to discover and understand unique needs, collaborating to define UX strategies addressing specific challenges.

  • Seamlessly integrate with clients' scrum teams, defining requirements and designing innovative solutions, ensuring exceptional user journeys.

  • Played a pivotal role in the successful launch of award-winning products, contributing to the company's reputation as an industry leader.

  • Validated proposed solutions to meet the highest standards of innovation, intuitiveness, and user satisfaction, resulting in increased user engagement.

WIN Reality Sr. UX Designer

August 2021 - March 2022 | Austin, Texas

  • Led UX design for Web and VR platforms, including research, wireframing, and design language creation.

Digimancy Entertainment Sr. UX Designer

February 2021 - August 2021 | Austin, Texas

  • Worked on user needs discovery, defined requirements, and designed solutions to support developers.

WellSky Sr. UX Designer

October 2019 - November 2020 | Austin, Texas

  • Conceived and conducted user research, interviews, and surveys; translated them into sitemaps, information architecture, user flows, customer journey maps, wireframes, mockups, and prototypes.

Downpour Interactive Sr. UX Designer

February 2019 - June 2019 | Austin, Texas

  • Contract position to assist Downpour Interactive with UX needs for their VR title ONWARD; generated competitive analysis, heuristic evaluation, UX strategy, assisted with unifying a visual style guide, information architecture, design principles, framework ideation, framework documentation, created UI assets, and implemented them within the Unity engine.

Electronic Arts (EA) Sr. UX Designer

March 2018 - December 2018 | Austin, Texas

  • Established and defined the UI design for an unlaunched mobile title by creating high-quality concept interfaces. Worked closely with Game Designers, UI Artists, programmers, and QA to problem solve, implement, and test designs.

QC Games Inc Lead UX Designer

June 2016 - December 2017 | Austin, Texas

  • Created the vision for developing, communicating, and implementing the user experience and associated UI framework and assets on a range of products. Produced user flows, wireframes, prototypes, user interface specifications, and final graphics. Introduced, developed, and ensured best design practices, process and communicated quality expectations organizationally.

Zynga Senior UI/UX Artist

November 2015 - May 2016 | Austin, Texas

  • Shipped: Willy Wonka Slots, and Wizard of Oz. Worked closely across multiple disciplines to create creative user experience solutions. Mocked up and prototyped UI for new and updated features. Worked closely with engineers to implement UI for features.

SpaceTime Lead UX Designer

June 2014 - October 2015 | Austin, Texas

  • Created the vision for developing, communicating, and implementing the user experience and associated UI framework and assets on a range of products. Produced user flows, wireframes, prototypes, user interface specifications, and final graphics. Introduced, developed, and ensured best design practices, process and communicated quality expectations organizationally.

projekt202 Senior UX Designer

January 2014 - June 2014 | Austin, Texas

  • During my time at Projekt202, I served as a Senior UX Designer. I collaborated closely with the MBUSA team and Projekt202 team, working on designing and creating wireframes, information architecture, and design guidelines for the client Mercedes Benz's web platform. My role involved understanding the client's requirements and translating them into effective UX solutions to enhance user experience.

Kabam Art Director

February 2013 - October 2013 | Austin, Texas

  • All aspects of visual and art development for Imperium Mobile, including some game art production, pipeline and process, branding, IP development, UX, UI, and team development. Art Director on Imperium: Galactic War on iOS and Android.

Red Storm Entertainment Lead UI Artist

March 2011 - February 2013 | Cary, NC

  • Led the UI Art Direction on Ghost Recon: Future Soldier for the Red Storm studio, in cooperation with the lead Art Director’s vision and intentions. Led the UI team for Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. Designed Multiplayer HUD User Experience. Led the UI team for Far Cry 3 PC SKU. Worked to build a consistent UI Art Direction on Far Cry 3 in cooperation with the lead Art Director’s vision and intentions.

Neogence Enterprises Creative Director

September 2009 - December 2010 | Raleigh, NC

  • Created, designed, and directed an industry-breaking social networking LBS/GPS Application for the web, Android, and iOS. Designed and created User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) for all internal product lines. Created 2D & 3D Art assets. Assisted in developing company vision, objectives, operating structure, and implementation of strategy. Established, directed, managed, and maintained corporate and product brand identities. Project Management, and SCRUM Master of the internal team.

WebWars, LLC Lead UI Artist

2007 - September 2009 | Austin, Texas

  • Designed User Experience (UX) and created User Interface (UI) game art on multiple projects, including WebWars: EVE, WebWars: Weblings. Worked closely with the game design team to ensure that user interaction was considered in game flow and direction. Aided in interviewing and hiring of the art staff to support corporate and multi-product development cycles. Created marketing materials, including print advertisements, and video demos of gameplay.

Sweetsong Audio/Video Creative Director

August 2006 - May 2007 | Parkersburg, WV

  • Worked on all aspects of production, ranging from 3D Modeling, Graphic Design, Casting, Shoot Supervision, Budget, Production Staffing, Assistant Screenwriter, Set Design, and Client Relations.

Lets Poker.com Art Director

December 2004 - August 2006 | Austin, Texas

  • Visualized and conceptualized the end product and brand and maintained and assisted in creating that vision. Staffed and managed a small internal team, hired and directed an outsourcing firm for all in-game character production. Developed all internal art documentation and style guides. Participated in investor relations and worked with the founder to deliver the product vision. Designed and created all game user interfaces and user experiences. Assisted in game design and worked with designers to create a rich and rewarding game experience while facilitating the new user archetypes that design focused on. Managed marketing advertisements and materials while working with executives to analyze and decide on solid marketing strategies.

Sweetsong Audio/Video Creative Director

May 2003 - December 2004 | Parkersburg, WV

  • Worked directly with the client and coordinated the operations of various production sub-disciplines (lighting, audio engineering, videographer, video editing, scheduling, pre-visualization, script writing, 2d/3d graphic design, motion graphics, post special effects, colorist, and compositing). Mentored, trained, and managed a small production task team of 4 people. Created an upgrade and growth plan that facilitated the studio’s requirements and needs for 2-4 years. Designed and wrote a production pipeline to modernize and scale the studio up with current production trends and demands, which included new hardware requirements as well as software. Responsible for production quality control, interpretation of client’s communications, creative strategy, and product direction.

Wtap Cable Radio & Tv Fm 99 3 Creative Services Editor

June 1998 - May 2003 | Parkersburg, WV

  • Worked to bring the producer's vision to a physical product in the shape of a commercial, presentation, or program.

Education

  • Washington State Community College

    • AD, Mass Media Technology · (September 1997 - March 1999)