• Welcome

  • Looking Across Chelsea, NYC to Jersey City, NJ

Chris Hardtman

CREATIVE PHILOSOPHY.

Good design is about fulfilling a need and doing it well. We have to be more than designers to create solutions that people want to live with. We bring more than just design know-how to the table. We must be maleable. A great designer takes inspiration from other disciplines/mediums and molds those ideas into impactful design solutions.

HELPING TELL GOOD STORIES FOR GOOD PEOPLE.

For over 3 1/2 years, I've had the wonderful opportunity at ABC News to help shape the digital story experience - across platforms- via cutting-edge product, editorial and visual design.

I LOVE WHAT I DO.

If you ask my colleagues about my process, they'll tell you that I'm detail oriented and quickly capture what they envision. It's an instinct that allows me to create quickly. I am a good listener, quick to provide concepts, caring of my client's needs while reaching for great design solutions.

ABOUT ME

I've always been interested in the intersection of art & design and technology & design. I've been in some kind of interdisciplinary role since I graduated from Carnegie Mellon in 2002 and digital media has kept me wearing multiple hats. For instance, I worked as a designer who was also a front-end coder, an animator who created texture maps with fine art materials, a video editor who developed a film community site and a senior product designer who researched competitors to illustrate better site user flows and UX to put my company ahead of the competition.

Recently, I helped develop apps for iPhone, Android, iPad, Kindle, Windows 8, Windows 8 mobile, Apple TV, Roku and Xbox One. I also have experience with directing promos for the ABC Times Square Jumbotron and more far-out formats such as planetarium shows.

Creative Suite
98%
HTML/CSS
65%
Drawing & Sketching
100%
Wireframes
75%

My Team

ART

My Foundation

My fine art & digital design background provide me with a solid foundation and the knowledge needed to explore conceptual work.

My Devices

MacBook Pro, iPad, iPhone, Kindle, Pencil & Paper

I explore the world and push my design limits via new technology, applications and mediums.

My Love

Smart Design

Done for the right reasons, the right way.

Portfolio

Some Fun Facts

127 Cans of Steaz
68 Inches
14 Platforms
3 Big Team Awards

"If you see a good deal remarkable in me, I see just as much remarkable in you."

Walt Whitman

Skills

  • Art Direction

    Art Direction

    Design teams need leaders who can clearly define creative goals, set strategy and convey vision.

    I'm a passionate listener who wants the team to feel empowered and engaged.

  • Product Design

    Product Design

    Building great products takes a multitude of design related skills: Information architecture, site mapping, interaction & UI wireframing, visual design and prototyping.

    I design and direct a product from conception through implementation.

  • User Experience

    User Experience

    There's nothing like putting your ideas to the test in front of users. Not only do you get to see your work in the wild, you can collect solutions from your users to improve your ideas. It's about finding the most intuitive experience possible.

  • Editorial Design

    Editorial Design

    I've designed editorial products including story-enhancing interactives, illustrations, infographics and data visualizations for breaking news, exclusive interviews, election cycles, extreme weather, and social media

  • Visual Design

    Visual Design

    In addition to UI and UX, I've had the opportunity to focus on the aesthetics of websites and applications. A keen eye is needed to make sure there is consistency of brand voice and look & feel.

Testimonials

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Here I Am