Hi, I'm Branden —

I value knowledge, creativity, and authenticity, and am constantly striving to understand not just how things work, but the deeper meaning behind them.

A picture of Branden Keller

I’m a strategic and insightful Product Designer with a focus in Design Systems, Information Architecture, and UI Prototyping. I love to craft systems and processes that streamline workflows, foster collaboration, and establish a unified brand experience.

I excel where the creative and technical intertwine:

  • structuring and prototyping applications,
  • crafting design systems and navigation,
  • uncovering insights through data and usability research,
  • and collaborating with engineering teams to align UX goals with technical constraints.

I champion an attitude of continuous improvement, with a background that combines product design experience at Google and Microsoft with usability research skills from a Master's in HCI at UW, and growing proficiency in front-end programming.

This provides me insight for collaboration with cross-functional teams to balance user needs with business viability and technical feasibility, and bridge the gap to facilitate smooth handoff and implementation.

Products I've worked on include Microsoft.com, Google Ads, TurboTax, Bing for Commerce, Bing APIs, & Visual Studio.


A few things you probably don't know about me:

  • I am based out of Portland, Oregon due to family connections, but have worked at companies within the city for less than a year of my career.
  • I have worked remotely with teams in Washington, California, NY, Canada, UK, India & Egypt.
  • I have worked for two of the top four most successful companies in the history of the world.
  • However, I spent much of my life growing up in a small town in Northern Wisconsin with ~11k people and a median household income of less than $55K.
  • I began my career in Graphic Design and worked for several years in print and web design for small businesses and education institutions in Central Florida before moving to the West Coast to pursue greater opportunity.
  • I became a first generation college graduate when I completed my dual Bachelor's at the U of Oregon in 2014 and finished with Summa Cum Laude honors. I also worked customer service 32 hours a week to support myself while I did that.
  • I then completed a year of graduate study in Landscape Architecture at UO before finding my passion for UX and completing my Master's in HCI at UW.
  • My drive to learn has been the greatest factor in shaping my path in life. I have a continuous learner mentality and have spent countless hours taking courses in my free time just to indulge my curiosity. Yes, I'm proud to be a nerd, and true to form, I am currently learning Javascript and React with the hope of growing into a UX Engineering role in the coming years.
  • I'm a skilled gamer and avid fan of series by FromSoft, Bethesda, and Rockstar. I enjoy games that teach you to be resilient and learn through your mistakes to be successful. That's real life, and Yes, I'm that guy with a platinum trophy in every Souls series game.
  • I'm a dedicated fantasy football player with over 20 years of experience and numerous championships under my belt. And, Yes, I'd love to join your league. Thanks for asking!
  • I’m a talented self-taught bassist and guitarist, and love that music transcends our ideologies and differences. I’m also highly knowledgeable about music gear and run a small e-commerce shop where I sell and trade gear as a side hustle. And, Yes, I'd be happy to jam with you.
  • I also did all of that while overcoming type 1 diabetes through great fortitude and self-discipline. That doesn't make me weaker; it makes me stronger. So if it looks like I'm behind you, I'm just giving you a head start.

Contact

Please reach out for collaborations and questions to: