Cal Thompson

Co-Founder

Los Angeles, California, United States18 yrs 3 mos experience
Most Likely To SwitchHighly Stable

Key Highlights

  • 15+ years in design and innovation leadership.
  • Led award-winning design teams at Headspace.
  • Expert in human-centered design and product strategy.
Stackforce AI infers this person is a Design Executive with expertise in digital transformation and user experience in the healthcare and technology sectors.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Product StrategyDesign ManagementDesign StrategyUser Experience DesignDesign LeadershipService DesignDigital TransformationSustainability

Other Skills

MentoringHiringCustomer Experience DesignCurriculum DevelopmentPublic SpeakingTeaching Design ThinkingPaintingTeam LeadershipArtificial Intelligence (AI)Product DesignProduct DevelopmentBusiness StrategyDesign DirectionInnovation strategyHealthcare

About

Hi, I'm Cal. I'm a design leader, artist, teacher, and advisor to meaningful startups and institutions. I've worked in design and innovation for 15+ years invigorating brands, products, and organizations through design craft, human-centered design and systems thinking. I'm the author of the Product Design Strategy Course for Future London Academy. I've designed digital products and services for: Carnival, Walmart, Southwest Airlines, Target, NTT Docomo, Disney- and 7 new product launches at Headspace, including adding therapy to the app and launching Ebb, its AI-powered journal & navigator (born from our design research). I'm a champion of human-centered research, customer-centric strategy, and craft, and love building design teams that are rich with cultures of collaboration. I led teams in app dev studios, non-profits, and design consultancies for many years before joining Headspace where I led several iterations of its fabulous design team for 6 years with team sizes varying from 5 to 45 (leading product design, UX, design research, brand creative, clinical research). Now, I'm working with startups and educational institutions on product strategy, branding, design research, and design education, and I'm a practicing artist. In 2024, I co-researched sustainability, gender, and urban planning with Eli Robinson, culminating in an SXSW talk about...yes, sewers.

Experience

Freelance

Design and Product Advisor

Aug 2024Present · 1 yr 7 mos · Los Angeles Metropolitan Area · Hybrid

  • I advise a handful of world-improving startups and educational institutions on product strategy, branding, product design, and design education.
  • Advisory Council Member for the M.A. in Design focused on Health at University of Texas at Austin
  • The Greenway Institute
  • Stealth mode startups
MentoringDesign ManagementProduct StrategyHiringCustomer Experience Design

Future london academy

Curator, Product Design Strategy course

Nov 2023Present · 2 yrs 4 mos · London Area, United Kingdom

Curriculum DevelopmentPublic SpeakingProduct StrategyDesign StrategyCustomer Experience DesignTeaching Design Thinking

Headspace

4 roles

VP of Design

Promoted

Jan 2022Dec 2025 · 3 yrs 11 mos

  • Head of Design and Research.
  • Leading Headspace's award-winning design team to build meditation, mindfulness, therapy and conversational AI experiences across consumer, b2b, and health plans.
User Experience DesignMentoringDesign ManagementTeam LeadershipProduct StrategyArtificial Intelligence (AI)+4

Sr. Director of Design

Promoted

Oct 2021Jan 2022 · 3 mos

Business StrategyProduct StrategyDesign LeadershipDesign DirectionHiringInnovation strategy

Director of Service Design & Design Research

Jun 2020Oct 2021 · 1 yr 4 mos

Hiring

Lead Service Designer, Headspace Health

Dec 2019Jun 2020 · 6 mos

  • I led service design and overall design of a skunkworks initiative within Headspace, building the MVP of a behavioral health coach supported software intervention that proved to reduce the symptoms and severity of migraine in an RCT.
Service designHealthcareHiring

Fjord

2 roles

Design Director

Mar 2019Dec 2019 · 9 mos · On-site

  • Led end to end detailed service design and delivery of innovation and digital transformation programs.
  • Led programs from the SF studio, one of Fjord's 29 studios: An inspiring hive of 1,100 global service designers serving as the design nucleus for Accenture's 490,000 employees. Outside of project leadership, career counseling for designers, and interaction design discipline mentorship, I was a frequent design thinking and ideation trainer for Accenture business analysts and external clients, helping students become more adept at generative and creative work.
  • Clients included: Kaiser Permanente, NTT Docomo, Carnival, Walmart, Nike, Golden State Warriors.
MentoringDesign ManagementDigital TransformationProduct StrategyDigital StrategyHiring+1

Service and Interaction Design Lead

Mar 2016Mar 2019 · 3 yrs · On-site

  • I led teams to design high-craft digital products and services that surpassed client expectations. I designed and conducted research, synthesis, and ideation. I produced interaction frameworks, wireframes, and app maps. I prototyped concepts, conduct usability tests, and directed UI design.
User Experience DesignDigital TransformationHiring

Chaotic moon studios

2 roles

Senior Interaction Designer

Promoted

Dec 2014Mar 2016 · 1 yr 3 mos · On-site

  • Chaotic Moon Studios was an American creative technology studio focused on software, mobile development and design, acquired by Accenture in 2015. My clients included: Southwest Airlines, Target, Disney, Schlumberger, Golden State Warriors, Pizza Hut, Dana Limited, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Waller Creek Conservancy. At CM, I co-created Bangarang, a digital ideation tool, with Matt Murray in 2015.
User Experience DesignDigital TransformationProduct Strategy

Interaction Designer

Aug 2014Dec 2014 · 4 mos · On-site

User Experience DesignDigital Transformation

Projekt202

User Experience Researcher, Visual Designer

Nov 2013May 2014 · 6 mos · Austin, Texas Area · On-site

  • Projekt202 has a unique and established methodology for understanding people in context — we reveal unmet needs — which drives everything we do. This leads to a crisp, clear understanding of the customer, which shapes the design and development of new solutions and experiences.
User Experience DesignDigital Transformation

Texas land conservancy

Development Director

Aug 2011Nov 2013 · 2 yrs 3 mos · Austin, Texas Area

  • Texas Land Conservancy protects the land, water, and wildlife of Texas for present and future generations. Because 95% of the land in Texas is privately owned, TLC works with private landowners to preserve wild spaces through conservation easements.
User Experience DesignDigital Transformation

Project transitions

Volunteer Coordinator, Media/Outreach Coordinator, Web Designer

Jul 2008Jul 2011 · 3 yrs · Austin, Texas Area

  • Project Transitions is dedicated to serving people with HIV and AIDS by providing supportive living, housing, recuperative care and hospice in compassionate and caring environments.
  • I led volunteer recruitment and training and later media and outreach efforts, as well as event conception and production for this Austin-based HIV/AIDS non-profit.
  • My favorite projects: Big Freedia performing at our SXSW queer music show and fundraiser in 2010, and The Texas Gay Rodeo fundraiser.
Digital TransformationSustainability

Self-employed

Artist

Jan 2008Present · 18 yrs 2 mos

  • I maintain my art studio practice on nights and weekends outside of my design leadership positions to maintain an open channel to my own creative voice. Currently in residence at the Vermont Studio Center, March 2026.
Painting

Education

Dartmouth College

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) — Studio Art

Jan 2001Jan 2005

Austin Center for Design

Interaction Design and Social Entrepreneurship — Service design for social transformation

Jan 2012Jan 2013

Cranbrook Academy of Art

Print/Media

Jan 2007Jan 2007

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