About

Derek Balmer

I’m a seasoned product designer with a passion for creating accessible, engaging, and delightful digital experiences.

I kicked off my career designing apps and video games for clunky mobile phones with tiny screens. This was four years before the iPhone. Quite a lot has changed since then. Throughout my career, I’ve developed a multi-disciplinary skillset encompassing graphic design, standards-based web design, and product design.

I’ve worked with tiny startups, global corporations, and everything in between. For several years I ran my studio, Hold Fast Creative, and had the pleasure of working with clients such as Cava, Disney, Mammoth Lakes Trails, and Quinn Acoustics. I thrive in opportunities that enable me to do purposeful work that tackles complex problems.

I’m currently a Senior Product Designer at Cadence Solutions, enabling health systems to deliver world-class care outside the four walls of the hospital.

Outside of work, I’m busy raising two incredible humans with my amazing wife. We call Colorado home and can usually be found at the motocross track, on the slopes, or getting lost in the mountains somewhere.

This site is published with Statamic, hosted by Linode, and the font in use is Greycliff by Connary Fagen.

Awards

2009

Apple Design Award

AccuTerra for iPhone: Best iPhone OS 3.0 Beta Application - 2009 Winner

2006

BREW Developer Award

RealTone JukeBox™: Best Ringtone Application

Experience

2021–Present

Cadence Solutions

Senior Product Designer // Founding designer for a series A Health Tech startup that helps health systems deliver world-class care outside the four walls of the hospital.

2020–2021

Teladoc Health

Staff Product Designer // Created a global design system to provide a cohesive user experience across platforms, unite design and engineering functions, and accelerate the integration of Livongo and Teladoc products.

2019–2020

Livongo Health

Senior Product Designer // Partnered with product, development, content, and research teams to design a new responsive web app and design system which supported all React JS web apps at Livongo.

Acquired 2020, Teladoc

2015–2019

myStrength

Creative Director // Worked closely with leadership, product, and engineering to design web, iOS, and Android applications for our digital behavioral health platform. In addition, I created and maintained the company marketing website, client landing pages, and B2B portals.

Acquired 2019, Livongo Health

2012–2014

RoundPegg

Senior Designer // Worked directly with leadership and engineering to design their culture management web application, and provided design services for marketing and sales teams' online initiatives.

2007–2012

Hold Fast Creative

President // Small-but-mighty design studio, and personal S-Corp., that provided custom design and development services for web and mobile projects to clients such as Car Toys, Cava, and Disney.

2003–2007

9 Squared

Creative Director // As the original designer in one of the first mobile content distributors in the U.S., my responsibilities included growing and managing the design team, visual design/front-end design of all B2C and B2B web properties, native mobile app UX/UI design, branding, and marketing collateral.

Acquired 2007, Zed Group