Kelly Franznick
About Kelly Franznick
Kelly Franznick is the Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Blink UX, with a background in user experience and design, and has held academic positions at the University of Washington and Lake Washington Institute of Technology.
Company
Kelly Franznick is the Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Blink UX. Under his leadership, Blink UX has earned numerous accolades, including being named #3 Best Workplace by the Puget Sound Business Journal and one of the Best Tech Companies to Work For in 2022 by PowderKeg. Blink UX was also named Best UX Design in 2021 during San Francisco’s Design Week. It has been recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the 2016 'Best Small Companies' and by Inc. Magazine for being among the top 5,000 fastest-growing companies in America multiple times.
Education and Expertise
Kelly Franznick earned a Master of Design (MDes) in Human-Centered Product Design from the Illinois Tech's Institute of Design in Chicago and holds a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Industrial and Product Design from Arizona State University. He has extensive experience in user-centered design and has worked with tech giants such as Apple, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. He also enjoys working on cutting-edge projects in data visualization, healthcare, and IT spaces.
Professional Background
Kelly Franznick has held significant roles throughout his career. He worked at SapientNitro as a Senior Design Planner and was Manager of User Research at StayWell (now WebMD Ignite). He also led the User Experience Group at Bowne. Before co-founding Blink UX, he guided pre-dotcom businesses like Microsoft, PACCAR, and WRQ through digital transitions while at Sitewerks. At Blink UX, he has been pivotal in driving the company's innovation and growth.
Academic Contributions
Kelly Franznick served as an Adjunct Faculty member at Lake Washington Institute of Technology from 2011 to 2013 and as a Lecturer at the University of Washington's HCDE from 2014 to 2017. He has also played an active role in academic volunteering, serving as an instructor and external advisor for programs at both institutions. His contributions to education have been recognized, notably with the Myron L. White Award from the University of Washington’s Human-Centered Design & Engineering department in 2019.
Industry Recognition and Contributions
Kelly Franznick has been a prominent figure in the UX and innovation field, featured at numerous conferences including San Diego Design Week and Seattle Interactive Conference. He was recognized as 'Geek of the Week' by GeekWire magazine in 2011 and has received several IDSA IDEA awards for design excellence. Additionally, he actively participates as an angel investor, supporting promising startups.