Design Director · Futurist · Principal, Cultiva Labs

Designing the
future, one
breakthrough
at a time

Product strategist, agile UX practitioner, and design educator working with global clients to champion co-creation, human-centered design, and conceptual thinking, envisioning meaningful products that align with business needs.

🔭 Futures Research 🤝 Collaboration 💡 Design Sprints 🌟 Applied AI 📋 UX Strategy 🌐 Futures Thinking
Product Design Consultant Professor of Design Management UX Strategist Product Owner Futurist
Christine Fish, Design Director and Futurist
Christine Fish
Product Design Consultant · Professor of Design Management · UX Strategist
📍 Savannah, Georgia
✨ Notable clients
GoogleDeloitteCapital OneBMWMayo ClinicPhilipsMSA Fire Safety
✉ Let’s work togetherfish@cultivalabs.io · Get in touch →
Skiing with my daughter
Skiing with my daughter
Bay of Kotor, Montenegro
Bay of Kotor, Montenegro
Braves game with the family
Braves game with the family
Workshop collaboration exercise
Workshop collaboration exercise
Finding wonder at the aquarium
Finding wonder at the aquarium
Research synthesis, mid-sprint
Research synthesis, mid-sprint
Chasing the mountain view
Chasing the mountain view

About Christine

Christine Fish is a product strategist, agile UX practitioner, and design educator who partners with global clients to champion co-creation, human-centered design, and conceptual thinking, envisioning meaningful products that align with business needs.

Prior to consulting, she developed products for brands including Fossil Watches, Marc Jacobs, and Philips Design. Today, through her studio Cultiva Labs, she partners with organizations across healthcare, fintech, fire safety, and consumer tech, aligning user insight, market foresight, and business strategy. She's also a Professor of Design Management at SCAD, directing 10-week corporate design sprints for clients like Google, BMW, Capital One, and Deloitte.

Her love is finding “el Click”, the moment a team suddenly sees the future together and an insight unlocks an entirely new direction. Atlanta-raised and Georgia Tech & Thunderbird-educated, she spends her off hours hiking, painting, and volunteering for nature conservation.

Education

BS, Industrial Design
Georgia Institute of Technology

MBA, International Business
Thunderbird at Arizona State University

Scrum Master & Product Owner
Scrum Alliance

Outside of Work
  • Nature, travel & hiking
  • Drawing and painting
  • Nature conservation volunteer & donor
  • Sustainability advocate
  • Time with family and friends
Connect

LinkedIn: cfish767 →

fish@cultivalabs.io →

christinefish.com →

Christine with Future of Mobility sprint team
SCAD x FINRA kickoff

Résumé

Design Director & Professor of Design Management
SCADpro, Savannah College of Art and Design
Jan 2020 – Present · Savannah, GA
Directs, recruits, and consults on 10-week design sprints with student teams for Google, BMW, Capital One, Deloitte, and Federal Health Services. Delivers future-vision client experiences that empower corporations with clarity on customers, culture, business, and context.
Principal, Design & Strategy
Cultiva Labs
Ongoing · Savannah, GA
Boutique consulting practice partnering with organizations to drive innovation and positive change. Services span futures research, collaboration workshops, ideation, and prototyping across healthcare, finance, tech, automotive, and education.
Design Manager
MSA Fire Safety
2016 – 2018 · Berlin, Germany
Directed human-centered research, design, and development alongside the fire safety community, firefighters, fire service leadership, and civic government. Led Agile UX across product engineering, software engineering, industrial design, and marketing to deliver a fully integrated solution.
Design Manager
Highmark Health
2012 – 2016
Led the ACA design initiative that increased task completion from 50% to 89%, making health insurance accessible to all. Significant Achievement, 2016.
Senior Futurist & Design Strategist
Philips Design
Earlier career
Futures research and design strategy for one of the world’s leading technology and health companies.
Senior Industrial Designer
Fossil Watches · Marc Jacobs
Earlier career
Senior industrial design for global consumer wearable and fashion accessory brands.
Key Clients
GoogleAssistant, UX Design, GPay, Google Ventures
Deloitte FederalVeterans, USPS, Financial Services, TSA, Futures Research
HealthcareAdvent Health, Mayo Clinic, Hartford Health, Vapotherm
FinancialCapital One, FINRA, BMW Financial Services
Significant Achievements
2015
Earned her MBA
Returned to school mid-career to bridge human-centered design and the language of business, transforming how she advocates for people-first innovation in the boardroom.
2016
Red Dot Award
Recognized with one of the design world's most prestigious international awards, validating her commitment to design excellence and human-centered thinking at the highest level.
2018
Founded Cultiva Labs
Launched her own research and design studio in Savannah, built on the belief that collaboration and empathy drive better business outcomes, from futures research to real implementation.
2018
Appointed to lead SCADpro
Took the helm of SCAD's premier industry partnership program, building real-world design sprints with Google, BMW, Capital One, and Deloitte, bridging academic rigor with corporate innovation.
2020
Designed ventilators used during Covid
Earlier design work at Philips came to life in one of the most critical moments in modern history. A reminder that human-centered design isn't abstract. It saves lives.

Skills & Expertise

Applied AI
AI-enhanced UX research
Responsible AI practices
Generative prototyping
Prompt engineering
Design Sprints
Custom sprint methodology
Corporate culture adaptation
Customer Lab workshops
Business-driven outcomes
User & Futures Research
JTBD methodology
Qualitative & behavioral insights
Trend & foresight research
Research synthesis
Program Management
Strategic planning
Stakeholder alignment
Cross-functional delivery
Risk mitigation
People Management
Hiring & interviewing
Team chemistry assessment
Performance reporting
HR sprint dashboards
Design Operations
Process optimization
Tooling infrastructure
Workflow scalability
Team enablement
Leadership & Strategy
Team mentorship
Change management
Vision alignment
Business impact
Service & Product Experience
UX metrics & quality standards
Usability optimization
Agile UX implementation
End-to-end experience design
✉
Let’s talk
fish@cultivalabs.io · 214-676-4777
💼
Connect on LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/cfish767

Services

Cultiva Labs

Cultiva Labs is Christine’s boutique consulting practice, collaborating for a better tomorrow by aligning user insights, market foresight, and business operations to drive innovation and positive change.

🔭
Research & Analysis
Foresight, insight, and data, from emerging global trends to deep qualitative human understanding and quantitative market evidence.
Methods
  • Future trend research
  • Design research
  • Quantitative & demographic analysis
🤝
Collaboration
Fostering creativity and a culture of empathy through structured workshops, visual problem framing, and executive alignment.
Methods
  • Workshop facilitation
  • Miro & Figma templates
  • Executive coaching
💡
Ideation & Concept Dev.
Generating ideas quickly and effectively, beyond the product, toward the full experience, service, and business model.
Methods
  • Generative workshops
  • Customer Lab alignment
  • Hero’s journey storyboarding
🧪
Prototyping & Testing
Iteratively gaining feedback through testing and prototyping of products, services, and business models.
Methods
  • User testing & co-creation
  • Iterative prototype cycles
  • High-fidelity prototyping

Featured Work

Selected projects
💳View project →
Google
Google Assistant & GPay, Gen Z Futures
Recruited and directed the development of features for the GPay application aligned with Gen Z expectations while differentiating the GPay brand.
Futures ResearchUX DesignGen Z
📈View project →
Capital One
Gen Z Credit Card Platform
Directed, resourced, and led the development of a Gen Z-focused credit card platform, from research through launch-ready design.
Product DesignStrategyFintech
Amazon Music SCADproView project →
SCADpro · Spring 2026
Sample SCADpro Process
A real look inside a 10-week SCADpro design sprint, from research kickoff to final client presentation.
Futures ResearchUX DesignAIMusic
🚒🔒 Private
MSA Fire Safety · Berlin
Integrated Emergency Preparedness Solution
Human-centered research and design with firefighters, fire service leadership, and civic government, resulting in a fully integrated connected safety solution.
HCDAgile UXIndustrial Design
🏥🔒 Private
Highmark Health
ACA Platform, Accessible Health Insurance
Directed the Affordable Care Act design initiative that increased task completion from 50% to 89%, making health insurance accessible to all. ACA Task Completion 50%→89%.
Healthcare UXAccessibilityACA 50%→89%
🎓🔒 Private
SCAD / SCADpro
Corporate Design Sprint Program
Directed 10-week design sprints for Google, BMW, Deloitte, and Federal Health Services, delivering future-vision strategy to corporate clients.
Design SprintsEducationFutures
⌛🔒 Private
Fossil Watches · Marc Jacobs · Philips
Consumer Product & Wearables Design
Senior industrial design for global consumer brands, fashion wearables, accessories, and health technology products for international markets.
Industrial DesignWearablesFutures Strategy

What Clients Say

“Christine brought a level of strategic foresight we hadn’t seen before. Her team didn’t just show us what users want today, they showed us what they’ll need tomorrow.”
Google · UX & GPay Client Team
“The SCADpro team under Christine’s direction delivered research and concepts that fundamentally shifted how we think about engaging the next generation of financial customers.”
Capital One · Product & Marketing Team
“Christine has a rare ability to hold the big picture while making sure every design decision connects back to real human behavior. The work was both visionary and grounded.”
Deloitte Federal · Futures Research Team

Inside the Process

Christine directing a design sprint
SCADpro studio working session
Research synthesis sticky wall
Large format collaboration workshop
Team sketching and prototyping
Collaborative workshop exercise
Leadership and collaboration whiteboard
Concept sketches and process work

Let’s Connect

Based in Savannah, Georgia and open to consulting engagements, speaking opportunities, design partnerships, and new opportunities. Don’t hesitate to reach out.

✉
Email
fish@cultivalabs.io
📞
Phone
214-676-4777
💼
LinkedIn
cfish767
🌐
Portfolio
christinefish.com

Chat with Christine ✦

Ask the AI version of Christine anything, her design philosophy, approach to futures research, specific projects, availability, or what “el Click” really means.

Christine Fish
Christine Fish · AI Portfolio Assistant
Design Director & Futurist · Principal, Cultiva Labs
Christine
Hi! 👋 I’m Christine, or at least my AI twin. I know my work, my process, and what gets me fired up about design. What would you like to know?
Christine
Google Assistant · SCADpro Design Sprint · May 2023

Google Assistant & GPay
Gen Z Futures

Recruited and directed the development of features for the GPay application that align with Gen Z expectations while differentiating the GPay brand, blending futures research, behavioral insight, and rapid prototyping into a cohesive product vision.

Client
Google
Role
Design Director & Futurist
Context
SCADpro 10-Week Sprint
Focus
UX Design · Futures Research · Gen Z
Futures ResearchUX DesignGen Z StrategyPrototypingGPay
Gen Z research insights for Google Assistant
Research

The team began by mapping how Gen Z actually perceives and uses AI assistants, uncovering a gap between how Google saw the product and how young users experienced it. Qualitative research revealed that Gen Z wanted an assistant that felt like a peer, not a tool.

What is an assistant to you research slide
Gen Z 8 hours online stat
Final Concept

The team developed a gamified onboarding and task challenge system that reframed Google Assistant as a daily companion for Gen Z goals, social activities, and personal growth, not just a search shortcut. The concept was selected by Google stakeholders for further development.

Google Assistant final product gamification screens
Presentation Video
Next project →
Capital One, Gen Z Credit Card Platform
Capital One · SCADpro Design Sprint

Exploring
Gen Z Credit

Directed, resourced, and led the development of a Gen Z-focused credit card platform for Capital One, reimagining financial products for a generation that demands transparency, education, and a brand relationship built on trust, not transactions.

Client
Capital One
Role
Design Director & Futurist
Context
SCADpro 10-Week Sprint
Focus
Product Design · Fintech · Gen Z
Product DesignFintechGen Z StrategyFinancial EducationUX Research
Capital One competitor analysis: Link, Zero, Chime, Self
Research & Concepts

The team mapped the competitive landscape, revealing a clear opportunity: no existing Gen Z credit product combined no-credit-check access, meaningful perks, and transparent fee structures. Three distinct concept directions emerged, each targeting a different Gen Z financial mindset.

Capital One concept cards: Catalyst, Link, Navatar
Product Strategy

The team developed a full product and marketing strategy including an AR social filter campaign to drive Gen Z awareness, and a high-fidelity app UI demonstrating how credit-building could feel empowering and transparent rather than intimidating.

Capital One interactive branded content filter
Capital One app UI Link plus screens
Presentation Video
Previous project ←
Google Assistant & GPay, Gen Z Futures
SCADpro · Amazon Music · Spring 2026

Sample
SCADpro Process

A real look inside Christine's 10-week SCADpro design sprint process, from cultural research and futures signals through ideation, prototyping, and executive presentation to the client.

Client
SCADpro Sprint
Role
Design Director & Futurist
Context
SCADpro 10-Week Sprint
Focus
AI · Futures · Music UX · Identity
Futures ResearchUX DesignAI StrategyMusicCommunity
Amazon Music SCADpro final presentation
Collaboration

A multidisciplinary SCADpro team worked directly with Amazon Music stakeholders across a 10-week sprint directed by Christine. Bringing together students from UX design, industrial design, sequential art, and motion media, the collaboration moved from cultural research and futures signals through generative ideation, prototype development, and a final client presentation in Amazon’s presentation space.

Amazon Music SCADpro team
See another project →
Google Assistant & GPay, Gen Z Futures