Day to Day Design is helmed by Christi Hagen

A senior UX specialist with strategy, research, and design chops — skills from over 10 years building products that matter

About Christi

I've been in love with UX and operating at the nexus of people, business, and tech since before completing my masters in Human-Computer Interaction from Carnegie Mellon University back in 2014. Nerdy but true. After a decade of working for global brands to elevate the UX of their systems, applications, processes, and products internally and externally, I launched into consulting for bigger impact and stronger mission in 2024, founding Day to Day Design.

UX is not a luxury or nice to have only for big firms, but a strategic differentiator for companies and teams of all sizes. Now in this age of ready-made AI creations good UX stands to elevate digital product experiences far above the slop and make real positive impact for the people it's designed for. That's why Day to Day Design is here.

I'm based in San Diego, CA and deeply rooted in the community: I volunteer with local organizations focused on mentorship and equity because I believe people and community matter.

From me to you, thanks for checking out what we're up to at Day to Day Design. Happy to talk shop, strategize creative solutions, and collaborate on making your big bet a UX success, anytime.

The Day to Day Design belief

Ambitious heart-led teams can out-compete giants and change the world

This belief extends beyond scrappy startups: it's for any team with a lean mindset, bringing genuine passion and optimism to their customers, their mission, and their potential. If you're strategic about purposeful impact and willing to stay nimble in your approach — if you see research and design as competitive advantages to move fast in the right direction — I already like where your head's at, and think we might have the beginnings of a good fit.

What I bring to a partnership

Why work with me

Senior UX skillset across strategy, research, and design, shortening steps from idea to outcome

A partner invested in your mission, pointing every step at your North Star, and challenging the bar to be higher

Transparency throughout: honest feedback, reliable follow-through, tactics explainable at every turn

Decisions grounded in what customers actually say and do and UX best practices, so you build with confidence

Collaborative approach so UX can grow into a shared mindset on your team

I work best with teams who…

See UX, strategy, research, and design as a competitive advantage, not a checkbox

Want an engaged partnership, informed at every turn without needing to be hands-on for all of it

Treat customer perspectives as a strategic imperative to balance customer needs with business objectives

Are genuinely invested in building something that matters, both for their bottom line and the people they serve

FAQS

Good questions, honest answers

The strategy, research, and design decisions I make are what your team builds from directly — wireframes, prototypes, a documented direction, whatever the engagement calls for. For implementation itself, I partner closely with your developers, or bring in the right specialist, so nothing gets lost between the thinking and what ships.

Whatever ties directly to the goal we set at the start — task completion time, satisfaction scores, conversion, retention, whatever signal actually matters for this decision. I set the measure before the work starts, not after, so we both know what "it worked" actually means.

That's exactly what the discovery call is for — a real conversation, not a pitch. I'll tell you directly if the timing, scope, or problem isn't the right match for what I do best, the same way I'd expect that honesty in return. When it is a fit, you'll know it from how specific and grounded that first conversation gets.

Book the call. Leave with clarity.

30 minutes, free. We'll discuss what you're trying to figure out, determine fit, and start moving your business forward

Book free discovery call