Who is Niels Nielsen?

Niels C. Nielsen Jr. is a UX/UI designer and artist based in El Mirage, Arizona. He has 15 years of experience designing interfaces and design systems, with a focus on accessible government digital services.

What services does Niels offer?

UX/UI design, design systems, websites and web apps, mobile apps, and art and illustration. Each engagement runs from first sketch to developer handoff.

Does Niels have government design experience?

Yes. He is currently a UX/UI Designer at Alpha Omega, building a design system in Figma on the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS). He previously led UX/UI design for SAMHSA and CDC digital experiences at SeKON LLC, following USWDS and Section 508 / WCAG requirements.

What tools does Niels use?

Figma, Figma Make, Storybook, Sketch, Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, and GSAP. Components are documented in Storybook so design and engineering stay in sync.

How does Niels use AI in his design work?

AI design agents help him explore layouts, variants, and copy directions quickly. He frames the problem, chooses the direction, rebuilds it by hand in Figma, and checks contrast, focus states, and USWDS standards himself before anything ships.

How is accessibility handled?

Accessibility is designed in from the first frame: color contrast, focus states, and semantic structure that meet Section 508 and WCAG guidelines.

Where is Niels based, and who does he work with?

He works from El Mirage, Arizona, and takes on UX/UI, design-system, and art engagements for clients across the United States.

How can I hire Niels or see his resume?

Email niels@nielsn.com or use the contact form on the home page, choosing a project type and budget range. The full resume can be downloaded as a PDF from the Resume page.

Resume: 15 Years of UX/UI Experience | Niels Nielsen Design Studio

01 / Profile & current work

Design with intention. Systems built to scale.

Senior UX/UI and product design professional with 15 years of experience across government digital services and commercial brands in retail, automotive, and lifestyle. Specializes in accessible interaction patterns and design systems that bridge design and engineering, combining strong visual craft with hands-on front-end knowledge, responsive behavior, and complex information architecture.

Professional experience

Jun 2025 – Present

Alpha Omega

UX/UI Designer

Design federal digital interfaces, including TA Center directory discovery, page architecture, and search/filter interaction patterns.
Design Figma component states for guided search, multi-select filtering, event/webinar cards, and accessible 360–1400px layouts.
Translate requirements into low- and high-fidelity concepts, responsive specifications, and documented interaction states.

View project

Oct 2022 – Jun 2025

SeKON LLC

Lead UI/UX Designer

Led UX/UI design for federal digital experiences, developing responsive patterns aligned with USWDS and Section 508 / WCAG requirements.
Produced reusable Figma components, design-system patterns, and developer handoff guidance for Drupal-based federal websites.
Developed wireframes, accessible interactions, and desktop-to-mobile content experiences in collaboration with federal stakeholders and engineers.

2019–2022

Paradigm / Arizona Public Service

Lead UI/UX Designer

Designed responsive customer-facing interfaces for APS.com, including reusable content patterns and energy-estimation tools.
Delivered detailed UX/UI specifications and front-end design guidance to distributed engineering teams.

2019–2022

Cool Events LLC

Lead UI/UX Designer · Contract

Designed Salesforce Lightning-based interfaces and coordinated implementation of multiple branded event experiences.

2016–2019

Grupo Gallegos

Senior UI/UX Designer

Designed and developed responsive experiences across Drupal/Pantheon properties, including English/Spanish sites for Hass Avocados.
Supported automotive and e-commerce UI projects, including a Mazda comparison experience.

2015–2016

Cadient

Senior UI/UX Designer / Front-End Engineer

Created responsive digital experiences and front-end prototypes for enterprise and commercial clients.

2014–2016

Google / Contract

Senior UI/UX Designer / Front-End Engineer

Supported internal digital initiatives and interactive marketing experiences through interface design, prototypes, and front-end development.

Additional experience

Apoorva / Stem Match (2014)
Genesis Auctions (2013–2014)
Blabwire Media (2013)
Ciber (2012–2013)
IntraSee (2011–2012)

Education

California State University, Fullerton

B.A., Computer Science

Representative design strengths

Federal UX and government content architecture
Design systems, component libraries, and state documentation
Accessible interaction design and responsive behavior
Search/filter flows, data display, event and calendar patterns
High-fidelity UI craft and practical engineer collaboration

Interface Design
Design Systems
Prototyping
Accessibility
Documentation

Figma

Figma Make

Storybook

Sketch

USWDS

UX/UI

15+

Years of experience

20+

Brands

Download resume PDF

Questions and answers

Quick answers about working with me.

The short version of who I am, what I design, and how to hire me.

Who is Niels Nielsen?: Niels C. Nielsen Jr. is a UX/UI designer and artist based in El Mirage, Arizona. He has 15 years of experience designing interfaces and design systems, with a focus on accessible government digital services.
What services does Niels offer?: UX/UI design, design systems, websites and web apps, mobile apps, and art and illustration. Each engagement runs from first sketch to developer handoff.
Does Niels have government design experience?: Yes. He is currently a UX/UI Designer at Alpha Omega, building a design system in Figma on the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS). He previously led UX/UI design for SAMHSA and CDC digital experiences at SeKON LLC, following USWDS and Section 508 / WCAG requirements.
What tools does Niels use?: Figma, Figma Make, Storybook, Sketch, Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, and GSAP. Components are documented in Storybook so design and engineering stay in sync.
How does Niels use AI in his design work?: AI design agents help him explore layouts, variants, and copy directions quickly. He frames the problem, chooses the direction, rebuilds it by hand in Figma, and checks contrast, focus states, and USWDS standards himself before anything ships.
How is accessibility handled?: Accessibility is designed in from the first frame: color contrast, focus states, and semantic structure that meet Section 508 and WCAG guidelines.
Where is Niels based, and who does he work with?: He works from El Mirage, Arizona, and takes on UX/UI, design-system, and art engagements for clients across the United States.
How can I hire Niels or see his resume?: Email niels@nielsn.com or use the contact form on the home page, choosing a project type and budget range. The full resume can be downloaded as a PDF from the Resume page.