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Sr/Lead Product Designer
Thanks for stopping by. I’m currently at Blackhawk Network, rethinking how people manage gift cards. Beyond usability, I shape product direction and lead teams to build solutions that balance user needs, business goals, and technical realities.
jameswniekamp@gmail.com | 502-551-8969 | LinkedIn
United Airlines | 2023
This was a high-stakes effort to redefine the role of flight dispatchers. We consolidated a patchwork of outdated tools into one streamlined system, removing repetitive manual tasks and enabling dispatchers to handle complex routing and fuel planning with greater efficiency and clarity.
Tango | 2024
“Don’t make it too easy!” leadership told me—the goal was to slow users down just enough to capture revenue from unused gift cards. I balanced that with just enough usability to avoid frustrating people completely. A tough ethical line to walk, but we made it work.
United Airlines | 2019
United Airlines asked me to redesign their web check-in experience, used by more than 10 million travelers annually, into a responsive application. I streamlined interactions, clarified steps, and modernized the look and feel while aligning with evolving brand standards.
Tango | 2024
This was a classic UX vs. tech tradeoff. My ideal flow for configuring tax info hit technical constraints that threatened a hard launch date. So I pivoted—reused an existing component and data model to hit the deadline while still delivering a fast, familiar experience for users.
United Airlines | 2022
This was a rare case where a company threw bags of money and time at getting the UX right. United asked me to unify a mess of outdated tools into one system for flight dispatchers handling complex tasks like routing and fuel planning. With the space to do it properly, we made their jobs a whole lot easier.
Tango | 2024
“Don’t make it too easy!” leadership told me—the goal was to slow users down just enough to capture revenue from unused gift cards. I balanced that with just enough usability to avoid frustrating people completely. A tough ethical line to walk, but we made it work.
Tango | 2024
This was a classic UX vs. tech tradeoff. My ideal flow for configuring tax info hit technical constraints that threatened a hard launch date. So I pivoted—reused an existing component and data model to hit the deadline while still delivering a fast, familiar experience for users.
Tango | 2025
Reward Link is Tango’s flagship product, but the experience was bogged down by friction and inconsistency. I overhauled the checkout flow—cutting six clicks down to two, unifying redemption and credential access, and standardizing interactions across all reward types. The result: a faster, cleaner experience that recipients actually enjoy using.