Who we are
We are artist software engineers and product designers. Between us, we design, code, write, podcast, and oil paint in a tiny studio we built ourselves.
We are holistic thinkers who draw across disciplines. We work inside and outside the box. We’re street smart. We see through narratives, and aren’t distracted by trends. We’re your solution to metrics-driven neurosis. We embrace complexity and we’re comfortable with chaos.
Design research
We use qualitative research methods to identify both entrenched and emerging behaviours. We help you understand motivations and identify the path forward.
Design thinking
We use co-design methods, working closely with the people we design for. We take cues from them and pair them with industry best practices to produce unbiased, high value products.
Development
We are full stack developers with 15 years of production experience. We have high standards and deliver reliable, maintainable products.
Strategic futures
We help articulate visions and develop plans to achieve them.
No absolutes
Kind Human questions narratives and dogmas. We believe there are two sides to every story, and we have actively worked to become experts at suspending our personal opinions and judgements in the pursuit of genuine knowledge. We are non-ideological and non-partisan.
We’re not data nerds, purists, or bull-headed “experts”. We believe in beauty, complexity, nature, and humanity.
Principal design
Kristi is a multidisciplinary artist and designer. She previously led the product design practice at Pivotal Labs, Los Angeles (acquired by VMWare) and was the founding designer at Nautilus Labs (acquired by Danelec). She previously led design projects with organizations including Central Saint Martins School of Art & Design, Ford, The Environmental Protection Agency, Medicare and The California Department of Transportation. Kristi is an avid reader, occasional short story writer, and life-long oil painter, a joy she inherited from her grandmother as a child.
Principal technologist
Stephen is a designer and technologist. In 2016 he cofounded CityGrows, a digital permitting platform for municipal governments, and served as CTO until it was acquired by ClearGov in 2022. His interest in architecture, urban design, and spaces for people has led to unique experience working at the intersection of technology, urbanism, and government. Outside of work, Stephen clicks with writing, photography, cooking, gardening, skateboards, pianos, books, and antiques. He also runs the Plastics podcast, an audio essay series on the role complexity plays in contemporary life.
Kristi and Stephen live in Montreal, QC with their daughter, Daisy, and their cat, Nilzo.
Copyright 2019-2025 Kind Human Studio
