Design,then build.

Portfolio
2024–2026Scroll

I design interfaces in Figma and build them in code. Currently Wello, a wellness product I founded; Still, a meditation app in the Wello suite; Foundry, a school lost-and-found platform; and Phoenix Force, my robotics team's website.

See the work↓max@maxkirchstein.com→
Status
Open to roles
Practice
Design + Dev
Since
2024
Local time
--:-- CST
Wello key art: the wellness wheel on a phone beside the line “Wellness, reimagined.”
Fig. 01
2024
Interfaces that hold up in the hand, not just in the frame.
Fig. 01
Wello, the wellness wheel. Figma system to React Native.
Case study→

Work

Five projects, 2024 to 2026. Three shipped for others, two founded and built alone. Each one designed and coded by the same hands.

05
  1. 01Wello
    The first-run welcome screen, a speech bubble over a smiling face

    Helps someone understand how they're doing and take one manageable next step. Soft shapes, generous space, one color per category, palettes that shift with the time of day. “Headspace meets playful digital minimalism.”

    Founder, Product Designer
    Wellness app
    2024 to now
    Case study→
  2. 02Still

    Meditation app in the Wello suite. Presence over technique: no session library, one companion feature called Stay With Me. Original photography from day trips around Wisconsin.

    Crescent moon through tall grass at dusk, Wisconsin
    Designer, Developer
    Expo, React Native
    2026 to now
    Case study→
  3. 03Foundry
    Homepage hero, search-first lost and found

    Lost-and-found platform for a school. Search, submit, claim, with authentication, claim verification and an admin dashboard. Front end rebuilt in 2026 with a custom Figma UI, WCAG AA.

    Front-end designer & developer (with Prithvi Konduru)
    FBLA State, school platform
    2025–2026
    Case study→
  4. 04Phoenix Force

    The site for my FIRST Tech Challenge team, 10100. The homepage is a document in five bits, each section a 1 or a 0, so scrolling it spells the team number. Archivo, IBM Plex Mono, one orange accent.

    Homepage, PHOENIX FORCE set full width over the team's spec block, Bit 1 of 5
    Designer, developer (with Prithvi Konduru)
    FTC team 10100, Madison
    2026 to now
    Case study→
  5. 05Reckless Studios
    Homepage hero, the studio wordmark set full-bleed on black

    A responsive site for an independent film studio that doesn't play it safe. Dark neutrals, warm white, one bold accent, grain, spotlight interactions, portfolio-forward.

    Web Developer, Designer
    Client site, Madison
    2024–2026
    Case study→
All work→
02
About

Hax the world.

Take the thing apart, understand it, put it back together better. The Figma file and the repository are the same project, so what gets shipped is what got designed.

Design01
Systems before screens. Tokens, type scale, components, then layouts. Custom Figma UI, never template-generated.
Build02
HTML/CSS, JavaScript, Astro, Next.js and TypeScript. Shipped to WCAG AA, lazy-loaded, GPU-cheap.
Motion03
GSAP, ScrollTrigger, Lenis. Scroll-driven and purposeful, with reduced motion respected. DaVinci Resolve for video.
More about Max→
03
Skills
Bold, daily. Light, working knowledge.20 items

Figma / UI / UX / Responsive web / Design systems / Branding / HTML / CSS / JavaScript / TypeScript / Astro / Next.js / Git / GSAP / Python / Prisma / Expo / React Native / Tailwind / Graphic design / Video editing / Motion design.

Design
Figma first. Systems before screens: tokens, type scale, components.
Development
Ships what it draws. Semantic HTML, WCAG AA, GPU-cheap motion.
Stack
Next.js, TypeScript, Prisma, SQLite. Expo and React Native on mobile. Vercel.
Creative
DaVinci Resolve for video and motion graphics. GSAP with Lenis on the web.
By discipline→
04
Record

2024 to now

Resume, PDF↓
2024Freelance web developer and designer
Founded WelloReckless Studios, client site for a Madison film studio.
Figma system, time-based palettes.
2025FBLA Website Coding & DevelopmentLed a team to state-level competition.
2026Foundry front-end rebuild
Wello Guided Check-In
Still
Phoenix Force websiteCustom Figma UI on the working backend, WCAG AA.
Check in, understand the moment, choose one micro-action.
Expo and React Native, original Wisconsin photography.
Designed the FTC 10100 team site, built with Prithvi Konduru.
AlsoCodeCS leadership
Yearbook editor in training
Volunteer Python instructorMiddleton High School, class of 2028, GPA 3.93.
Honor Roll. Five Superior ratings, Forensics (competitive speech).
 
Full record→
05
Contact

Hiring for design and development? Write.

Reachable at
max@maxkirchstein.com
linkedin/maximillionaire
github/Occams-Razer
Resume, PDF
Middleton, Wisconsin
43.09° N, 89.51° W