There's something electric about building experiences that just work, especially when it's a collaborative process. When I'm not chasing that spark, chances are I’m in the kitchen prepping dinner, trying to keep up with my reading challenge, or squeezing in a bit of gaming if I have the time.
My approach to work is anchored in the belief that designers have a large part to play in addressing the most pressing issues of our time. I’m curious about how design intersects with climate activism, food futures, and building equitable communities. Drop me an email if you want to talk shop.
Experience
I enabled Mozilla’s Customer Experience team to make more data-driven decisions.
Expanded data-capabilities paired with simple UX improvements resulted in smoother operations and better user journeys across forums, support content, and 1:1 ticketing.
I helped states find and report on federal funding using U.S. Digital Response's
web applications. Collaborating with state agency administrators showed me the positive impact designers can have in government.
At 1 Thing Against Racism, I collaborated with amazing volunteers
from engineering, design, and data science backgrounds on a hate crime tracker to amplify the stories of people experiencing racism in America.
I worked at Abacus Solutions again, this time as a UX Content Designer.
One of my biggest accomplishments was leading a 5-month project resulting in a complete visual redesign of the company website with a new information architecture.
I championed user-centered design in R&D at Cumberland Group.
Being the sole designer on a team of really smart engineers was an intimidating but rewarding experience in building IoT solutions to tackle issues like food product waste.
My first job in tech was actually in marketing at Abacus Solutions,
a small B2B tech hardware and cloud solutions company. I wore many creative hats, leading digital marketing, improving the UX of their eCommerce site, and designing collateral.
On the side, I freelance as a Video Editor and Production Assistant to Sergio Vega,
an internationally recognized visual artist. Work we’ve collaborated on has been exhibited at venues such as: Open Satellite in Seattle, Galerie Karsten Greve in Paris, and Galleria Umberto Di Marino in Naples. Selected works can be viewed on Sergio’s website.
More about me
I was born and raised in Okinawa, Japan! I lived there on and off for about 14 years before I moved to the states in 2004.
I love to cook and bake. Here’s me rolling out some dough at a croissant making class we took together. My wife and I spend a lot of time together in the kitchen. I love setting mise en place and one of my biggest pet peeves is a dull chef's knife.
When I get the chance, I like making things with my hands. Sometimes they even turn out okay, like this library cart-style bookshelf I made as a gift.
I'm particularly fond of analog film photography. It can sometimes feel like a gamble when pressing the shutter button, but when it turns out right few things can rival the unique quality captured on film.
