About
I’m A Designer & Strategist who uses curiosity and a diverse skill set to deliver exceptional experiences and enable teams.
In team-building exercises, a common question that's asked is "what's your superpower?" For a long time, I didn't know quite how to answer that. I'd say something like "attention to detail" or "cross-functional communication". Those are certainly valuable skills, but I view them as more a part of the job than a superpower, and certainly not rare qualities among the people I've had the privilege to work alongside. They were safe answers in the absence of a better one.
After reflecting on it more, what I came to realize is that my superpower is something far more general but deceptively powerful—curiosity. My whole life, I've been driven by the why and how of everything. Why are plants green instead of blue? How do ballpoint pens work? Why are letters on keyboards organized the way they are?
That being the case, it's no mystery as to why my career has been full of twists and turns. From Graphic Designer to Illustrator to Web Designer to Animator to Front-end Developer to UX Designer to Experience Strategist, it’s that curiosity that drives me to explore and develop competency across a wide range of cross-functional disciplines in the broader design space.
Design Systems
Design systems are more than resource, they’re a product that can accelerate teams and de-risk business initiatives. They say not to sweat the small stuff, but details are my happy place.
Visual Design
My roots are in visual design, and while I’ve broadened my focus over the years I still bring those elements of taste, polish and storytelling to everything I do.
Focus Areas
AI Enabled Design
The line between design & implementation is blurring. That’s an exciting place to be. When designers can reach further into the build environment, we can stop describing experiences and start shaping them.
Stakeholder Alignment
Great design lives at the intersection of user needs, business objectives and technical feasibility. The trick is breaking down walls and building bridges between cross-functional teams.
UI & UX
Good UI is invisible and good UX is the thinking that makes it possible. I obsess over both the pixel-level detail that builds trust and the decisions underneath that make experiences effortless.
Rapid Prototyping
If a picture is worth 1,000 words, a prototype is worth 1,000 pictures. Whether it’s with the industry tool du jour or good old fashion code, nothing beats getting users in the driver’s seat early and often.
Accessibility
A rising tide lifts all ships. I believe accessibility is a foundational pillar, not a future enhancement for the backlog.
Service Design
Some problems are complex, opaque and buried under layers of tribal knowledge. Mapping out the end-to-end CX touchpoint and enablers not only helps solve complex problems but identifies the right problems to solve.
Coaching
Leadership comes in a lot of flavors. I’ve found the best way to enable teams is to focus on encouraging curiosity, removing road blocks, nurturing growth and then staying out of the way.
Outside the Office
When I’m not on the clock you’ll likely find me painting a mural of my daughter’s latest obsession in her room, trying to beat my Rubik’s Cube best time, honing my traditional Japanese woodworking skills or embroidering fancy profanity onto tea towels. Everyone needs hobbies.
