Hello, I'm Koi.
In a world dominated by screens and pixels, I empower teams and designers to merge their authentic selves with the human touch—ensuring that our creations resonate with genuine and meaningful insight.
Work experience.
Currently, I am an Experience Design Consultant at Slalom, a global consulting agency. My work and interests here revolves around Design Systems, eCommerce, and Retail experiences . From Tech to Life Sciences, I've dived deep into various sectors, shaping their product roadmaps and redefining their customer experiences. Additionally, as a mentor and career coach for DesignLab's UX Academy, I guide aspiring designers to the path of becoming a UX/UI and Product Designer.
Though NDAs limit the details I can share, I invite you to email me for a deeper dive into my portfolio and references.
Proficiencies
Tools
Slalom
2021–Present
Experience Designer
Worked with diverse organizations, spanning across multiple sectors from Tech and Retail to Financial Services, Automotive, Life Sciences, and Healthcare.
- Defining product roadmaps to align with business and user needs.
- Pioneering enhanced customer experiences through innovative design solutions.
- Leading discovery and research initiatives to uncover insights.
- Employing human-centered practices to ensure design relevancy and impact.
Notable achievements
- Spearheaded the creation of a mature design system for a global banking institution, streamlining their digital interfaces and enhancing user experience.
- Pioneered the design of a comprehensive marketplace for a leading pharmaceutical retailer, optimizing user journeys and boosting online engagements.
DesignLab
2020–Present
Mentor
- Collaborating with each student over a period ranging from 15 to 28 weeks, tailoring guidance to individual progression rates and needs.
- Delivering constructive feedback on their assignments to bolster their design prowess.
- Addressing queries related to both coursework and real-world design scenarios.
- Facilitating regular 1:1 virtual sessions to deep dive into their projects and curriculum, ensuring a comprehensive grasp of design concepts.
Career coach
- Empowering students to navigate their professional journey post-coursework (UX Academy).
- Assisting in the refinement of their portfolios to best reflect their skillset.
- Aiding in the development of impactful resumes and compelling cover letters.
- Equipping them with the tools and techniques for successful job interviews, enhancing their market readiness.
AARP Innovation Labs
2018–2021
Innovation Design Thinker
- Pioneered human-centered design solutions to bridge startups, and internal business units with their end-users.
- Employed cutting-edge UX/UI trends to refine user encounters and troubleshoot complex challenges.
- Collaborated with multifaceted teams, including Product Managers, Engineers, and UX Researchers.
- Leveraged market research insights to fine-tune designs and strategize user engagement.
- Championed HCD principles by orchestrating workshops and design sprints for both internal teams and external partners.
- Drew from a Graphic Design background to mentor and direct creative teams, ensuring alignment with AARP's brand.
Notable achievements
- Foundational Role in Design Thinking: Played an integral part in the inception and evolution of AARP's Design Thinking practice.
- AARP Innovation Labs Award: Key contributor to the team hailed as a prime hub for workplace innovators in 2020.
- DC Startup Week (2020): Spearheaded a session on cognitive biases and their influence on creative thinking.
AARP
2015–2018
Visual Designer
- Ideated and crafted mockups, translating the department's vision across various devices.
- Designed captivating graphics, data visualizations, and presentations to communicate effectively with audiences.
- Managed end-to-end project lifecycles, encompassing research, data analysis, and timely execution.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to produce wireframes, showcasing critical UI/UX components for website layouts.
Notable achievements
- Training portal: Singlehandedly ideated and designed the department's internal training portal, elevating organizational learning experiences.
From my colleagues.
My colleagues often commend my adaptability, critical thinking, and authentic approach to challenges. I thrive in diverse environments, keenly attuning to various work styles and eagerly absorbing feedback. While I'm passionate about mentoring and fostering growth in others, I continuously seek opportunities for my own growth, making every project a collective learning experience.
"I owe so much of my design growth and attentiveness to him (Koi) and I can’t believe that I was so lucky to have him as a mentor. He’s one of my favorite people in the whole design world and he’s a strong reason why I’m the designer that I am today!"
Kristi P.
UX/UI Designer, Rockstar Games
"Working with Koi has taught me patience, critical thinking, and open-mindedness. He stayed true to himself during this process of learning new channels of work, learning different working styles, and working closely with client work streams. This helps the client understand our work flow, in which they can also adapt to, to improve their processes in the future."
Sucha S.
Sr. UX Designer, Slalom
"Koi is a talented and well-rounded designer who I feel so fortunate to have worked with on my first project at Slalom. He really set the bar for what it means to be a team player and human centered UX designer. Talented across all areas of UX (user research, research analysis, UX and visual design) Koi is an extremely valuable and dynamic asset to Slalom, and any customer who is lucky enough to have him on their engagement."
Sydnee G.
Sr. UX Designer, Slalom
Let's chat.
If interested in working together or learning more about the work that I do, feel free to reach out!