Designing for People, Not Just Pixels
I’m Alex, a UX design leader with a background in graphic design, product strategy, front-end development, and user experience research. My work is centered on usability, accessibility, and ethical design—ensuring that digital products are intuitive, inclusive, and genuinely useful. Whether leading teams, refining experiences, or solving complex design challenges, I focus on creating systems that work for real people, not just business metrics.
My Journey Into Design
It all started in the ’90s when I was building Angelfire websites, experimenting with design before UX had a name. That early passion evolved into a career spanning graphic design, branding, and digital product design. Over the years, I’ve designed dozens of brands, crafted print and digital experiences, and worked across industries—from agile startups and NGOs to large health care institutions and enterprise-level systems.
For the past five years, I’ve worked as a government contractor, tackling large-scale usability challenges across agencies like EPA, CMS, SBA, and DOC BIS. More recently, I’ve worked in the energy and utilities sector for a Fortune 200 company. There, I focus on improving complex enterprise tools, simplifying critical workflows, and ensuring accessibility is a core part of every experience. My work spans service design blueprints that map energy use management, the Distributed Energy Resource landscape, and B2B-facing Community Solar Portals that help organizations manage their solar projects and subscribers. Whether it’s designing outage management systems or leading cross-functional teams, I bring clarity to complexity and make products work better for the people who rely on them.
Beyond the Screen
Outside of design, I’m super into vintage technology restoration and media preservation. I take apart, repair, and restore everything from cassette decks and MiniDisc players to rare video game consoles and vintage computers. It’s more than a hobby, it’s an approach that mirrors my design philosophy—carefully deconstructing something, understanding how it works, and rebuilding it to be functional while preserving its original aesthetics.
I also collect and restore vintage audio media formats—eight-tracks, vinyl, cassette tapes, MiniDiscs, and CDs—along with the players that bring them to life. Like UX, it’s about the experience: the physical interaction, the intentionality, and the nostalgia of engaging with something tangible.
A People-First Design Philosophy
I believe great design is human-first, not business-first. It’s not just about making things look good, it’s about making them work effortlessly for the people using them. I champion usability, accessibility, and iterative problem-solving, ensuring that design decisions are grounded in real user needs. My experience across industries has taught me that the best solutions come from a deep understanding of both the user and the business, with a focus on removing friction and unnecessary complexity.
Let’s Connect
Whether you’re looking for a UX leader, a mentor, or just someone to talk vintage tech, I’d love to connect. Let’s build something meaningful together.