Hi, I'm Ian. I design products & design systems, and ship the code.
UX/UI designer and front-end developer in Kansas City. I design web and app pages in Figma, help maintain a production design system, and build in React, so the thing you approve is the thing that ships.
A few projects, written up properly.
What the problem was, what I tried, and where I'd do it differently next time.
4 projects
Kansas City
based & available remote
Twelve years in, still fixing the small stuff.
I started designing at 13, freelancing from the start: mostly social graphics for esports orgs and influencers. I never really stopped. Getting paid for that as a teenager taught me to work fast and hit a deadline, which turned out to be most of the job.
In 2022 it became full-time. I was hired for graphic and motion design, and after two years moved into UX/UI and front-end. Now I design web and app pages for an online learning platform, help maintain the design system behind them, and build those pages in React, working project by project alongside our programmers.
I like to settle what a screen has to do before deciding how it looks. Because I also write the front-end, I find out early whether a design will survive the build, not at handoff. I use AI where it saves time, like first-pass layouts and boilerplate code, and keep the decisions for myself. Most of my time goes into details nobody is supposed to notice.
- Years designing
- 12+
- Years on an in-house product team
- 4
- Age I took my first paid client
- 13
Where I've worked.
The short version. Grab the résumé if you want dates and detail.
UX/UI Designer & Front-End Developer · International Academy of Science
2024 – Present
United States
I design web and app pages for Acellus, an online learning platform used by over a million students, help maintain the design system behind them, and build those pages in code.
- Designed 50+ web and app pages for Acellus, an online learning platform used by over a million students.
- Helped create and maintain a 100-component Figma design system.
- Using Claude, replaced a bloated stylesheet full of duplicate components so one fix now reaches everywhere.
- Build designs into shippable pages with React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and TanStack.
- Work project by project with the programming team, from kickoff to retrospective, tracked in GitLab.
Graphic & Motion Designer · International Academy of Science
2022 – 2024
United States
Hired for graphic and motion design. After two years I moved into UX/UI and front-end development.
- Proficient in motion and graphic design using After Effects and Photoshop.
Freelance Designer · Self-employed
2014 – 2022
Remote
Started freelancing at 13, producing social media designs for esports organizations and influencers, and took on longer roles with a few orgs along the way. This is where the brand and design work began.
- Built a client base of esports orgs and influencers.
- Graphic designer for Buzzkill Esports and Animosity Esports, producing matchday, roster, and results graphics.
Leadership
International Academy of Science
2024 – Present
Alongside the UX/UI role
- As the only designer, the go-to for 20+ programmers over the years on design, specs, issues, code, and company questions, so the project manager can focus on the bigger picture.
- Answer the programmers' daily “which token or component?” questions, so the product stays consistent.
- Train new developers, review teammates' code every day, and help set the standards for the design system.
Co-owner & Lead Designer · Third Studio
1 year
- Co-owned the studio and managed its team of 4 designers.
Creative Director · Noxious Gaming
1 year
- Set the esports org's visual identity and directed its creative output.
Education & certifications
Self-taught on the design side. The security track is deliberate: I write the front-end, so knowing how forms, headers, and dependencies actually get attacked is part of the job.
- Self-taught Designer – 12+ years
- Graphic & UX/UI design · Since 2014
- Cybersecurity coursework
- Foundations of Cybersecurity; Manage Security Risks; Networks and Network Security; Linux and SQL; Assets, Threats, and Vulnerabilities · 2025
What I work with.
Product interfaces, the systems behind them, and the code that ships them, with brand work where it all started.
UX/UI Design
Screens that don't need a tutorial.
- UI Design
- User Flows
- Interaction Design
- Prototyping
- Accessibility (WCAG 2.2)
Design Systems
One source of truth, in Figma and in code.
- Design Tokens
- Component Libraries
- Theming
- Documentation
Front-End
Shipping design in code.
- React
- TypeScript
- Tailwind CSS
- TanStack
Brand & Graphic Design
Where it all started.
- Brand Identity
- Logo Design
- Motion Design
- Typography
Hiring for a UX/UI role?
I'm looking for a UX/UI or product design role where I can design and help build. Send a note about the role or the team and I'll usually reply within a day or two.