Hello.
I’m Michael, a film fanatic from the American Southwest now living in Paris with my partner and our cat, Kitten.
I love taking photos in late-afternoon light, reading fiction, and drinking coffee.
I design things — mostly interfaces, sometimes icons — that are a little warm, a little whimsical, and highly usable.
My values #
Though I’m not always in a position to make decisions, I will always push to do the right thing.
Focus on people
And their needs. Always design with usability, discoverability, and accessibility in mind.
Empower and delight
Make things simple, but not soulless. Build things that are functional, understandable, and joyful.
Respect and protect
Advocate for ethical, sustainable design. Fight deceptive patterns and honor privacy.
An abbreviated history #
I’ve had the wonderful fortune of taking on many roles over the years — in the service, film, and design industries — in which I’ve learned the importance of collaboration and the joy of genuine human connection.
2022 – present
Interface design at MESH where I work closely with UX, product, and engineering — prototyping, testing, and iterating as we re-focus the app and introduce new features.
2021
After years away, I made the decision amidst Covid lockdowns to return to the design world. Wanting more formal training, I completed an intensive 10-week UX/UI bootcamp with Ironhack Paris. My final project was selected amongst my cohort’s top 3.
2017 – 2021
Found my break into the film industry. I worked as a set costumer and proud IATSE union member, spent countless hours with loads of warm, creative people, and moved to Los Angeles.
2014 – 2017
Started working at Apex Evaluation, where I taught myself design principles and methods and championed a design-driven culture. I built a new website, updated and expanded the identity system, produced marketing materials and videos, and began redesigning the Apex iPad app.
2011 – 2014
Studied filmmaking at the University of New Mexico and the Santa Fe University of Art and Design. I paid my bills working as a barista and fell in love with coffee.
early ’90s – 2011
Grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA — one big suburb with not much to do, but bursting with breathtaking desert beauty.
About this site #
This site is super simple because I built it myself from scratch — HTML, CSS, and a tiny bit of Javascript. It will respect your device’s appearance and motion preferences.
It’s hosted by Namecheap, and the typeface is Tofino by Alanna Munro.
I don’t use any trackers or analytics.
I continually work to make sure this site is accessible to everyone. If you catch something that needs improvement or isn’t working for you, please feel free to let me know.