Why design?

I like creating and designing things that have a purpose. I always thought of design as a problem-solving approach that satisfies the client and myself. Recently, I've been made aware of the butterfly affect of designing and being responsible for the experience of many people. It's us designers that tend to shape the world and leave a mark and I care a lot about the impact of my design to humanity.

I started designing early

I was fortunate my dad used to have part of our home as his creative workshop. I believe at the time, the tool of choice was Corel so in my free time I looked into how he had a print business creating custom products for corporate use and learned from him.

A leader in design
I’ve always been drawn to design, or rather, the design process. Throughout high school and college, I kept being given the role of design lead for various projects. It dawned on me that I should pursue design as a career because it aligns with my interests and skills. However, over time, the act of designing became less fulfilling. I found myself just executing orders (like a machine) rather than expressing my own creativity.

Visual design vs UX design

While I could generate multiple design options, the subjective nature of client preferences often left me questioning my choices. That’s when I discovered UX design. In UX, we validate our assumptions and actively mitigate our biases. It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about creating meaningful, user-centered solutions. This shift has been incredibly fulfilling—it keeps me engaged cause there's always something to learn. Don't get me wrong though, sometimes I do miss the simplicity of illustrating, or creating an eye catching visual, but if I had to choose between the two, I would choose designing great experiences.

My creative experience

I worked for small, medium, and large companies which total to about eleven years of in-house experience in different parts of the world like the Philippines, United States, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Australia, and Canada. I currently live in Canada but I'm open to accepting commissions and projects from all over the world. My recent work is more centered in product design.

Digging deeper into my passions

Outside of work in a nutshell

You'll find me watching anime, attending anime conventions, painting, watching Netflix, playing RPG or tactical games, writing stories, or reading a ton of books. I have recently gotten into coffee making, but I still can't do latte art. I'm an introvert, so I rarely have someone over at home, and I rarely go out to meet people. But I do go out every once in a while to see the world and I find it strange and beautiful.

Drawing and writing

These two are my hobbies, and I’ve channeled this love into publishing a book in 2023 under a pen name. It’s a hobby I cherish, and for now, I prefer to keep it under wraps until it gains momentum. Since I like writing, I also have a small collection of fountain pens and inks. The different shades, sheens, and shimmers are pleasant to watch when I write with them.

Playing online games and boardgames

I also play a lot of games, as I've said but not as often as I wished I could. But when I do find time, I’m drawn to games with stunning visuals and stories, or something interactive. Sometimes I volunteer for conventions like KimiKon(anime convention) or SHUX (board game convention) for the freebies! But often times I'm mostly at home.

Tracking my life goals

I also like taking on difficult challenges because they're fun. So doing things like Inktober, or having a goal tracker in Notion, keeping my calendar well groomed, following what the doctors tell me, trying to beat a really difficult game. When I tell myself I want to do something, I track it, and keep at it up to a point where it no longer makes sense.

I love pursuing what I love

I cycle in and out of hobbies. When I write, I love seeing my reader's reactions in the comments. Some of them laughed or sobbed for hours, and some of them were a bit more personal, like they would tattoo my username on their forearm, or was very depressed and my stories made them feel like crying for the first time. In some way I know I'm making little waves that touch other people's lives.