Hello there!

Welcome! I’m Dan, and making things is my passion. Every day, it shows me ways to grow, gives me motivation, and brings me closer to others. It fills my professional and personal life.

By day, I get to make User Experiences. I work with groups of people who help me explore their perspectives and struggles. That lets us discover and define their biggest problems. We then design and deliver solutions to those problems. I work in each step of this process, but my primary role is prototype design because I’m great at making ideas real.

There are a lot of hurdles to making ideas a reality. Peoples’ opinions, needs, and skills all have to be reconciled. That’s where I make a difference. I lead ideation exercises that reduce bias, increase variety, inspire collaboration, and end  with a decision. I move the process forward by breaking the chosen idea into a plan of features and releases. Then I make prototypes, observe how they impact users, and propose changes based on their feedback. It’s the final leg on a long journey, but it’s a wonderful process that leaves me ready for more.

After hours, my wildest ideas become like a game that I can’t wait to play. I break each (idea) one down into its smallest “level” made of unique challenges and puzzles: what type of yeast is best for home-made cider? How many frames are in a phoneme animation? How do I wire LEDs into my cosplay? The questions lead me to people who can help. I love involving forums, friends, and family because that makes it a game that we can play together.

Some of my best memories are founded on things I made with others. I lived with my Aunt and Uncle during my first spring after the Marines, and I made a full Iron Man suit in their garage. My wife and I met through our shared passion, collaborating on interior design and interactive technology at art school. And through creative competitions I made affordable solar power supplies for displaced peoples, an award winning game, and some life-long friends. Creativity and projects have helped make bonds with the people closest to me.

My life is filled with people and the things that we make together. I get to collaborate and deliver meaningful projects both on and off the clock. This website is a way of sharing what I learn, a way of opening up my projects to more critique, and celebrating my passion. 

There is a lot to show! If you’d like to learn more about my work, please check out my portfolio page! If you’d like to see what I am working on in my spare time, I’ve put some passion projects in my studies page! I will also be using blog posts to capture stray design thoughts and niche processes. Please reach out to me through my about page or any of my social links to offer comments, questions, or critique!