My Journey so far
High School AND a University drop out!
*I still received a GED and B.A.
Bottom up processing.
I tend to figure things out and do things my own way, after thinking deeply on those things; the essentialism, rationale, and “why” of things matter immensely to me. “Because” has never been a good enough reason for me.
I have learned that sustainable happiness and joy comes from hard, deliberate, work and empathy. I’ve also learned that we tend to over-estimate what we can accomplish in months and underestimate what we can do over years.
Resume
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Dynamic and strategic Product Designer with over a decade of experience in leading diverse design projects, from e-commerce development to brand strategy. Combines a user-centric approach with strong technical acumen to design impactful business solutions. Dedicated to continuous learning and advancing design innovation.
Experience
Graphics and Web Development Director | 2020 – Present
Simply Smart Home, Dublin CA
Education
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Psychology | 2011
University of California Santa Barbara
- ClicSmart and PhotoShare Product Design and Brand Leadership: Spearheaded the full design lifecycle of ClicSmart and PhotoShare, with a user-centric approach. Managed and executed branding, 3D product imagery, animated ads, presentation decks, packaging, displays, and mobile app design. Implemented project management systems to optimize workflows with teammates and stakeholders, leading to successful product placements in major retailers including Walmart and Costco.
- E-commerce Website Development and Optimization: Solely designed and developed the company’s e-commerce website, enhancing user engagement and contributing to a 22% increase in total sales. Continuously enhances user experience with feature updates and strategic content management.
- Strategic Brand Development and Market Growth: Drove a brand refresh aligned with target demographics, resulting in a 233% YOY sales increase in 2021. Employed market trend analysis to guide branding decisions, resulting in sustained product appeal and market relevance.
Technology Director | 2020 – present
QTBIPOC Design 503c, New York NY
- Website Design Leadership and Designer Mentorship: Directed the design and development of the organization’s website, subsequently mentoring and guiding junior to mid-level designers in content management and website administration. Plays a pivotal role in shaping programming and fostering the professional growth of emerging designers.
- Strategic Business Design and Operational Leadership: Led Business design initiatives including internal operations, project management, marketing and branding. Facilitated committee meetings and coordinated team activities, improving organizational effectiveness.
- Foundational Leadership and Program Success: As a founding member of the planning committee, contributed significantly to the graduation of three student cohorts, leading to transformative outcomes and strategic business partnerships. Involvement was instrumental in driving the organization’s mission and expanding its impact.
Website Development Contractor | 2023 – 2024
Website Administrator | 2016 – 2019
The iO Theater, Chicago IL
- Re-engaged in late 2023: Designing and building an updated site for new company ownership.
- Project Management and Revenue Growth: Drove a 24% YOY increase in total ticket sales in 2018, increasing online ticket sales from 50% to 75%, and reduced content entry time for staff by half, through collaborating with TicketFly to design and build their first Flagship managed hosting website. Focused on project management with iO, optimizing the ticket purchasing process, integrating a seamless POS system, post-launch feature development and content management. Designing and building an updated site for new company ownership.
Project Management and Revenue Growth: Drove a 24% YOY increase in total ticket sales in 2018, increasing online ticket sales from 50% to 75%, and reduced content entry time for staff by half, through collaborating with TicketFly to design and build their first Flagship managed hosting website. Focused on project management with iO, optimizing the ticket purchasing process, integrating a seamless POS system, post-launch feature development and content management.
Founder | 2019 – Present
Kovalik Design, Los Angeles CA
- E-commerce Site Development and Revenue Growth: Led a comprehensive e-commerce site redesign and development, tripling annual revenue to $5 million. Emphasized user-centric design, database mapping, and seamless checkout processes. Continues to ensure growth and efficiency through managed hosting, feature enhancements, and new employee training.
- SEO for Music Instruction Studio: Designed and developed an engaging website for a music instruction studio, incorporating SEO tactics and AdWords strategies that achieved full booking within five months of launch. Prioritized intuitive navigation, marketing-funnel tactics, and online visibility, resulting in successful client acquisition.
- Non-Profit Video Production Company Growth: Designed and executed a branding and web development project for a non-profit video production company, culminating in securing six-figure contracts and Emmy nominations.
- Pro Bono Support and Mentorship: Provided pro bono website development and business strategy mentorship to five entrepreneurs, nurturing their success and fostering long-term growth. These mentorships evolved into business partnerships, with them returning as clients for site updates and strategic consulting.
Technical Skills: UX/UI Design, Information Architecture, Wireframing, Prototyping, Usability Testing, Responsive Design, Graphic Design, Web Development, Brand Strategy, Project Management, Agile Methodologies, Accessibility Standards, User Research, HTML/CSS, JavaScript, SEO Optimization, Data Visualization, Interaction Design, Mobile App Design, User Persona Development, Customer Journey Mapping, A/B Testing, Product Development, Digital Marketing
Programs: Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Git, JIRA, Notion, Google Analytics, MS Office Suite, Google Suite, Sketch, WordPress
2007
College Peer Counsellor
Santa Barbara, CA
Helping high school students enter the college pipeline
With the organization CAL-SOAP, I helped coordinate, run booths, speak at high schools and outreach events towards making the college process accessible for students with navigating FASFA, financial aid, admissions, applications, and exploring majors.
I stumbled into being a founding father of the Sigma Pi fraternity at UCSB, a very diverse and inclusive group.
Me and some fraternity brothers at the Sandbar in Santa Barbara, CA
2007-2010
Security Manager (Bouncer)
Santa Barbara, CA
Meeting 100’s of people nightly and being a patron filter
I had a team of 5-15 employees working the floor, depending on the night, while I spent most of my time checking IDs and managing at the front door.
We had a habit of yelling at patrons about last call and leaving around 1:30am nightly, and it didn’t sit well with me corralling unwilling patrons to leave and usually finishing up by 2am.
So, applying some of what I’d learned in school I started thanking customers at 1:10am for their patronage and reminded them to put in their last orders before last call. Not only did sales go up ~40% YOY during those last 20 minutes, customers happily left on their own accord before 1:30.
2010-2013
Tantum Technologies
Remote
Figure out things as you go along, for a Shark Tank Shark
A friend I made online as a teenager, we learned our trades by modifying games together, co-founded this web-hosting and design company with me in 2010 after being approached by a Shark to do all their high-traffic websites for Shark Tank.
We experimented with whatever worked process wise, and failed more often than we succeeded, but we did well enough to launch nearly two dozen sites designed to handle over 200,000k unique viewers within 10 minutes of airing on TV.
2013-2019
Contracting & Freelancing
Remote, Chicago IL, and Southern CA
Contract work gave me the freedom to continually learn design, and explore the art of communication through improv
Things got weird, in a fun way. I took the full training course at iO improv, joined a troop and performed weekly, had fun trying to do well with stand up comedy, did some visuals for a late night talk show, got tricked into being the photographer for a friend’s sister’s weeding, and had a role in a student film.
Improv helped me learn active listening, and a bunch of other soft-skills that make my personal and professional life leagues easier than before to navigate. Desired outcomes from interactions requires empathy, deliberateness, and mindfulness.
2020-present
QTBIPOC Design
Remote & Annual meets
Found some awesome peers online, and helped them start and grow a nonprofit UX bootcamp and design collective
We empower LGBTQ+ designers of color with free and accessible digital design education, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
The staff and members of QTBIPOC Design are wonderful and deeply driven folks. We’ve created a space where one didn’t exist before, and graduated three classes from our scholarship based UX bootcamp. I helped build their site, lead branding, and instruct designers on WordPress content management and development.
Find out more at QTBIPOC.design
2020-present
Simply Smart Home
Remote
Contract work that turned into a full time role
I have been able to learn and experiment in a production setting at warp speed within Simply Smart Home. This lean startup is a dynamic and diverse group of talented professionals.
Pictures of Dogs
Family Life & Balance
Southern California
Dogs, Cat, Partners, loving life.
I feel like life is about having shared experiences with loved ones. I’m lucky enough to share my life with three dogs, a cat, two husbands, and an incredible chosen family of loved ones.
I spend a decent amount of time listening to Sci-Fi audio books, keeping pace with continual learning, helping friends with their professional goals, and weightlifting.
Contact Me
Let’s start a conversation about making things pretty
Have an opportunity you have in mind something you think I’d be interested in? Any questions you think I may be able to help answer?
I’d especially like to hear from you if so, because I live remotely on a mountain.