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Now that you've seen a bit of my work,
here's a bit more about me.
I currently live in-between countries, with half of my life located in Australia, and the other half in Canada. I plan to permanently move to Canada before the end of 2024.
I love tabletop role-playing games, gardening, music, art and building electronic prototypes. I also love learning languages, I can speak some Japanese, German, Korean and French, and I would like to learn Sign Language one day too.
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My lived experience and perspective on the world is a rare one, and when it comes to user experience design and user research it makes me quite valuable because I can offer insights into social phenomena and spot design flaws that the average person can't.
I have worked incredibly hard to get to where I am today, but I know the learning process never really ends. I will always strive to be better, physically, mentally and emotionally and I will always encourage and assist others to do the same whenever I can.
How I got started in design
My family loved the adage "Choose a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life." I believed that becoming an artist would fulfill that adage. It turns out, however, that the adage isn't true, as I have certainly worked some days.
I learned the hard way that it is important to have a job that is separate from your hobbies.
I've been a business owner, a graphic designer, a commission artist, a panel-beater, a child-care worker, a salesman, a tutor, a frontline social care worker, and a volunteer as well, but the thing that always appealed to me the most about work was working with other people and making their lives a little better than before. I never stopped wanting to be a creative, though, and was continually searching for a way to marry creativity and compassion for others into something I could call a 'job'.
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Becoming a designer came quite easily for me then, because at its core that's what design solutions are all about. As it turns out, you don't need to make grand, sweeping gestures or profound artworks to change the world; Sometimes, little improvements for the people you interact with each day is enough.
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I craved a role that would allow me to pursue this work to its greatest capacity, which lead me to User Experience Design (or UX). I closed my graphic design business of nearly five years to pursue a Master's Degree in Interaction Design and Electronic Arts with The University of Sydney, from which I graduated with a Distinction average.
What I've been working on
Currently I work in local government in Australia as the web specialist for a local government area with a population of over 100,000 residents, swelling to 400,000 during peak tourist seasons.
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I manage the council web presence across a total of eight external websites, and one intranet, and have been the sole developer, designer and tester for the creation of four new websites.
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It has been an excellent opportunity for me to flex my experience design skills, and I have proven its value by reducing customer calls and enquiries to almost zero in the departments I have worked with, as they are able to resolve their questions and tasks at the website on the first try thanks to my life-centred design work.
What I'm curious about
Above all else, I want to see how design, technology, art and compassion can be used in unison to create holistic experiences for all people that go beyond a simple fix to a problem and create something with a lasting impact.
I'm a strong advocate for designs that consider the 'Curb Cutout Effect' and designing for the fringe user, and I hope to see those considerations implemented in everything I contribute to. Recently I have been focusing on designing for stress, as stress cases are an excellent example of the curb cut effect in digital spaces.
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At some point in the future when I have the time to devote to it, I would love to further the research I completed during my Master's dissertation, and undertake a PhD to explore the concept of 'emotional accessibility' in design.
TESTIMONIALS
"Isaiah was very professional and prompt. The logo restoration he did for us was excellent. He went above & beyond to ensure we had everything we needed. Would highly recommend his services."
Amy / Admin / Nowra "Youthie" Youth Centre (AUS)
"Isaiah helped create a new logo for my business and I was thoroughly impressed during the whole process. Isaiah communicated effectively and regularly so I always knew at what stage he was at within the project.
I am so happy with the finished logo. It was a pleasure to work with Isaiah and I hope we can work together in the future for another project."