Get to know me.

I am graduating from the HCDE (Human-Centered Design and Engineering) master's program at the University of Washington in June 2023, and actively looking for a full-time UX/product designer or design strategist position. Feel free to reach out if you're interested in learning more about my experience!

I was born and grew up in Kobe, Japan, and am currently located in Seattle. I am a self-motivated lifetime learner who keeps seeking new possibilities in life and the opportunities to positively impact the world through my work. In 2015, I left my customer service job at the Japanese airline and decided to rebuild my education and career here in Seattle. During my educational journey, I discovered my passion for design for good, which simply resonated with my happiness to help others. Since then, design has become my new tool to communicate with people and communities.

I'm a social impact advocate. During the past few years, I’ve been providing web/graphic design work for small businesses and nonprofits in Seattle and Japan. It's been such a fulfilling experience to support those who contribute to creating better communities and the world. I'm looking forward to my next chapter in life to address more complex problems in the world.

My Values

Personal Growth

I love learning new things and constantly thinking about how I can become a better designer. Especially in the fast-moving UX industry, the ability to keep challenging oneself and adapting to the new status quo is vital. I regularly read books, articles, and blogs, and watch tutorial videos to expand my knowledge and skills.

Uniqueness

Everyone has something to offer. I embrace my uniqueness as a person from a different culture and background and focus on what I can bring to the table. I also enjoy collaborating with other designers/researchers and learn their unique perspectives and discover a new way of thinking.

Ethical Design

As a designer, I acknowledge that we have the power to influence people’s lives and the world. Therefore, I make sure the impact I'm making is a positive one. I advocate for ethical design that centers marginalized groups, supports sustainability, and carefully considers unintended consequences throughout the design process.

Giving back to the communities

My goal as a designer is to give back to the communities using my skills and experience.

Design for Passion

Organized the Design for Passion program to provide the HCDE graduate students with the opportunity to find a design project and teammates to collaborate with during Summer 2022. About 40 students participated.

Figmathon

Led the judging process for the Figmathon event by collaborating with UX@UW in Spring 2022. Designed judging criteria to help design judges evaluate 27 projects fairly and smoothly.

Aero Zypangu Project

Redesigned and developed a website for a nonprofit organization, Aero Zypangu Project, to promote their Earthrounder mission project where one-eyed pilot, Shinji Maeda, flew around the world in May 2021.

Feet First

Provided a graphic design work for a nonprofit organization, Feet First, to help advocate for walkable communities in the Washington state from 2019-2020.

Testimonials

Read what people say about me

“I had the pleasure of having Tomomi on my team. She is kind, humble and curious. As an intern, I saw tomomi grow and gain confidence as she had more experience presenting to stakeholders about her research plans. She is an insightful, a good listener and very self directed. Tomomi has a bright future ahead and so much to contribute. Any team would be lucky to have Tomomi.”
- Design strategy lead at Premera Blue Cross, directly managed me during the Summer & Fall internship
“Tomomi was a great addition to our team! A highly motivated and adaptable self-starter, she was able to ramp up on design at Graduate Student Association (GSA) and grew GSA's online presence from the ground up through her own efforts. Her passion for design runs high, and is exemplified by the thorough and detailed design that she continually produces. Tomomi is also very reliable and collaborative, always delivering on time and conducting herself in a noticeably professional and respectful manner. She is an asset to any design team that she joins!”
- A former president of the HCDE Graduate Student Association
“I really appreciated Tomomi's flexibility, thoughtfulness, and positivity. Tomomi was fun and easy to work with. This project would not have been the same without Tomomi; not only did she put together an amazing final visual design, she made critical contributions throughout every phase of the project, including research, ideation, and user testing. Tomomi's dedication and work ethic did not go unnoticed or unappreciated by her team members.”
- A teammate worked together on the User-Centered Design project (Safe Haven)