Hi, I'm Damean, a product designer who makes complex workflows trustworthy for the experts who use them. I thrive in spaces where the problems are hard, meaningful, and still being figured out.

I come from a family of teachers. Growing up, I watched my parents find ways to make difficult concepts click for students who were struggling. That probably explains why I ended up in design. I'm drawn to the moment when something confusing becomes clear.

I didn't know design was a job until college. I started in computer science, but something was missing. When I discovered design, it clicked. I could blend my creative and technical sides to solve real, complex problems that empower people. Growing up in Shanghai, studying abroad in Sweden, and landing at CU Boulder taught me that perspective matters. What works for one person, one culture, one workflow doesn't automatically transfer to the next. You have to truly understand the problem and the person behind it before you solve.

My real design education came at Nutrien, where I spent four years in the agricultural technology space. The problems were the kind I've come to love. Field workers with unreliable connectivity, seasonal workflows that shifted constantly, legacy systems that didn't always cooperate, and expert users who noticed every wrong detail. I learned that simplifying complexity isn't about hiding it. It's about making it legible enough that people trust what they're looking at. Somewhere in those four years I also got curious about how AI could change the way I work, and I haven't stopped experimenting since. It's become part of how I think, prototype, and ship.

That curiosity has spilled into building too. I designed and shipped GasCast (live on the App Store), then designed and built this portfolio site to keep stretching what I can do. Both started as learning projects. Both ended up real.

Outside of work, you'll find me feeding my growth mindset by traveling to explore new cultures, diving into music production and live shows, or channeling my competitive spirit through table tennis, ultimate frisbee, and Rocket League. Games taught me to adapt quickly and think strategically under pressure, which translates to design more than I expected. When I'm not out exploring, I'm hanging out with my three cats Rotary, Axl, and Piper (see if you can guess the theme). They're my best work partners, helping me think through tricky problems and making sure I actually take breaks.