Hi there, I’m Hana 🌼
I am a multidisciplinary designer from Japan passionate about helping people in meaningful ways. I studied Graphic Design at Chapman University, and currently studying Human Experience Design Interactions at Cal State Long Beach. My long-term goal is to leverage my skills and experiences to achieve social innovation.
I thought about completely shifting my career from graphic design to UX design. But, I realized my strong background in graphic design can complement my UX design and life purpose creatively. I freelance for IOB Organic School that hosts the largest organic community in Japan. They strive to create a better world for the next generation, and I love contributing to this company by designing various creative assets.
I love exploring new ideas and skills, broadening my perspective by continuously learning. I have studied Web Design, earned the Google UX Certificate, and am now pursuing a graduate degree. When I’m not working or studying, I enjoy exploring nature, cafe hopping, making matcha and treating myself to delicious food.
My Story
Introduced to UI/UX design in my second year at Chapman, I was fascinated by how it requires many considerations to solve users’ pain points and help them reach their goals. I created my first UI project as I started to think about my future career as a UI/UX designer.
During the pandemic, I volunteered to create social media posts for a friend’s donation project supporting Doctors Without Borders. These posts aimed to make it easier for people to contribute and share with their friends. The team surpassed their goal, raising ¥121,500 (nearly $1,000)! This experience sparked my passion for helping people through design.
In the summer of 2020, I joined the CyberAgent UI Design internship to come up with a puzzle game app and present it to the creative directors. This project helped me grow my creative thinking and design skills through a long ideation process and learning new tools to bring my ideas to reality.
The following summer, I returned to Japan for a few months to work for Hobonichi as a Graphic Design Intern. It was an amazing opportunity to work closely with a very talented mentor and learn to be detail-oriented. She taught me that even a small touch could impact the design and influence the way viewers perceive it.
I received my BFA in Graphic Design with honors, but job hunting was challenging as an international student. Though I had some UX/UI interviews, I wasn’t selected due to limited experience. Fortunately, I landed my first graphic design job at ConsumerDirect. There, I worked on various collaborative graphic design and marketing projects.
In my free time, I studied for the Google UX Design Professional Certificate to build basic knowledge since I realized I couldn’t be a UX designer just because I love it. Also, after months of thinking, I decided to get a Master degree to become a UX design expert. I wanted to push my boundaries by improving my leadership and research skills, so I could have more influence on what I contribute.
It felt amazing to be back home. After a year and a half of remote freelance work for IOB Organic School, I finally had the opportunity to join their in-person event in Japan. I met amazing individuals who were striving to make the earth a better place for their children as entrepreneurs. This encouraged me to think I could be more than a UX designer. A designer for social good.
To be continued ❤️
