Hey! I’m Dakota.
I design apps and websites for big and small teams.
7+ years of experience working in agencies, enterprises, and startups.
Available for work
Designing an AI chat to give instant feedback on
people's videos.
Ai & LLMs
iOS Native
End to end
Read more
Scaling a social network through product-led growth to 100,000 monthly users.
Growth design
iOS & Desktop
Consumer
Read more
Boosting conversions through
simplified onboarding.
Fintech
Web app
Full case study coming soon
Improving shopping for millions of customers
e-commerce
Growth design
Full case study coming soon
About
Husband and father living in Orange County, CA
I was born, raised, and still reside in Huntington Beach. I married my high school sweet heart Camryn and we just had our first daughter, my pride and joy, Winslow Mae.
Skating and surfing since I was born
My dad was a professional skater, so I basically came out of the womb on a skateboard. When I was young I wanted to become pro, but pursued design instead. I still love surfing and skate, though not as well as when I was 16 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
Started tinkering at 14 years old
My first design experience was a building website for my mom's bakery. This sparked my love for using design to solve real problems, and I haven't stopped building since.
What sets me apart
Self starter
I started designing at 14, skipped formal school, pursued mentorship, and got my first role at 18. I love to spend time learning and growing.
Coding chops
I started as a web developer. This helps me think in systems, navigate code, and partner well with Engineering.
Extreme ownership
I care deeply about projects I work on. I proactively look to improve your product and turn your company into an industry leader.
Visual and functional
While I sweat every detail, I always zoom out to think strategically. I believe it's important tie the design to actual business and user goals.
Experience
Your team?
I'm currently looking for my next full-time role. I'm interested in using tools like Lovable and Cursor to build real products and get as close to code as possible.
Testimonials
How I use AI
Ai seems inevitable. Here's how I'm attempting to use it ethically and proactively.
Building prototypes using "Vibe coding" apps
Seeing problems in novel ways
I often use ChatGPT as a "sparring partner" to bounce ideas off. Questions like "What am I missing", "How might a Staff Designer solve this", "How could I make this problem worse" help me get unstuck.
Creating background images and assets
Using Midjourney and GPT, I have been able to create cool assets for teams I work with. I believe in hiring professional icon designers, but often startups don't have funding to do so. In those cases, utilizing Ai to create custom assets works well.
A "Super Google" for market and product research
I use ChatGPT to help me research products and people groups. I can find similar companies and software, trends in data, and behavioral science info faster than using Google.
A note taker
Granola has been a life saver. I use this in every meeting I can.
