Design needs to be plugged into human behaviour.
Design dissolves in behaviour.

-Naoto Fukasawa

< Objectified > is a documentary I’ve watched more than 30 times — It continually reminds me why I fell in love with design.

My design journey began in industrial design, where I focused on improving the way people do things in the physical world. That experience taught me what good design truly is — it doesn’t ask for attention; it earns trust by simply working well. Design is not just about how things look, but how they work, feel, and fit into people’s lives.

Empathy meets analysis — It’s my superpower

As a highly perceptive designer, I naturally absorb information — patterns, behaviours, emotions, and subtle signals — and notice how they connect, often without being explicitly stated. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by excessive input, I’ve learned to channel that sensitivity into clarity.

I intuitively uncover the root cause behind surface-level issues and shape clear, logical strategies grounded in context. Whether it’s a user pain point or a product strategy gap, I quickly connect the dots and solve it with purpose.

This ability to trace problems back to their origin enables me to craft solutions that make sense — for both users and the business — and lead to measurable outcomes. It’s how I bring value to design and make complexity feel simple.

Every detail is a chance to respect the user — design with ethics

I believe good design isn’t about hiding 'unsubscribe' buttons for short-term metrics or using guilt-tripping language to drive action. I aim to earn trust through clarity, accessibility, and thoughtful experience — and that includes even the smallest visual design decisions.

From colour contrast in data charts to keyboard focus states and the tone of error messages, these “small” details are what make a product feel respectful, usable, and inclusive — and they’re never an afterthought in my process.

Born in South Korea, shaped by 7 years in Sydney — now based in Melbourne, where the creative energy just clicked with me.

Interests

For curiosity – AI tools, tech and economic trends, finance, productivity, social science, psychology, philosophy, sustainability.

For fun – Art exhibits, digging music, playing guitar, film photography, vintage furniture.

For balance – Journaling, nature walks, gym sessions, bouldering.

Tools

Figma

Design

Framer

Design

ChatGPT

Productivity

Jira

Collaboration

Hotjar

Research

Dovetail

Research

Usertesting

Research

Amplitude

Research

Related experience

Senior Product Designer

Cascade

04/2021 - 06/2023

UX/UI Designer

Elastic Digital

09/2017 - 04/2021

Service Designer

UDI

05/2015 - 08/2015

UI/UX Designer

IT-ONE

03/2015 - 05/2015

Service Designer

The Seoul Government

06/2013 - 10/2013

and more experiences as a freelancer in web design, graphic design, and industrial design

© 2025 Ariel Kim

© 2025 Ariel Kim

© 2025 Ariel Kim