Hello- I’m an Oakland, CA based UX designer and systems thinker working at the intersection of psychology, information architecture, and real-world product delivery. I'm excited to share that I'm available for part-time, contract, or fractional product design engagements. My work focuses on designing clarity without flattening complexity, helping people and teams turn overlapping ideas, constraints, and human needs into calm, usable digital systems. I’m especially drawn to work that sits at the margins: multi-disciplinary products, values-driven teams, and experiences that don’t fit neatly into templates or one-size-fits-all frameworks. You can visit my portfolio here: _Website not available. Sign in: https://www.twine.net/signup_ A core part of my practice is rapid, implementation-minded UX prototyping. I design with real technical, operational, and QA constraints in mind, producing developer-ready UX outputs that reduce translation loss between design and engineering. Rather than stopping at idealized mockups, I prototype interaction states, edge cases, and flows that can move directly into build, refinement, and testing- supporting faster iteration and more durable outcomes. This approach has allowed me to ship real, production products, not just concept demos, and to work effectively at the seam between UX, front-end implementation, and validation. Teams I work with value that my designs survive contact with reality: they’re grounded, buildable, and thoughtful about what happens after launch. Alongside product work, I run Studio Margins, an independent design practice focused on building calm, coherent websites and digital spaces for people whose work spans multiple identities, offerings, or roles. The practice centers information architecture, pacing, and restraint- designing structures that can hold complexity without forcing simplification. Studio Margins informs how I approach product design more broadly: listening first, mapping systems carefully, and making intentional tradeoffs in service of real humans. Across roles, I’m known for: -Strong information architecture for complex systems -Systems thinking that connects content, interaction, and behavior -Human-centered design grounded in lived experience -Content strategy and editorial restraint -UX strategy that bridges vision and execution I look forward to collaborating with you; please don't hesitate to reach out if you think we can create something awesome together.

Clay Duhigg

Hello- I’m an Oakland, CA based UX designer and systems thinker working at the intersection of psychology, information architecture, and real-world product delivery. I'm excited to share that I'm available for part-time, contract, or fractional product design engagements. My work focuses on designing clarity without flattening complexity, helping people and teams turn overlapping ideas, constraints, and human needs into calm, usable digital systems. I’m especially drawn to work that sits at the margins: multi-disciplinary products, values-driven teams, and experiences that don’t fit neatly into templates or one-size-fits-all frameworks. You can visit my portfolio here: _Website not available. Sign in: https://www.twine.net/signup_ A core part of my practice is rapid, implementation-minded UX prototyping. I design with real technical, operational, and QA constraints in mind, producing developer-ready UX outputs that reduce translation loss between design and engineering. Rather than stopping at idealized mockups, I prototype interaction states, edge cases, and flows that can move directly into build, refinement, and testing- supporting faster iteration and more durable outcomes. This approach has allowed me to ship real, production products, not just concept demos, and to work effectively at the seam between UX, front-end implementation, and validation. Teams I work with value that my designs survive contact with reality: they’re grounded, buildable, and thoughtful about what happens after launch. Alongside product work, I run Studio Margins, an independent design practice focused on building calm, coherent websites and digital spaces for people whose work spans multiple identities, offerings, or roles. The practice centers information architecture, pacing, and restraint- designing structures that can hold complexity without forcing simplification. Studio Margins informs how I approach product design more broadly: listening first, mapping systems carefully, and making intentional tradeoffs in service of real humans. Across roles, I’m known for: -Strong information architecture for complex systems -Systems thinking that connects content, interaction, and behavior -Human-centered design grounded in lived experience -Content strategy and editorial restraint -UX strategy that bridges vision and execution I look forward to collaborating with you; please don't hesitate to reach out if you think we can create something awesome together.

Available to hire

Hello- I’m an Oakland, CA based UX designer and systems thinker working at the intersection of psychology, information architecture, and real-world product delivery. I’m excited to share that I’m available for part-time, contract, or fractional product design engagements.

My work focuses on designing clarity without flattening complexity, helping people and teams turn overlapping ideas, constraints, and human needs into calm, usable digital systems. I’m especially drawn to work that sits at the margins: multi-disciplinary products, values-driven teams, and experiences that don’t fit neatly into templates or one-size-fits-all frameworks.

You can visit my portfolio here: Website not available. Sign in: https://www.twine.net/signup

A core part of my practice is rapid, implementation-minded UX prototyping. I design with real technical, operational, and QA constraints in mind, producing developer-ready UX outputs that reduce translation loss between design and engineering. Rather than stopping at idealized mockups, I prototype interaction states, edge cases, and flows that can move directly into build, refinement, and testing- supporting faster iteration and more durable outcomes.

This approach has allowed me to ship real, production products, not just concept demos, and to work effectively at the seam between UX, front-end implementation, and validation. Teams I work with value that my designs survive contact with reality: they’re grounded, buildable, and thoughtful about what happens after launch.

Alongside product work, I run Studio Margins, an independent design practice focused on building calm, coherent websites and digital spaces for people whose work spans multiple identities, offerings, or roles. The practice centers information architecture, pacing, and restraint- designing structures that can hold complexity without forcing simplification. Studio Margins informs how I approach product design more broadly: listening first, mapping systems carefully, and making intentional tradeoffs in service of real humans.

Across roles, I’m known for:
-Strong information architecture for complex systems
-Systems thinking that connects content, interaction, and behavior
-Human-centered design grounded in lived experience
-Content strategy and editorial restraint
-UX strategy that bridges vision and execution

I look forward to collaborating with you; please don’t hesitate to reach out if you think we can create something awesome together.

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Experience Level

Expert
Expert
Expert
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate

Language

English
Fluent
Spanish; Castilian
Beginner

Work Experience

Middle School Counselor at Crittenden Middle School
August 1, 2011 - June 1, 2012
Guided middle school students through academic and personal challenges; fostered supportive environment; developed personalized strategies to enhance social-emotional skills and academic performance; partnered with educators and families to implement effective interventions and support plans.
Childcare Provider at Various Family Households
February 1, 2013 - July 1, 2024
Provided attentive childcare across multiple families in the San Francisco Bay Area; created safe, stimulating environments; tailored activities to developmental stages; maintained clear communication with parents to align on goals and routines; helped with daily household operations to support family functioning.
UX/UI Designer - Contract at Simuldate
January 1, 2023 - May 1, 2023
Collaborated in cross-functional team to improve usability, visual appeal, and accessibility for a mobile dating app; developed a usability testing plan; designed mid-fi to hi-fi screens; created developer-ready handoff files; built an interactive prototype for user feedback and iterative improvements.
UX/UI Designer - Contract at Moviez and Books
May 1, 2024 - May 1, 2025
Redesigned an e-commerce site within an agile team; expanded inventory, drove revenue, and boosted customer engagement; implemented a pre-order feature using design thinking to broaden market reach; crafted intuitive, user-centered interfaces integrated with existing platform; employed agile iterations to optimize product detail layouts and upselling.
Independent Product Designer at Self-initiated Digital Products
April 30, 2025 - Present
Design, build, and ship AI-assisted digital products end-to-end (research → UX/UI → prototype → launch); leverage AI copilots (ChatGPT, Claude) with low-code/no-code tools (Lovable, Framer, Base44) to accelerate concept-to-MVP timelines and iterate with real user feedback; set up lightweight backends with Supabase and manage repos in GitHub; document decisions in concise PRDs and changelogs; craft brand and launch assets in Canva and uphold accessibility across flows.

Education

UX/UI Foundations at Avocademy
October 2, 2023 - October 28, 2024
Foundations of User Experience Design at Google
January 11, 2030 - February 9, 2026
Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology at Sofia University
January 11, 2030 - February 9, 2026

Qualifications

Google UX/UI Foundations
April 3, 2023 - December 4, 2024

Industry Experience

Wholesale & Distribution, Other, Software & Internet, Education, Media & Entertainment, Professional Services, Retail
    paper Studio Margins: Systems-Led Website & Digital Space Design

    Studio Margins is my independent design practice focused on building calm, coherent websites and digital spaces for people and teams whose work spans multiple identities, offerings, or roles.

    I lead Studio Margins as a systems-led UX practice, applying information architecture, content strategy, and implementation-minded design to translate complex human contexts into clear, buildable digital structures. The work emphasizes pacing, restraint, and integration — helping clients achieve clarity without flattening nuance.

    Projects are shaped through close collaboration and real constraints, producing fully built, publish-ready sites rather than abstract concepts. Studio Margins also informs my product work more broadly, sharpening how I approach structure, tradeoffs, and long-term usability.

    [Studio Margins] (https://www.twine.net/signin

    Selected work includes Sielu, Angela, The Shelf, and Another Turn.

    paper Vire

    Vire is a capacity-first product designed to help neurodiverse adults manage energy, decisions, and daily demands without relying on traditional productivity frameworks.

    I designed, built, and shipped Vire end-to-end, owning information architecture, interaction design, and implementation-minded UX prototyping. The product treats energy as the core resource and prioritizes autonomy, personalization, and humane pacing over task optimization.

    The work focused on translating complex, overlapping user needs into calm, legible systems. I prototyped real interaction states, edge cases, and flows with technical and QA constraints in mind, producing developer-ready UX outputs that could move directly into build, refinement, and testing rather than being reinterpreted from static mockups.

    Vire is a real, shipped product, and the design reflects the realities of implementation, iteration, and long-term use.
    [Vire] (https://www.twine.net/signin