Karlo Ozaeta
UX Designer & Researcher
Hello! Please take a look at my portfolio to see my design and research in action. I'm excited about connecting with you to discuss how my skills and varied background can contribute to your team's success. You'll also find testimonials from my past colleagues and managers by scrolling further down.
My Background
My Creative & Analytical Journey
My journey is a blend of creative exploration and strategic thinking. With a foundation in Studio Art, I developed a strong understanding of visual aesthetics and composition. This was further enhanced by my experience as a Photographer and a Freelance Graphic Designer, where I honed my skills in visual storytelling and branding. Complementing this creative background is the rigorous training of the Google UX Design Specialization, providing me with a deep understanding of user needs, interaction design principles, and business goals. Furthermore, my experience as a Case and Project Manager at Apex Law Center developed my organizational abilities, process improvement skills, and the ability to manage complex projects and stakeholder needs.
Diverse Professional Experience & Transferable Skills
Beyond my design focus, I've gained valuable insights into user behavior, workflow analysis, and the importance of clear communication and effective solutions through diverse experiences. At Apex Law Center, I honed my abilities in project management, process improvement, and understanding user workflows by designing and implementing a redesigned internal filing system and user-centered document management processes. My experience in marketing at SoCal Honda Powersports further developed my understanding of customer engagement. As a former Safety Assistant, I also cultivated keen observational and analytical skills by analyzing workflows and recommending improvements for safety and efficiency – a process strikingly similar to user research and design.
About Me
Driven by a passion for understanding people and solving complex problems —My name is Karlo Ozaeta, a user-centered UX Designer & Researcher based in Temple City, CA, dedicated to crafting intuitive and impactful digital experiences that drive user engagement and achieve measurable business results.
My Passion & Approach
What excites me most about UX is the opportunity to advocate for the user. I'm driven by a deep curiosity to understand their motivations and challenges through thorough research. My process is rooted in empathy, translating those insights into elegant and effective design solutions. I believe the best digital experiences are both intuitive and genuinely valuable.
Key Skills & Aspirations
I bring a diverse skill set to the table, including user research, interaction design, visual design (informed by my photography and graphic design background), project management, process improvement, and collaboration. My goal is to contribute to meaningful projects within a supportive team where I can continue to learn and grow, particularly in creating digital products.
What Others Say
I've been fortunate to receive positive feedback from colleagues I've had the pleasure of working with:
“Karlo has been a huge asset to our team."
Very impressed by Karlo's ability to hit the ground running when we brought him onto our project late. He provided us with beautifully designed wireframes based on his findings in usability tests with our product (he even sourced all our test users based on some validity guidelines). Karlo has been a huge asset to our team. His insights are forward-thinking and he is always thoughtful and considerate in meetings and async communication.
— Will Medders, Software Developer
“I strongly recommend Karlo as he'll be an invaluable addition to any team!”
I had the pleasure of having Karlo join my team as a UX researcher/UX designer. Since we already had a prototype and a frontend and backend team implementing features, Karlo was tasked to conduct user research, communicate his findings with the team promptly, and collaborate with the engineers to make design decisions quickly. He produced consistent and positive results shortly after joining us, designed stunning UI mockups for the FE team, and provided valuable insights from his own expertise and his user study/testing.
Besides having impeccable work ethics and extensive knowledge in UI design and user research, Karlo is also great to work with and always brings positive energy to the team. I strongly recommend Karlo as he'll be an invaluable addition to any team!
— Xiaole Guo, Software Engineer & Product Owner
“If you have the opportunity to hire Karlo, don’t hesitate. He will be an asset to your team and your company.”
I began working with Karlo this past summer. We had become acquainted when we connected at an online UX content event a few months before - Karlo had attended as an early-career UX researcher, in order to learn about (and better understand) his future UX content teammates. He reached out to me afterward to learn more about the content side of the work so that he could empathize with the needs of his future UX writers/content designers, and support them in his research. I recommended books on my to-read list, and he quickly got ahead of me in the reading.
When I began working with a team of devs and we had lost our UX designer, I was comfortable and confident reaching out to Karlo despite our limited acquaintance at the time. My judgment of his character was on the money, and my confidence in him was well-placed.
Working with Karlo has been an excellent experience. Karlo listens to understand the thoughts and experiences of others - especially of users, but also of teammates. He seeks to understand, not to be seen as having all the answers on his own. He is thoughtful in communication, always a calm presence, and collaborates readily with both UX content as well as with the developers. He advocates and shares resources to help others understand UX and his role, and he asks questions to understand what he can do better to support and work with other members of the cross-functional team.
Karlo has been leading our user research with competence and flexibility, making things work despite various constraints/roadblocks, and being open and communicative about his work and process. In addition to UX research, he is also providing our UX design and UI design, and his hifi wireframes are easy to use and gorgeous.
If you have the opportunity to hire Karlo, don’t hesitate. He will be an asset to your team and your company.
— Mary Sherrill, Content Designer