Interests

JON WOOD // Designer

Born in Saitama-Ken prefecture, Japan. Growing up, I was immersed by simple yet exceptional designs everywhere I went. Whether it was taking the subways, navigating tall high-rise department stores or walking through Narita airport - it almost felt impossible to get lost. Japanese culture does a lot of things well, and wayfinding is no exception. It’s one of the things that I look back on for inspiration even after moving to Seattle 10+ years ago.

Throughout my adult life, my creative wiring has led me to pursue several passions. Music production and drum performance were the central focus throughout my time at Berklee College of Music. A curiosity for cameras led me to wedding photography, which evolved to a love for film and street photography. An appreciation for fashion introduced me to the curated world of denim culture and sashiko stitching. In my previous professional life, I’ve honed analytical and process improvement skills as an Identity Access Management analyst for Tableau Software (7 years).

I completed the User Interface certificate program at the Seattle School of Visual Concepts (SVC) in 2021, where I received formal education around the fundamentals of UX and UI design. It was at SVC that I learned the true importance of how effective design always keeps the users first, and it was also where I learned to form concepts and ideas into tangible digital products. Through my capstone program, I was selected as a finalist to work with Sail Sand Point on their web redesign project. Soon after, I was referred by the Creative Director at SVC for a Product Designer role at Abbott Diabetes Care, where I still work today.

My work as a designer is a reflection of these varying life experiences, all stemming from the upbringing I had growing up in Japan. They intersect where user-focused, accessible design and simple, elegant aesthetics meet.

My goal as a designer is to solve complex problems with simple and intuitive user-centered solutions, and finding the perfect balance between innovating a scalable product that is accessible and delightful for the end user.

Some Kind words

“Jon's very self-motivated and has a natural eye for design and photography. He has that rare mix of left and right brain balance—with a background in IT and music, plus an active interest in photography, visual design and UI, his natural curiosity takes him in unique directions. He's thoughtful and well-spoken, has a good idea of what he wants to accomplish, but is also happy to take suggestions and collaborate. I think he'd be an asset to any organization in need of a creative and thoughtful designer.”

Ben Graham - Owner / Turnstyle

“ Every now and then one of our students emerges from the pack to set the standard for all the others. At SVC this past quarter, that student was Jonathan. He put together one of the most impressive capstone projects we've seen come out of our visual design program, and then he presented it with a level of polish and professionalism we don't often see. Looking at the notes I wrote as I was watching Jonathan present, these words really sum it all up: "This is a truly first-class solution. Your visual design is very sophisticated and professional, and you built a logical case for all your decisions. All in all, this is one of the best presentations and projects I’ve seen coming out of this program over the years. Congrats!" So, if you're looking to bring Jonathan onto your team, I would congratulate you, too, on a very smart decision.”

Larry Asher - Director / School of Visual Concepts

Let’s chat.

Seattle, WA.

jnwd.design@gmail.com
(818) 854-5105