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Shadow on Concrete Wall
UI/UX Designer based in Los Angeles, CA

Experiences

Work History

Kubara Honke USA / Kayanoya USA

Torrance, CA

Jan 2024 – Current

EC Manager and UI/UX Designer

  • Manage eCommerce operations and customer experience workflows for the Shopify storefront, with responsibility spanning site experience, merchandising, promotions, and campaign execution.


  • Lead the UX direction for the Shopify website redesign, defining feature requirements, refining site structure and page flows, and improving landing pages, product pages, banners, and content sections to create a more intuitive shopping experience.


  • Plan, design, implement, and schedule email campaigns in Klaviyo, while shaping annual email marketing strategy and aligning messaging across web, CRM, and promotional calendars.


  • Collaborate closely with the COO, external developers, and cross-functional team members to launch new content initiatives, improve site functionality, and translate business and customer needs into implementation-ready direction.


  • Make front-end updates and support ongoing site improvements, including hands-on Shopify and Liquid edits when needed.


  • Research competitor websites, review customer and operational feedback, analyze site performance, and make ongoing UX refinements.


  • Lead monthly social content strategy, creative production, scheduling, and performance analysis.


  • Lead printed collateral design for pop-ups and packaged customer materials.

Alpine Electronics of America, Inc.

Torrance, CA

Oct 2014 - Aug 2021

Senior UI/UX Designer

  • Served as a senior UI/UX designer for the R&D team, leading design work for future in-vehicle experiences and managing several projects each year from interview planning through prototype delivery and stakeholder presentations.


  • Planned and conducted user interviews, synthesized findings into personas and design principles, and translated research into concepts for navigation and broader in-car experiences tailored to target vehicle types and audiences.


  • Created wireframes, interface concepts, interactive prototypes, and experience visions without limiting outputs to screens alone, using prototypes and tangible artifacts to help stakeholders understand future-state ideas.


  • Ran usability studies and A/B testing for production navigation systems and proposed features, evaluating user feedback and performance scores to recommend refinements and strengthen product direction.


  • Collaborated closely with Honda teams on concept vehicle interfaces for CES and other showcases, producing UI elements and screens under OEM direction while aligning cross-functional stakeholders.

Rapid Consulting USA, Inc.

Irvine, CA

Oct 2012 - Oct 2014

UI/UX Designer

  • Led UI/UX design for enterprise and healthcare applications, shaping workflows, interface structure, and visual design for products including task management tools, wound-tracking applications, and barcode-based systems designed to reduce NICU feeding errors.


  • Gathered requirements directly from nurses and healthcare staff, studied existing workflows, and translated operational needs into more intuitive digital experiences focused on usability, clarity, and patient-safety support.


  • Redesigned the company website to better communicate healthcare application capabilities, contributing both design direction and front-end implementation support.

ATUP Inc.

Hermosa Beach, CA

Jun 2012 - Sep 2012

Mobile UX/UI Designer Intern

  • Designed user interface for a location-based mobile app that informed users about nearby promotions, events, and retail opportunities, creating a more engaging and accessible mobile experience.


  • Collaborated under the design manager to shape app screens, user flows, and interaction patterns that improved how users discovered and responded to local content.


  • Designed UI/UX for a photo editing app, focusing on intuitive, visually appealing mobile experiences.

Tyrant-King, Inc.

Los Angeles, CA

Jan 2012 - Jun 2012

Web Designer and Developer

  • Designed websites and digital promotional materials for client accounts, translating business goals and client requests into user-facing digital experiences.


  • Researched existing websites and target audiences to identify opportunities for site renewals, usability improvements, and more effective communication of key content.


  • Created UI designs and implemented ongoing website updates, balancing client needs, visual direction, and practical front-end considerations.

DIT USA, Inc.

Huntington Beach, CA

Jun 2011 - Dec 2011

Graphic and Web Designer Intern

  • Designed front-end promotional content for a nail product brand, creating customer-facing visuals that clearly communicated campaigns and product appeal.


  • Led the UI/UX design of a newly launched Rakuten storefront, researching customer needs and organizing the information and content required for the shopping experience.


  • Created the visual design and executed front-end coding for the eCommerce site, taking the storefront from design through implementation under the design lead’s review.

My Skill Set

Professional Competencies

Sticky Notes

Research & Design Skills

User Research | Contextual Inquiry | Interview Planning | Persona Development | Competitive Analysis | Heuristic Evaluation | Information Architecture | User Flows | Wireframes | Prototyping | UI Design | Usability Testing | Design Systems | CRO-Informed UX Optimization

Design Tools

Figma | Sketch |Adobe Creative Cloud | Shopify | Klaviyo | HTML & CSS | Liquid | ProtoPie | Content Strategy | Solidworks | AutoCAD

Designer's Desk

Education

My Design Studies

Jan. 2008 - May. 2011

California State University, Long Beach

Bachelor of Art, in Design Degree

Jun. 2006 - Dec. 2007

Santa Monica College

Transfer program

Recognitions & Awards

Professional Achievements

Mar. 2011

BA Senior Project Gallery Show

Selected Student

Dec. 2010

Moving Forward Exhibit

Second Place

Let's Connect

I'd love to hear from you.

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©2021 by Natsuko Kimijima. Proudly created with Wix.com

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