I'm Kayla — a Korean-born product designer who grew up between Seoul and Los Angeles. Six years in, I work on the kind of software you don't see in ads. Dispatcher dashboards. Donor consoles. Live event control panels. Design systems that thirty other designers depend on.
Currently a Senior Product Designer at AOL. Before that, Microsoft. Before that, a textile founder named Simon, a single Figma file, and a lot of late nights.
The work I'm proudest of doesn't usually have a flashy demo. It has a 30-minute setup that became 5. A dispatcher who stopped dreading her morning. A donor who finally stopped calling.
Four ideas I keep returning to.
Specific over generic.
“30 minutes to under 5” beats “improved efficiency.” If the proof can’t survive a number, it isn’t proof yet.
Systems before screens.
A token outlives every layout it touches. So I start there — names, scales, contracts — then build up.
Research before Figma.
The canvas is where the answer lives, not where it’s found. I’d rather spend a Tuesday with a dispatcher than a Friday in a comp.
The founder’s voice is the product.
Half the time, the brand voice you’re looking for is in a 90-minute kickoff call. Listen for the phrase they keep repeating.
I think the best designers are curious outside the canvas.
Four teammates, on the record.
"Kayla came in with a passion for great design work, a great work ethic and a growth mindset. She asks the right questions, works quickly and efficiently, and takes feedback very well."
"Her ability to grasp product direction, user behavior, and structural implications went far beyond surface-level design. She thinks about long-term product health."
"Kayla truly excels at cross-functional leadership, acting as a vital bridge between design, engineering, and product squads to ensure seamless alignment."
"Kayla is very diligent and helped MyKnus to sharpen our brand voice, core brand identity, and primary audience."