Allen Matsumoto

Founder, UX strategist and designer at UI Architects

  • Summary

    Making things easier for people makes everything better.

    I collaborate with product and service teams to drive user-centered design and UX strategy in organizations of every size, from startup to enterprise. I'm high-energy and easy to work with. Here's a little bit about my approach — If it makes sense to you, we can probably have some fun elevating your operations together.

    Every product or service exists within, and survives via, a complex ecosystem of activities. Stakeholders in that ecosystem include end users as well as personnel in your internal departments including business operations, development or manufacturing, marketing and customer service. I practice at this systems level, because that is where changes have the most impact.

    Generally, stakeholder interaction with the system at all touchpoints has some degree of unneeded friction that reduces efficiency and creates personal stress for the stakeholder. After a systems review and analysis that includes investigation of those touchpoints, I can provide a roadmap to systemwide improvements that highlights opportunities to improve performance and satisfaction while balancing benefits against risk and cost.

  • Experience

    UI Architects

    Founder, UX strategist and designer 2001 - Present

    Consulting around user experience and research in understanding end user beliefs and behaviors for teams designing products and services. Customers include Microsoft, T-Mobile USA, Vulcan Ventures, Hewlett-Packard, DaVinci (now Blackmagic Design), GE Medical, Sonosite, and more.

    Product work in B2B and B2C, as well as 360 organizational strategy.

    Specialties:

    • Systems-level UX architecture analysis
    • Corporate UX strategy & competency development
    • Team facilitation for product requirements and definition
    • User and customer experience research
    • User interface architecture and design
    • Usability engineering
    • Application of UX practices in a variety of areas of communication including branding and campaign work


    • Corporate UX strategy & competency development
    • Team facilitation for product requirements and definition
    • User and customer experience research
    • User interface architecture and design
    • Usability engineering
    • Application of UX practices in a variety of areas of communication including branding and campaign work

     

    Clients include:

    • Microsoft
    • T-Mobile USA
    • Vulcan Ventures
    • Hewlett-Packard
    • DaVinci (now Blackmagic Design)
    • GE Medical
    • Sonosite
    • Urbe

    T-Mobile

    Enterprise Architect, Presentation Tier 2001 - 2002
    Member of the Enterprise Architecture team, tasked with as-built analysis of existing IT system architecture and design of next-generation unified architecture across the T-Mobile USA enterprise. Responsible for user experience architecture, with visibility into security solutions.

    Chase-Bobko, Inc.

    Director, Creative Services 2000 - 2001
    Folded creative services capabilities of Digital Ink Corporation into Chase-Bobko, creating a new department in this software development contract firm that specialized in revolutionary content management approaches. Led adoption of usability practices in the design cycle.

    Digital Ink Corporation

    Principal, Creative Director 1993 - 2000
    In 1993, Matsumoto Design rebranded as Digital Ink to reflect our evolution away from print and to digital media.

    Matsumoto Design

    Principal, Creative Director 1986 - 1992
    Visual design firm focused on communication solutions. Early adapter of digital design and publishing technologies, regular contributor to Publish! Magazine providing feature articles and product reviews around digital typography.

  • Allen is an exceptionally knowledgeable and articulate person. He was a pleasure to work with both on customer-facing projects as well as internally with our sleeves rolled up analyzing data. His creative and analytical backgrounds converge to provide terrific insights and perspective into any project. He readily shares his depth of expertise and experience with others. I welcome the opportunity to work with Allen.

    Leslie Hale
    Chief Strategy Officer at Methodologie

  • Services

    UX Strategy & Architecture

    Product concept & ideation

    Customer and User Insights

    Product usability insights

    Collaborative Design Facilitation

    User Interface Design

  • Education

    The Evergreen State College

    Society and the Computer 1979 - 1980
    Self-directed studies on the relationship and cross-influences of culture and technology.

    Portland State University

    Film, General studies 1978 - 1979
    Undergraduate studies in philosophy & film

  • Let's Chat!

    Email
    LinkedIn
    Bellingham, Washington Area

  • Contact me!

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