I’m Sean (he/him)
I’m a content strategist and product designer.

I make interactions between people and their governments easy, intuitive, and pleasant. My work is especially focused on improving these interactions for the most vulnerable and marginalized communities. I work directly with governments large and small, community organizations, advocates, and non-profits to make civic participation easier for all.

My toolkit includes plain language, information design, information architecture, UX research and design, and an understanding of the law. In my current role at Center for Civic Design, I bring all these skills together while wearing my product manager and project manager hats to make voting easier for everybody.

I earned my bachelor’s in linguistics at UC Santa Cruz and my master’s in forensic linguistics at Hofstra University.

In a past life, I worked for over a decade in the bicycle industry as a shop manager and mechanic.

When I’m not working, I’m usually mountain biking, enjoying a home-cooked meal, or endlessly spoiling my 2 cats.

How I work

I bring 3 skillsets to my work: research, design, and strategic partnership. I use these skills to create and deliver clear and usable materials.

Research

I ground my work in knowledge and evidence. My approach combines:

  • Usability testing with real users to uncover friction and improve clarity

  • Stakeholder interviews with subject matter experts and operational staff to learn what works and what doesn’t at every level

  • Heuristic audits of current materials to spot patterns, pain points, and quick wins

  • Legal and policy research to ensure compliance without sacrificing usability

Design

I use design to solve problems. I bring experience in:

  • Plain language to make complex information understandable and actionable

  • Information hierarchy to guide attention and reduce cognitive load

  • Information architecture to organize content logically

  • Accessibility, ensuring that all users’ needs are met

  • Visual design to bring clarity, focus, and equity

  • Prototyping to quickly test and iterate on multiple designs

Strategic partnership

I work with everybody—from ordinary people to the Secretary of State. I understand the realities and constraints of government work. I fit into teams quickly, ask the right questions, and work within systems to deliver solutions that meet everybody’s needs. Having worked with governments at the local, state, and federal level, I know how to:

  • Build trust by listening to the client’s needs and expectations

  • Adhere to all legal requirements, minimizing lengthy legal reviews and preventing lawsuits

  • Finding solutions that meet everybody’s needs