Hi there! I’m Kohei (pronounced co-hey), an experienced, multitalented UX engineer based in Toronto, Canada, who’s been surviving at the intersection of business, design and technology for 20+ years. I love getting my hands dirty to solve real-world problems, make things uncomplicated & modernized, and help people be more productive. 🌟
My work spans the full spectrum: from research and design (UX/UI, IA, competitive analysis, web design, poster design) to development (frontend, backend, browser extensions, APIs) to communication (copywriting, technical writing, marketing, DevRel, English-Japanese translation). Think of me as a ninja equipped with miscellaneous skills — or simply a hyper-generalist. 🥷
When it comes to web development tech stack, I’m mainly experienced in React, AngularJS, Node.js, Perl, Python and PHP, but most of my projects these days are done with Svelte/SvelteKit.
Have a look at my current flagship project, Sveltia CMS, a modern, open source, Git-based headless CMS used by hundreds of individuals and organizations worldwide. It’s a perfect showcase for my problem-solving superpower and the force of UX engineering. 💪
You can also find my previous projects, BzDeck, Bugzilla UX and Firefox Site Compatibility, as well as open source contributions to Mozilla here and there. I have had an on-and-off relationship with Mozilla, my former employer, since the early 2000s. 🦊
I’m currently freelancing with clients in Canada, US, Australia, Japan and Germany. If you’re launching a startup or running a small business, this kind of one-stop top talent (full-stack web developer + UX/UI designer + marketer + more) is sure to be helpful. Feel free to reach out to me via email, Bluesky or LinkedIn today! 👋
Generalists are rare, but I’m also genetically extremely rare:
- I was a boy soprano.
- My voice didn’t break, so I can still sing mezzo-soprano naturally. If I were a singer, I’d be called a natural castrato.
- That said, my voice deepened, giving me a wide vocal range that extends as low as bass.
- I have an anime voice too.
- What’s broken is my biological clock. I lost sense of time and stopped aging.
- Indeed, I look (less than) half my age. I’m obviously not a teenager or a student 🤣
- I can easily work at night and avoid jet lag because my circadian rhythm is lost forever.
