Hi, I'm Alex Oda

A digital product designer with over 15 years experience in crafting user-centric solutions.


About me

Passionate about solving complex business problems through a data-driven approach. Collaborating with product managers, stakeholders and developers to identify emerging user patterns and incremental improvement options to drive business objectives.

I enjoy Formula 1 and sim racing. When not in front of the computer screen, I like to get together with friends and family, work on a DIY project around the house, or go kayaking.



How I usually approach things

I believe that great outcomes are the result of flexible enough processes to adapt to the challenge at hand. Most approaches tend to be a mix of the following steps.

Context

When starting a project, I first gather as much relevant info as possible. Then, outline product goals and understand the requirements.

I follow by reviewing existing data and defining my approach for future steps.

Setup

I get a good sense of the stakeholders and understand who is the main audience for what we’re building.

I then draw up a map of existing ideas and assumptions to categorize them as validated or not. Based on these, we should be able to identify success criteria for what we’re about to do.

Ideate

Before diving in, I research any existing solutions to better understand the market. I interview stakeholders and users to understand the problems they’re facing and confirm assumptions.

This will allow me to partner with product managers and developers in tackling validated assumptions.

Prototype

At this point, it's key to design for the proper fidelity (wireframe / hi-fi mockups). They're instrumental in getting validation & buy-in from stakeholders and then users.

Based on topics that converge, the concept is further refined, along with the definition of leading metrics & KPIs.

Support development

After carving out the happy path, it’s time to branch out into supporting scenarios.

This can include error handling, empty states or, if needed, adapting things to overcome technical challenges. Developers often enjoy well-defined scenarios, so I try to make it as clear as possible through specs or event tracking.

Measure and collect feedback

Usually, after launch, a product or feature needs further attention.

I closely track metrics and user feedback, drawing conclusions for future improvements.