A little about me
In the past, I designed for Snapchat, creating hundreds of fun Geofilters to polished artworks for Snap Originals. I also joined Gemini and designed for their NFT platform, Nifty Gateway. I’ve also dedicated my time in my personal project called Sole Fatale, where I had the honor of collaborating with Nike, DC Entertainment and Universal Studios, and more. 

My background
I’m fully bilingual in English and Japanese, with a multicultural background shaped from moving over 12 times in my lifetime! I value diverse perspectives, thrive in new environments, and bring cultural sensitivity to designs and branding that connect effectively with the target audience, whether they are English or Japanese speakers. 

Design with Intent
Every visual choice I make ties back to a purpose. I balance creativity with clarity, ensuring each design not only looks good but solves the right problem in a thoughtful, brand-aligned way.

Problem solving with a sprinkle of joy
One of my favorite feedback is, “How did you even come up with this?!” While solving the problem is the baseline, I aim to go a step further, bringing a sense of delight, surprise, or personality into every solution.

Organized Storytelling
I enjoy taking complicated concepts and crafting easy to understand narratives through organized slide decks full of intriguing visuals and illustrations to bring ideas to life, accurate to their brand.

Versatility in Design and Art
With roots in both art and design, I move easily between creating attention grabbing artworks, and joining other talented people to solve complex problems through design. I switch between these worlds seamlessly.

My Story

I grew up moving between Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Los Angeles—finding home in many places and collecting inspiration along the way. My sense of pop culture was shaped by constant adaptation. I grew up on Cartoon Network and Hollywood blockbusters, but also read Slam Dunk and watched Cardcaptor Sakura. My CD binder held Destiny’s Child in one sleeve, with Namie Amuro tucked right next to it. Wearing a bootleg Von Dutch trucker hat I found in Mong Kok and baggy ru-zu socks on my feet, I’d be lining up at the purikura booths on Takeshita Street. A total mishmash—but that’s exactly what I love about my background.

Professionally, I started my design career in 2013 at an ad agency in Long Beach. In 2015, I made a major leap into tech, joining Snapchat (now Snap Inc.) as a Visual Designer, where I worked across illustration, art direction, UI/UX, and marketing design for the Content Team.

Throughout my journey, I’ve always believed in the power of personal passion projects to enrich creativity and shape a unique design voice. What began as a side project in 2013 eventually led to collaborations with brands like Nike, DC Entertainment, Universal Studios, and more. In March 2020, I made the jump to pursue my art full-time, focusing on prints, toys, and collectible products.

Today, I’ve refocused on design—helping bring my clients' ideas to life through polished presentations, branding systems, and anything else they need to move their startups and projects forward.

2024-Now

Freelance
Designer
Explanation

2020-2024

Gemini (Nifty Gateway)
Product Designer, Brand
Explanation

2013 - 2023

VIVALAREINA
Artist
Explanation

2016-2020

Snap Inc
Senior Visual Designer
Visual Designer
Graphic Designer
Explanation

2013-2016

Intertrend
Digital Designer
Explanation

My Artist Era

My unexpected journey as an artist began when I moved to LA in 2013. I had always loved drawing, but everything changed the day I stumbled into the city’s vibrant sneaker scene. I still remember walking into Flight Club for the first time—watching people passionately talk about sneakers like they were art. It felt like fireworks went off in my head. I went home that night, inspired and eager to capture that moment on paper.

What started as a personal project quickly grew into something much bigger: a visual narrative celebrating powerful women, a reflection of my own evolving journey with femininity—all told through the lens of sneaker culture.

Over the years, this passion turned into a platform that reached over 110k followers. I’ve shown my work at DesignerCon, exhibited in cities around the world, and had fans lining up around the block for limited-edition prints and collectibles. One release even sold 100 pieces in just 40 seconds (That was madness!) it still feels surreal that something that began as a late-night sketch session has come this far.

I am still thankful for every company, opportunities and people I met through this journey. Though I’ve since moved on from that chapter, I’m excited to explore new sources of inspiration and dive into fresh themes in the next phase of my creative journey.

Clients

Nike
Jordan Brand
DC Entertainment
Universal Studios
Stock X
Sneaker Freaker
Foot District
SNKR Inc
ntwrk
atmos
Complex
Champ Sports
Snapchat