A portfolio bridging architectural design and design engineering — combining spatial problem-solving, user-centered thinking, and hands-on development with a critical perspective on AI systems.
Portfolio — angelaread.design
I am an architect-turned-design technologist with 9+ years of experience translating complex systems into human-centered solutions. My background spans spatial design, front-end development, and independent research into AI systems — including how LLMs behave, where they fail, and what that means for products built on top of them.
- User-Centered Design — Designing spaces and systems around human behavior and needs
- Visual Communication — Floor plans, diagrams, and UI as information architecture
- Iterative Process — Sketches to models to renderings mirrors wireframes to prototypes to high fidelity mockups
- Design and Code — Bridging design intent and implementation across tools and stacks
- Research — Graduate-level academic research with published, internationally distributed work; independent research into AI systems, data privacy, and responsible design
- AI Literacy — Hands-on experience with LLMs alongside critical understanding of their limitations, failure modes, and design implications
Three research-driven case studies focused on accessibility, security, and privacy — each grounded in primary research, community evidence, and academic literature.
| Project | Focus | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Wavelength — Music App | Lyrics and captions for deaf and hard of hearing users | Complete |
| Cove — Retail App | Security UX — breach notification, passwords, 2FA | Complete |
| Halo — Social App | Privacy and surveillance — dark patterns, tracking, consent design | Complete |
Two architecture projects reframed through the lens of human interaction, systems thinking, and inclusive design.
| Project | Focus |
|---|---|
| Parkside Place — Camden, NJ | Mixed income housing, inclusive design, ADA standards |
| Brownfield Revitalization — Rochester, NY | Community infrastructure, public space, environmental remediation |
- Google UX Design Professional Certificate — Completed
- Mimo Full-Stack Development Certificate — Completed
- FreeCodeCamp — In progress (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
- Master of Architecture, RIT
- Published thesis: Integration of Daylighting into Educational Building Design for Energy Efficiency, Health Benefit, and Mercury Emissions Reduction Using Heliodon for Physical Modeling — cited 7 times, viewed by researchers across nearly 100 countries
- International conference presentation — Bern, Switzerland 2022
- Research methods: physical modeling (heliodon), computational simulation, environmental performance analysis, multi-criteria design evaluation
| Architecture | Product and UX |
|---|---|
| Program brief, stakeholder interviews, site and user studies | Product discovery and strategy — vision, research synthesis, problem framing |
| Space planning and user flow | Information architecture and user journeys |
| Technical drawings and diagrams | Wireframes and system design documentation |
| 3D modeling and rendering | Prototyping and visual design |
| Client presentations | Stakeholder communication and design critiques |
- HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript (in progress)
- Git and GitHub — SSH keys, GPG commit signing, version control workflows
- VS Code, browser DevTools, accessibility auditing
- Responsive layout, component thinking, design to code handoff
- Generative AI and LLMs — Hands-on use of Claude, GitHub Copilot, and Microsoft Copilot for research, prototyping, and development workflows
- AI systems research — Independent study of LLM architectures, model limitations, and failure modes
- AI safety and ethics — Familiarity with alignment literature, agentic system risks, and responsible AI design principles
- Privacy and data flows — Original research into data privacy, browser fingerprinting, and consent design patterns; developed original frameworks consent theater and accountability laundering through primary research into banking AI deployment and social media tracking infrastructure
- Critical evaluation — Ability to assess AI tools not just as a user but as a designer: identifying where AI assistance adds value, introduces risk, or requires human oversight
Design:
Development:
Research and Analytics:
AI:
Architecture:
Focused on design technologist and UX engineering work at the intersection of design, front-end development, and AI systems.
- Design engineering — closing the gap between design and code through practical front-end work and component-level thinking
- AI-informed UX — designing for AI systems with an understanding of how they actually work, including edge cases, failure modes, and trust calibration
- Privacy and accessibility — research-driven UX with a focus on consent design, transparency patterns, and inclusive interaction models
- Front-end development — building JavaScript skills through freeCodeCamp and independent projects
© 2026 Angela Read