OPTIMIST On a mission to BRING BACK PLAY into software, design, daily life, and the world.

It is

10:05 AM

FOR KELLY

(c) 2024 Kelly Chong

currently, i'm exploring…

  • Design: running an independent design practice, game UI and scrapbook prototypes, mixed-media interfaces

  • Community: hosting community events for play and learning, encouraging others to believe in themselves, design education (speaking, running workshops and accelerators, co-working sessions, meetups, etc.)

  • Introspection: writing, identities and how we can better express ourselves authentically online, ways to leave traces on the web to help the people we’re looking for find us (bat signals for people similar to you)

When leading my life, I value...

  • high agency

  • choosing optimism

  • optimizing for serendipity

  • making for the love of making

  • exploration as much as conviction

Previously, I have...

  • Worked with clients across various industries, including: driving schools, music licensing marketplaces, sports data providers, B2B fintech, crypto payments

  • Co-organized and hosted demo days for creators and builders who just want to make things, such as the Soto Spotlight and Atelier Showcase.

  • Lived in South Korea for a 4-month study exchange during my last term of undergrad. I miss it everyday.

  • Interned at Electronic Arts, designing in-game user experiences for over 4 million EA Sports FC (prev. FIFA Mobile) players

  • Co-led Hack Western 9 for its first in-person iteration since 2019, garnering 400+ attendees

  • Centralized designs of AI/ML interfaces into one platform at RBC to enable effective collaboration for employees

  • Spearheaded design for all digital products as the first designer at NIKU Farms, a sustainable meat delivery startup

  • Co-organized a 24-hour design-a-thon for the largest tech, business, and entrepreneurship club at Western University

  • Founded a business program engaging 200+ high school students in case-based learning to increase business literacy

hey, i'm kelly — an independent designer¹ experimenting with mixed-media art², gathering people³, & writing

  1. product is my bread & butter, but I also do web design, brand, & graphics

  1. turning my handwriting into a font (featured!), digital cards & scrapbooking

  1. teaching

scheming

and building

optimizing for play & serendipity in toronto ⁂✧・゚:*

  1. navigating my 20s with 100+ internet strangers,

  1. product is my bread & butter, but I also do web design, brand, & graphics

  1. turning my handwriting into a font (featured!), digital cards & scrapbooking

  1. teaching

scheming

and building

optimizing for play & serendipity in toronto ⁂✧・゚:*

  1. navigating my 20s with 100+ internet strangers,

  1. product is my bread & butter, but I also do web design, brand, & graphics

  1. turning my handwriting into a font (featured!), digital cards & scrapbooking

  1. teaching

scheming

and building

optimizing for play & serendipity in toronto ⁂✧・゚:*

  1. navigating my 20s with 100+ internet strangers,

  1. product is my bread & butter, but I also do web design, brand, & graphics

  1. turning my handwriting into a font (featured!), digital cards & scrapbooking

  1. teaching

scheming

and building

optimizing for play & serendipity in toronto ⁂✧・゚:*

  1. navigating my 20s with 100+ internet strangers,

  • now playing: Dust (먼지) by SEVENTEEN ♪

0:00/1:34

Sorry! My portfolio is best viewed on desktop right now.

Will try my best to get it mobile-optimized asap, just want you to have the best experience possible :)

You can otherwise find my professional experience on my LinkedIn, or for more community/personal life: @lychkel on X

OPTIMIST On a mission to BRING BACK PLAY into

software, design, daily life, and the world.

It is

10:05 AM

FOR KELLY

(c) 2024 Kelly Chong

OPTIMIST On a mission to BRING BACK PLAY into software, design, daily life, and the world.

It is

10:05 AM

FOR KELLY

(c) 2024 Kelly Chong