Matific · Teacher onboarding
Show the value first. Ask for setup when it's needed
With the Product Manager, I redesigned how new teachers discover Matific, choose how to set work, and set up a class only when they need to.
Head of Design & Product Designer
Designing for user impact and business outcomes
At Matific, an EdTech platform used by 200K+ teachers in 70+ countries, I shape the strongest solution within real time, budget and team limits: from flows and prototypes to reviewing what gets built. I lead a small design team, govern the adaptation of our design system, and pioneer AI-assisted DesignOps workflows.
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Matific · Teacher & admin navigation
More subjects. Different roles. One framework
I designed a framework—converting top navigation to a scalable side navigation—connecting school roles, classes, and subjects as Matific expanded beyond Maths. It launched alongside the first new subject.
Matific · Design & build quality
Closing the gap between design and build
I established Matific’s first design system on IBM Carbon, made build quality a shared goal through front-end KPIs, and added an AI-assisted QA agent so developers can check builds against the design before my review.
JAX Tyres · User research & prototype testing
Research-driven responsive booking for JAX Tyres
As Lead Designer, I collaborated with a UX specialist on foundational research and synthesis to shape a reimagined and highly optimised tyre-booking experience for JAX Tyres. After aligning with stakeholders on product priorities and user flows, I designed and built high-fidelity prototypes, refined the interface through two rounds of usability testing, and delivered a fully annotated developer handover.
Matific · Brand identity
A distinctive identity. A guide the team could use
I established Matific’s unique visual identity, balancing a playful energy with sophisticated geometric shapes, and authored the company's first brand guide. Following this foundational work, I led the design team through the system's initial trial and adaptation.
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Profile
How I work
I’m a Sydney-based design leader and product designer who bridges the gap between high-level strategy and hands-on execution. At Matific, I combine end-to-end UX/UI design with Head of Design responsibilities, leading a small team, governing our design system, and elevating overall implementation quality. Partnering closely with product and engineering, I build scalable DesignOps workflows and integrate AI to streamline core processes, while also directing the quality of our marketing collateral and contributing hands-on design.
What colleagues say
Hikaru is one of the most talented and dependable design leaders I’ve had the pleasure of working with. What truly sets him apart is his ability to understand complex problems, identify the underlying user pain points, and translate them into thoughtful, creative, and practical solutions that deliver real value. He combines exceptional problem-solving skills with a genuinely collaborative mindset, always listening, embracing feedback, and finding ways to balance user needs with business priorities. His professionalism, adaptability, and unwavering commitment to creating meaningful user experiences make him an invaluable partner to any product team, and I cannot recommend him highly enough.
Hikaru is, without a doubt, my favourite person to collaborate with at Matific. His creativity, exceptional attention to detail, and ability to balance the big picture with finer details make him an outstanding design leader. Give him an idea, and he can turn it into something far more comprehensive, thoughtful, and impactful with remarkable speed and efficiency. What stands out most is his ability to elevate the entire team's work. His thoughtful review and high standards consistently take designs to another level, he doesn't just create great design, he brings out the best in the team and raises the bar for everyone.
Working with Hikaru for over six years has been a great learning experience that helped me grow into a more confident and well-rounded designer. His insightful feedback taught me how to solve problems through visual communication, while the clear workflows and brand guidelines he established made our team highly efficient. I am truly grateful for his continuous mentorship, which always encouraged me to elevate my design quality, explore new tools, and feel supported despite working remotely.