Head of Design & Product Designer
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.
View selected work ↓Matific · Teacher onboarding
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.
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Matific · Teacher & admin navigation
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.
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Matific · Design & build quality
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.
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JAX Tyres · User research & prototype testing
As Lead Designer, I collaborated with a UX specialist on foundational research and synthesis to shape a responsive tyre-booking experience for JAX Tyres. After aligning with stakeholders on product priorities and user flows, I developed high-fidelity prototypes, refined the interface through two rounds of usability testing, and delivered a fully annotated developer handover.
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Matific · Brand identity
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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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.
“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.”
Gagan Walia
Head of Product, Matific
“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.”
Laura Li
Global Marketing Manager, Matific