Design-to-Implementation Clarity
I translate UX designs into well-structured, maintainable components, collaborating with backend engineers to co-design API contracts, shape data models, and ensure that frontend and backend work seamlessly together.
Yoko | Frontend Development & Project Delivery
Build with Confidence,
Connect with Clarity.
Connect with Clarity.
I'm a Frontend Engineer specializing in React, Next.js, and TypeScript, focused on bridging UX design, frontend architecture, backend integration, and API design into one cohesive product experience.
With years of experience in building scalable, maintainable interfaces, I excel at shaping data flows and API contracts that align backend logic with real user needs — all while designing for accessibility and inclusive UX from the ground up.
Open to relocation with visa sponsorship and flexible work models — remote, hybrid, or on-site — depending on what best supports the team and product.
View My Work
Async-first & adaptable — supporting inclusive product teams across time zones and cultures.
What I Do
API-Driven Frontend Architecture
My work often goes beyond UI. I design component logic, manage state predictably (Redux, Zustand, React Query), and implement secure authentication and data-fetching flows. I work closely with backend engineers to align response structures and ensure frontend logic reflects real-world data needs.
Accessibility by Design
I approach accessibility as part of the product strategy — not just a checklist. Currently preparing for the IAAP CPACC certification, I design inclusive interfaces that handle edge cases gracefully, reduce friction, and make products usable for all.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
I thrive in async-first, multicultural teams, taking ownership while keeping everyone aligned through clear communication. My focus is on creating shared clarity — so that designers, backend engineers, and stakeholders can move in the same direction.
Cultural Insight
Bridging Perspectives, Expanding Possibilities
I was born and raised in Japan, but in the past several years my work has consistently taken place in cross-cultural and distributed environments — from a 20+ person engineering team spanning Europe and Asia, to startup teams spread across the US, Singapore, and Canada.
I also spent about a year and a half living in Malta, including one year working remotely for a European company while collaborating closely with colleagues on the ground. Malta may be a small island, but it’s one of the most international places I’ve lived — a place where people from across Europe, Asia, and the Americas mix naturally. Through both work and daily life, I’ve already been part of countless interactions with people from different backgrounds — learning how they think, communicate, and make decisions.
These experiences taught me how to listen deeply, adapt quickly, and collaborate openly — and they keep teaching me. I don’t assume I’ve “seen it all”; every new collaboration is an opportunity to learn something different. At the same time, those experiences have helped me understand my own perspective more clearly — and that Japanese lens naturally brings a different layer of value to the teams I join.
This combination of empathy, flexibility, and cross-cultural understanding allows me to bridge diverse viewpoints and support truly global collaboration — not just fitting into a team, but helping it grow stronger through difference.
Ideas, Built
These projects represent how I approach frontend engineering — not as an isolated discipline, but as a bridge between UX design, backend systems, and user needs.
Across different domains — from B2B SaaS and FinTech to EdTech and consumer products — my work has focused on three consistent goals:
- Building frontend architectures that are scalable, predictable, and maintainable
- Designing APIs and data flows that make complex logic simple and usable
- Embedding accessibility and inclusive UX into every layer of the product
Each project below is an example of how those principles come together in real-world applications.
FrontendUX StrategyPMA11Y
Product
Interview Flashcard App – Built for Accessibility, From Day One
A fully accessible flashcard app designed to help non-native speakers practice interviews out loud. I built it with inclusive UX as a core principle — supporting full keyboard navigation, screen readers, motion control, and a 90+ Lighthouse Accessibility score. This project shows how I combine frontend architecture and accessibility best practices to create interfaces that are not only functional, but welcoming and usable for all.
AccessibilityInclusive DesignUXFrontendKeyboard NavigationScreen ReaderNext.jsTypeScriptTailwind CSSZustandshadcn/ui
FrontendPM
Client Work
Web3 EdTech Platform – UX-Focused Frontend & API Co-Design
Web3EdTechStartup
As the sole frontend engineer in a 4-person async team, I led the development of a Web3-enabled education platform that issues blockchain-based learning certificates. I collaborated closely with backend engineers to co-design API endpoints, refine Prisma schemas, and align data structures with UX requirements — enabling a seamless onboarding experience for non-technical users. The project demonstrates how I bridge frontend implementation with backend logic, turning complex flows (authentication, certificate issuance) into clear, trustworthy user journeys.
Next.jsTypeScriptReactPrismaWeb3UXAsync TeamMetamaskFrontend ArchitectureSchema DesignError HandlingAccessibilityWagmi
FrontendPM
Client Work
Automated PDF Report Creation Tool – Frontend & Data Integration
B2B SaaSFinTechEnterprise
Built a scalable frontend tool that automated PDF report generation from complex SQL datasets — reducing delivery time from weeks to hours. I worked across layers to convert raw data into Prisma models, design data-fetching logic aligned with frontend state, and integrate visual reporting components that non-technical users could operate confidently. This project highlights my strength in connecting data, backend APIs, and frontend UI into a smooth, reliable workflow.
Client WorkFrontend ArchitectureUX Flow MappingInternal ToolReactTypeScriptChart.jsPrismaPuppeteerSQL to ORMCross-team Collaboration
UX StrategyPM
Client Work
UX-Oriented Website Redesign – From Brand to Flow
B2CE-commerceBeauty
Led the end-to-end redesign of a beauty appliance brand’s website, aligning brand tone, information architecture, and UX structure into a cohesive product experience. I clarified user flows, improved content structure, and helped reduce support load while increasing sessions by +174%. This project shows how I combine UX strategy and frontend implementation to turn business goals into results.
UX StrategyInformation ArchitectureContent DesignFrontend DevelopmentResponsive DesignHTML & SCSSWordPressSEOBrandingProject Leadership
Mini Tools
Small, focused tools where I turn ideas into code — exploring how accessibility, UX, and developer experience can work together. Lightweight, practical, and built to evolve through real-world feedback.
AccessibilityTailwindWCAGFrontend ToolingDeveloper ExperienceKeyboard Navigation
Contrastly – Tailwind Colors Contrast Checker
A lightweight tool built to make accessibility checks faster and more intuitive for frontend developers and designers. It lets users quickly validate WCAG contrast ratios across Tailwind color palettes and semantic tokens, with a keyboard-first workflow that fits seamlessly into real design and development pipelines. This project reflects my focus on inclusive UI design and developer experience — helping teams integrate accessibility into their process, not just their checklist.
AccessibilityInclusive UXKeyboard NavigationPerformance Optimization
Promotee – Accessibility-Focused Interview Flashcard App
A fully keyboard-navigable flashcard app designed to help non-native speakers practice interviews with confidence. Built from the ground up with inclusive UX principles, Promotee supports screen readers, motion control, and structured semantic markup — while maintaining high performance and a 90+ Lighthouse score. This project embodies how I approach accessibility as a driver of UX quality and technical reliability — uncovering edge cases, guiding architecture decisions, and creating products that feel welcoming to all users.
Publications
- The UX Lesson I Learned in a Quiet Tokyo Salon (opens in a new tab)— Featured in UX Collective (Bootcamp), and later selected for Boost, Medium’s editorial recommendation program.
- From Universal Design to Personalized Interfaces (opens in a new tab)— Featured in UX Collective (Bootcamp), a curated UX publication reaching 3M+ monthly readers.
- What Building My First A11y-Focused App Taught Me (opens in a new tab)— Featured in JavaScript in Plain English, a major publication for frontend developers and JavaScript practitioners.
- Stories Worth Meeting (opens in a new tab)(Personal Project) — An interview series exploring resilience and cultural context through a UX lens:
What People Say About Working with Me
I'm grateful to have worked with thoughtful people who value clarity, empathy, and ownership. Here's what they say about our work together.
Work With Me
I’m looking for a full-time role where I can bring together frontend engineering, UX thinking, and cross-functional collaboration to help products move from concept to reality.
I work best in async-first, trust-based teams that value clarity over control and collaboration over silos. I take ownership of my part of the work — from building UI and managing state to shaping APIs and data structures — while staying deeply aligned with design, backend, and product priorities.
Here’s what I focus on when I join a team:
- End-to-end clarity: Translating design requirements into predictable frontend architecture and collaborating on backend contracts and data flows so that handoffs are seamless.
- Accessibility by default: Identifying edge cases early, designing for inclusivity, and ensuring products are usable for everyone.
- Shared understanding: Facilitating smooth communication across design, engineering, and product, and documenting flows, trade-offs, and risks clearly.
I’m especially interested in projects where frontend is more than just implementation — where it plays a central role in shaping how a product behaves, scales, and serves users.
I’m open to relocation with visa sponsorship and can work remotely, on-site, or in hybrid environments — whichever best supports collaboration and delivery.
If you value:
- Clear, honest communication
- Reliable ownership across the full integration flow
- Respect — for users, teammates, and the process
…I’d love to connect and explore how we can build great products together.
About Me
I'm a frontend engineer who thrives at the intersection of design, development, and data. I started my career in branding and content strategy before moving into frontend engineering, and that background still shapes how I work — always connecting how things look, how they work, and how they feel into one cohesive product experience.
My core strength is bridging disciplines. I translate design intent into maintainable React and Next.js architectures, shape API contracts and data flows with backend engineers, and ensure that what ships to users is aligned, consistent, and reliable. I’m especially comfortable owning the connection between UI and backend — from co-designing endpoints and shaping Prisma data models, to handling authentication flows and building scalable frontend logic.
Accessibility is a growing part of that practice. I’m currently preparing for the IAAP CPACC certification and exploring how inclusive design principles make interfaces not only more usable but also more resilient and maintainable. For me, accessibility isn’t just compliance — it’s a mindset that helps us design with more care and intention.
With experience across B2B SaaS, fintech, and global async-first teams, I focus on building products that are scalable, inclusive, and grounded in real user needs. I care deeply about code that communicates, design that includes, and systems that respect people and context.
Outside of work, I write, explore cultures, and take long walks to reflect and recharge.
Let's Connect
Whether you're building a product, shaping a team, or just curious — I'd love to chat.
You can reach me atyokoworks.dev@gmail.comor connect viaLinkedIn (opens in a new tab)orX (opens in a new tab).