Hi, I'm Kali!

I'm an experience designer and researcher who came to digital design through an unconventional path. I spent over a decade as a fashion designer, working for brands like Cole Haan, Tommy Hilfiger, Levi's, and Karl Lagerfeld. In those roles, I designed women's apparel products, conducted trend and user research, analyzed sales data and customer feedback, performed fit testing, collaborated with merchandising, production, and technical design teams, and brought products from concept through manufacturing while balancing business objectives, brand positioning, and user needs across multiple market segments.

My experience in physical product design gives me a unique lens for digital work. I learned to design for diverse customers, not myself, and to understand what different people want, need, and respond to emotionally. I learned what makes people trust a product enough to try it, what makes something feel personal and special, and how to balance innovation with familiarity so new ideas feel accessible, not intimidating. Those lessons are especially relevant when designing for digital and emerging platforms where everything is new to users.

Before fashion, I studied visual art, earning my BFA from Emily Carr University and my MFA from Concordia University. That training gave me a strong foundation in visual communication, conceptual thinking, creative problem-solving, 3D fabrication, and spatial design that complements my research-driven design approach.

Now I'm pursuing my MS in Information Experience Design at Pratt Institute (2027 expected graduation), where I'm focusing on user research, strategic design, and emerging technologies. I previously studied VR and creative technologies at NYU Tandon School of Engineering. Starting February 2026, I'll be interning at Lincoln Center Immersive, conducting user research and usability testing for VR and AR projects.