Josh co-designs equitable, anti-ableist experiences

Managing Staff Designer at Ad Hoc and IAAP CPWA leading accessibility beyond compliance at VA.gov.

How can I best serve you?

Hire me

3 reasons in less than 3 minutes to hit me up.

Mentorship

Let's chat! Schedule a call with me on calendly.

Pro bono

Let's team up to help people.

Why Hire Me?

You can also go straight to my resume, but that's not as fun.

  1. 10+ years of interdisciplinary design work

    I've led discovery teams at the CIA and USDA, designed responsive travel experiences at Amtrak, and am currently guiding inclusive research and accessibility strategy at Ad Hoc and Veterans Affairs.

    NDAs can't block my pro bono projects or my colleagues' glowing testimonials.

  2. Design educator, evangelist, and volunteer

    I'm all about democratizing the design community from paying mentorship forward to calling out exclusion when I see it.

    As a volunteer, I've paved accessibility efforts at AIGA DC and inclusively screened talks for the DotGov Design Conference.

    I’ve also written design ethics course material at the University of Virginia and have given talks at the US Digital Service, Carnegie Mellon, Code for America Summit, and Inclusive Design 24.

    Check out my articles and talks.

  3. Grounded in ethics, accessibility, and inclusion

    Dealbreaker time.

    1. I'm not an expert, because I can't represent the diversity of the human experience. I design with, I don't design for.
    2. My process doesn't start with a rectangle, because the best interface is usually no interface at all.
    3. Boring before magic. I won't design for delight until everyone has a foot in the door.
    4. I will never do work that causes harm or manipulates people. Honesty, transparency, and ethics are non-negotiable.

Testimonials

I wouldn't buy a product without reviews, no cap.

  • Josh is an amazing researcher, designer, and human in so many ways. He is the opposite of someone who works in "default mode" - every action he takes he thinks deeply about and tries to make the most ethical, caring, impactful choice.

    Shawna Hein, Vice President of Design at Code for America

  • Josh is not only a brilliant UX designer, but also an inspiring leader. He serves as a mentor to 20+ designers, and he always makes time for creating and fostering authentic connections with his teams, users, and clients. I highly recommend Josh!

    Desislava Dancheva, Senior Product Designer at LinkedIn

  • I had the utmost pleasure in working with Josh. I was impressed by his vigor in advocating for inclusive design and his ability to deliver the story behind our designs to clients. Josh would be a tremendous asset to any team.

    Shing Zhang, Experience Lead at Salesforce

  • Once upon a time, Josh Kim became my manager as I began a new project at the VA. That was the beginning of an amazing professional journey. Because of his quiet and steadfast labor, the VA's research practice's understanding of ethics is solidified in documentation and processes that will sustain the organization even if Josh is not present.

    Dave Sukharan, UX Researcher (former direct rapport)