So much to learn,
so little time
Academic settings feel like home to me, with a sense of wonder in learning something new. Math has always been my best subject, although my passion is for design and artistic creation— so I’ve tried to find ways to fold these together. Through classwork, research, professional experience, and volunteer opportunities, I aim to build, create, and tell stories.
Josiah Zacharias
Frontend Engineer and UX/Graphic Designer
MEADOWBROOK · SEATTLE, WA
Experience
2021 - 2022
UX Engineer
Microsoft
Most recently I have been working on SharePoint in Microsoft 365 and OneDrive to update their Fluent design system, including recent revamps to page authoring functionalities and working to update publicly-consumable git repos and npm packages using Node.js/npm with React.js, Typescript, and CSS in Js.
I worked to modernize SharePoint in Teams for a larger education-focused effort—to improve online classrooms via elegant user experiences for both educator and student.
This required conducting demos for broader cross-discipline teams, leading bug bashes, and drafting wiki/Readme documentation. I also implemented automated tests and Quality of Service monitors to assess UI and performance impact.
2015 - 2021
Web Developer and Graphic Designer
Electric Pen
Creatively pushed boundaries of frontend with novel tech for non-profit and multinational clients, building trust through active listening. Incorporated psychology of design in all strategy to make complicated ideas approachable and digestible, learning new tools in for data visualization and organization
I also managed a bridge between design and engineering teams by knowing limits and possibilities of each, insisting on the highest standards. Through my self-enrichment, I helped create over $300k in new business offerings for the company with web development and email strategy / campaigns.
Versed in animation, illustration, UI / UX design & engineering, and researching new ways to provide exceptional visual solutions for clients (e.g. using Lottie to integrate After Effects animations)
2013 - 2015
Laboratory Research Manager
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Expanded a high-functioning research environment and coordinated the creation of a $30k cell culture laboratory in three months. Also devised a novel 3D skin model to study cancer. Other duties included training PhD candidates, budgeting and fast-paced project management.
Volunteer & Leadership
2019 - Present
Volunteer research/developer/designer on the EYE Team to provide immersive AR experiences for vision-disabled youth in the Native American community, working under Dr. Bill Erdly
2016 - Present
Photographer and woodworking volunteer at the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle
2014 - 2015
Docent and assistant animal caretaker at the Nashville Zoo
Education
2024 (exp)
Master of Computer Science and SWE
University of Washington
Study with emphasis in computer vision, cybersecurity, cloud-based services, and machine learning.
Graduate Certificate in Software Design & Development (GPA 3.94)
Graduated in June 2020, accepted and transitioning into the UW Master of Computer Science and Software Engineering program thereafter. Relevant coursework — Data Structures and Object-Oriented Programming I and II, Systems Programming, Software Development Processes, Software Modeling Techniques, Software Testing and Quality
2016 - 2018
UX Certificate
School of Visual Concepts
Self-motivated interest to pursue design courses and understand the human psychology of layout and color to create better user experiences. Various classes including Typography, Graphic Design, UX/UI, Web Design, and Screen printing
2016 - 2018
Bachelor
Trinity College
Double majored chemistry and biology in Honors program; summa cum laude
Skills
Languages & Software
Adept in ReactJs, JavaScript / TypeScript, NodeJS, and HTML / CSS for versatile user interfaces. Trained on REST APIs and GraphQL microservices. Solid full-stack foundation in C++ and Java
UX/UI & Design
Proficient in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite (esp. Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects).
Methodologies to innovate ideas into elegant user experiences using the latest tools
Processes & Tools
Qualified in build automation and security pipelines for CI/CD (devops), code reviews, Jest unit testing frameworks, performance monitoring, and other software engineering processes
Interests
SRT rock climbing, guitar, piano, illustration, photography, exploring the new, and merging opposites like art and science.
The fun stuff
to round me out
If you thought my professional skills seem unpredictable, let’s talk hobbies. Passions, skills, vocations… at some point passions coalesce to produce new sparks of new ideas.
Photography
I love to capture the world and show others. Lenses offer new perspectives and require focus to compose a scene. I experiment with moving photos, long exposure, and drone photography. I converge these skills in my overall pursuit of good design and desire to tell stories.
Travel & Exploration
Being born in a different country than where I grew up set the foundation for my life— to travel and experience all the world has to offer. Across four continents (so far) I’ve explored architecture, sought unfamiliar cuisine, rock-climbed into caves, and enriched myself with new culture.
Music
From living rooms to auditoriums, playing and performing music has been a part of me my entire life. Piano, percussion, and guitar are my focuses, but I aim to learn as many instruments as I can. Crossover from music to design and even computer science has fascinated me, as similarities appear in ways you wouldn’t expect.
Reading
Books are invaluable to me. I soak up classic fiction (Alexandre Dumas and Jules Verne being a couple of my favorites) and love falling into novels that whisk me away to a far off universe. I aim to enrich my mind with wisdom from the collective experience of humanity, studying philosophy, ecology, and psychology.
