A portfolio bridging architectural design and design engineering β combining spatial problem-solving, user-centered thinking, and hands-on development with a critical perspective on AI systems.
Portfolio β angelaread.design
I am an architectural designer with 9+ years of experience translating complex systems into human-centered solutions, with growing expertise in front-end development and design technology. My background spans spatial design, front-end development, and independent research into AI systems β including how LLMs behave, where they fail, and what that means for products built on top of them.
- User-Centered Design β Designing spaces and systems around human behavior and needs
- Visual Communication β Floor plans, diagrams, and UI as information architecture
- Iterative Process β Sketches to models to renderings mirrors wireframes to prototypes to high fidelity mockups
- Design and Code β Bridging design intent and implementation across tools and stacks
- Research β Graduate-level academic research with published, internationally distributed work; independent research into AI systems, data privacy, and responsible design
- AI Literacy β Hands-on experience with LLMs alongside critical understanding of their limitations, failure modes, and design implications
Three research-driven case studies focused on accessibility, security, and privacy β each grounded in primary research, community evidence, and academic literature.
| Project | Focus | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Wavelength β Music App | Lyrics and captions for deaf and hard of hearing users | Complete |
| Cove β Retail App | Security UX β breach notification, passwords, 2FA | Complete |
| Halo β Social App | Privacy and surveillance β dark patterns, tracking, consent design | Complete |
Two architecture projects reframed through the lens of human interaction, systems thinking, and inclusive design.
| Project | Focus |
|---|---|
| Parkside Place β Camden, NJ | Mixed income housing, inclusive design, ADA standards |
| Brownfield Revitalization β Rochester, NY | Community infrastructure, public space, environmental remediation |
- Google UX Design Professional Certificate (PDF) β Completed
- Mimo Full-Stack Development Certificate (PDF) β Completed
- freeCodeCamp Legacy Responsive Web Design V8 Certificate (PDF) β Completed
- FreeCodeCamp JavaScript β In progress
- Master of Architecture, RIT
- Published thesis: Integration of Daylighting into Educational Building Design for Energy Efficiency, Health Benefit, and Mercury Emissions Reduction Using Heliodon for Physical Modeling β cited 7 times, viewed by researchers across nearly 100 countries
- International conference presentation β Bern, Switzerland 2022
- Research methods: physical modeling (heliodon), computational simulation, environmental performance analysis, multi-criteria design evaluation
| Architecture | Product and UX |
|---|---|
| Program brief, stakeholder interviews, site and user studies | Product discovery and strategy β vision, research synthesis, problem framing |
| Space planning and user flow | Information architecture and user journeys |
| Technical drawings and diagrams | Wireframes and system design documentation |
| 3D modeling and rendering | Prototyping and visual design |
| Client presentations | Stakeholder communication and design critiques |
- HTML5 and CSS3 β built 28 projects including a live portfolio site written from scratch
- JavaScript β actively learning through freeCodeCamp
- React β planned next step after JavaScript completion
- Git and GitHub β SSH keys, GPG commit signing, version control workflows
- VS Code, browser DevTools, accessibility auditing
- Responsive layout, component thinking, design to code handoff
- Design systems β component-based thinking applied across tools and platforms
- Accessibility β WCAG standards, inclusive design patterns, screen reader consideration
- Generative AI and LLMs β Hands-on use of Claude, GitHub Copilot, and Microsoft Copilot for research, prototyping, and development workflows
- AI systems research β Independent study of LLM architectures, model limitations, and failure modes relevant to product design
- Privacy and data flows β Original research into consent design patterns and data privacy; developed frameworks through primary research into banking AI deployment and social media tracking infrastructure
- Critical evaluation β Ability to assess AI tools as a designer: identifying where AI assistance adds value, introduces risk, or requires human oversight
Design:
Development:
HTML5 CSS3 JavaScript Git GitHub VS Code
Research and Analytics:
AI:
Claude GitHub Copilot Microsoft Copilot
Architecture:
Revit SketchUp AutoCAD Twinmotion
Currently expanding my practice across architectural design, front-end development, and design technology.
- Design engineering β closing the gap between design and code through practical front-end work and component-level thinking
- Front-end development β HTML5 and CSS3 complete with 28 built projects; currently building JavaScript foundations through freeCodeCamp; React planned as next step
- Motion and visualization β building on cinematic 3D architectural visualization work to explore motion design and After Effects
- AI-informed UX β designing for AI systems with an understanding of how they actually work, including edge cases, failure modes, and trust calibration
- Privacy and accessibility β research-driven UX with a focus on consent design, transparency patterns, and inclusive interaction models
Β© 2026 Angela Read