Austin Hernández (he/they) is a designer, researcher, and storyteller working in photography, filmmaking, performance, and music. Currently, he's learning “advanced beginner” Spanish and how to ferment tepache.
About
For the past fifteen years, I've worked as a creative professional in the US and UK. I'm a Senior Product Designer in my 9-5 job. Through research and design I improve how people access public services by simplifying interactions between people and government. I sit on the Board of Directors for Maven Youth, a nonprofit that empowers LGBT+ youth to network, organize, and educate for social change through technology and the tech sector.
In my creative practice, the medium adapts to the audience and subject. I tell stories through performance, film, and music to share the experiences of in-between communities and identities. I've also been invited to speak and perform at universities and community spaces for my work in the intersections of art and design. Complete artist bio on the Storytelling page.
Services & offerings
Design & research consulting
Available for short-term, freelance projects that work within a variety of budgets to help with design problems like:
Brand identity & strategy
Collaborating on a strategy, cost, and realistic expectations for a new or existing brand.
Creating color palettes, logos, typeface, guidelines, etc.
Visual design & marketing materials
Creating design collateral like apparel, posters, flyers, menus, stickers, postcards, etc. for new or existing brands.
User experience design and user research
Identifying usability problems in an existing website by talking to the people who use it.
Web design
Designing an easy-to-update website on Squarespace, Wix, Shopify, etc.
Trainings, tutorials, & how-tos
Teaching you how to conduct your own usability testing.
Providing training and tutorials for website maintenance and future updates.
Experience & qualifications:
Over fifteen years of experience in the design field working in a variety of roles across industries.
Designed for Fortune Global 500 brands, nonprofits, government agencies, and small businesses.
Portfolio of selected work in the Design section.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA)
Available for leadership trainings, workshops, assessments, and consultations. Providing frameworks for things like reducing unconscious bias in interview and hiring processes and running more inclusive meetings.
Experience & qualifications:
Over four years leading DEIA employee resource groups and committees in large enterprise and have a certification in “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” from eCornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
Over six years working in remote-first organizations restructuring meetings that accommodate people with a variety of disabilities, but I have limited experience in creating accessible physical spaces.
Lectures, talks, & teachings
I'm available for speaking engagements. I have been invited to speak on a wide-range of topics including:
The federal government's history of creating the “Hispanic/Latino” ethnicity and its impact on flattening pre-Columbian groups in the Americas.
Overlaps in unconscious bias of racism and visual design.
Form design: how and when to collect demographic data that is usable, inclusive, ethical, and reduces harm to vulnerable populations.
Experience & qualifications:
Over ten years of public speaking experience at events in person and virtually.
View a selected list of speaking engagements on the Featured page.
Mediation & conflict resolution
I offer group trainings on first-party mediation and provide third-party conflict resolution services.
Experience & qualifications:
Over four years conflict mediation as it relates to exclusionary behaviors and microaggressions in the workplace
Specialization in training in equity and anti-racist frameworks from Creative Reaction Lab (CRXLAB) and certified by The Mediation Training Institute (MTI)® as a “Workplace Mediator and Trainer.”
Mentorship
Available for portfolio reviews, career counseling, combating imposter syndrome, and teaching business acumen. I specialize in working with people whose identities are typically under-represented in tech.
Experience & qualifications:
Currently providing formal mentorship for early-stage career designers with the US Digital Corps.
Experience in leading design critique groups and internship programs.
Over seven years of experience working with youth (ages 13-19) to talk through goals on higher education and career paths.