Available for work · UTC-5 · Async-friendly

Jose Alvarez
Most designers make products look good.
I make them feel like they're on your side.

Emotional UX · AI products · Fintech

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Field Notes

The design thinking behind each system — what problem it solves and how.

Cuak Mascot UX · Behavioral Design
Cuak, the fintech mascot, waving
✦ What works

5/5 prototype testers felt more in control. Externalizing financial anxiety into a character that reacts in real time — the concept lands.

◆ Design challenge

Designing for financial data users can't see. The mascot had to make invisible credit health feel tangible — without raw numbers triggering anxiety.

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DuoGit Gamification · Dev Tools
DuoGit, the developer companion mascot
✦ What works

Same GitHub data, different emotional register. DuoGit makes progress visible without making absence shameful. The reframing works.

◆ Design challenge

Most gamification punishes absence. The core design problem: how do you make inactivity feel recoverable, not shameful — without removing accountability?

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Case Studies