Great design requires both form and function!

Favoring one over the other will greatly affect a design’s ability to communicate. Striking a balance between the two is something I dwell on every single day.

I am Mike Mai, a UIX designer from (near) Boston. Professionally, I design with code. On the fun side, I create designer parodies such as the viral Helvetica Sucks, I Love Eurostile, and No Pro Bono.

My website is my playground. The current iteration challenges all standards and best practices. Remember’em good ol’ days when websites were fun? I do!

Contact

Call +1(978)912-0881 or Email.

Press Kit

Download high-res images for any kind of press you are writing about me.

• Portrait: 900px wide
• Portrait: 1280px wide
• Portrait: 2000px wide
• Profile: 500px wide
• Logo: 144px wide

Colophon

1. Photography: Ben Gebo
2. Typography: Share Tech Mono
3. CSS trick: codepen

I got my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2009. Since then I have designed for various startups and small businesses.

Principal UIX Designer

2017—present, Pegasystems, Inc.

Co-leading the Pega Design System that powers a network of Pega websites.

Full-stack Designer

2015—2017, Fullbridge Inc.

This role required me to handle the entire design process, hence the word full-stack, going from idea creation to design to production ready front-end code.

In addition, the design work is focused on enhancing the user experience of the platform, which includes: accessibility, cross-device responsive interface, front-end performance, information architecture, and right-to-left language compatibility.

Daily routine includes the following:

• Brainstorming and sketching
• Wireframing and creating user flows
• Designing and prototyping
• Front-end development (HTML and CSS)
• Maintaining a living style guide (of user interface elements) for developers and designers
• Analyzing recorded sessions of users interacting with the platform
• Doing quality assurance on user experience and information architecture

Product Designer

2013—2015, Sonicbids Inc.

Worked with a small team of developers to re-invent the music career platform. Notable contributions include creating a living styleguide, band search UI/UX, and EPK management system.

Chief Creative Mechanic

2010—2013, Bluetrain Mobile

Oversaw all creative process happening at Bluetrain Mobile for graphic design, web/mobile design and user experience design while providing creative inputs for digital marketing, SEO and SEM.

Design and/or code projects that I’m absolutely proud of.

Typesettings.css

Typesettings.css is the typography boilerplate for your minimal website or blog project. All typographic styles are inspired by traditional graphic design fundamentals—the boring stuff that you learn in Typography 101. (See more code on Codepen)

HTML4 Parody

When the HTML5 logo first hit the Internet, I was not the only one who thought it resembles the Autobots symbol. I decided to make a parody of it. I designed a HTML4 logo that resembles the Decepticons symbol. It was quite a hit on Forrst.

Hipster Tough Logo

Hipster Tough was created as a salute to my friend Josh Wilson, who is the ultimate hipster with his fixie, craft coffee, million pairs of neon-colored glasses, tiny beanies and super short jorts.

Legendary Pictures DVD Series

This series is inspired by my favorite TV show HIMYM. I created fictional movies based on a few inside jokes from the show, and designed the DVD cover art for each one.

Straight Outta China

Canton, China is home. I go back to visit from time to time.

In 2013, I had the honor of getting my friend Ben Gebo to do a photoshoot with me in my hometown. We went on the streets I grew up on and posed with my bros for these awesome nostalgic shots.

These are my bestest friends. They will always have a special place in my heart and on my website.

2015—present, gaming addiction

After 2+ years of playing, I would say this mobile game is an addiction. Here is some data I collected from the game.

Realm of Legends

I completed Realm of Legends right before the 100% Block Proficiency synergy was taken out of the game. I used my 4-star Guillotine for every fight except against Vision where I used a 3-star Black Bolt. I had a “Perfect Block Team” of 4-star Magneto and Guillotine, plus 3-star Cyclops, Magneto, and Black Bolt.

Labyrinth of Legends

NOPE! I can’t even finish Road to the Labyrinth. I am such a noob.

Master Mode Challenge

The first master mode event quest that I completed 100% was the King Groot event.

Arena Grind

I don’t really do arena much. The only time I grinded for a basic champ was Elektra, and oh boy, she is worth every exhausting second.

Most Epic Fight

She-hulk vs RTL4.2 Thanos. Enough said, son!

The Glossary contains extra information on all abbreviations and tooltips being used on mikemai.net.

Fixie

A fixed-gear bicycle (or fixed-wheel bicycle, commonly known in some places as a fixie) is a bicycle that has a drivetrain with no freewheel mechanism.

HIMYM

How I Met Your Mother (often abbreviated to HIMYM) is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 19, 2005 to March 31, 2014.

Jorts

Shorts made of denim fabric.

UIX

The combination of user interface and user experience.