Arely Rivera, home

Arely Rivera — Lead Product Designer & Design Engineer

The harder the problem, the more interested I am. I unravel complex, tangled systems and translate them into simple, beautifully considered products.

The trajectory

I started out designing websites in Illustrator, completely unaware of how the web actually worked. Over time, my curiosity pulled me through graphic design, UI/UX, product design, and ultimately design engineering.

I’ve always thrived at the intersection of visual craft, technology, and systems. Working closely with code hasn’t turned me into a full-time software engineer, but it transformed how I design. It lets me speak the language, navigate technical trade-offs, and design with a realistic understanding of how things actually get built.

What drives me

  • AI & next-gen interactions: I’m obsessed with emerging AI interaction patterns and figuring out how humans should interact with non-deterministic systems that don’t behave like traditional software.
  • Craft + performance: I maintain high standards. I care just as much about whether a product functions seamlessly behind the scenes as I do about whether it feels intentional and beautifully crafted.
  • Serious work, lighthearted culture: I’m usually the person making jokes in the middle of a complex project. I thrive in teams that challenge each other, care deeply about the outcome, and still have fun building together.
  • Building to share: I want to understand things deeply enough to explain them — mentoring designers, speaking about what I learn, and giving back to the design community.

Off the clock

Apparently, I design systems in my free time, too. I love simulation games where I inevitably organize, optimize, and automate every mechanic until it runs flawlessly (Stardew Valley, Palworld, Paralives). When I’m not reading with my book club or diving into hands-on projects like woodworking or sewing, I’m hanging out with my two dogs, Artemisa and Ippo.

Currently focused on

  • Building next-generation AI products
  • Deepening my design engineering skills
  • Tackling problems that start with: “How the hell are we going to solve this?” (Those are always my favorite.)

Random facts about me

Drag to turn the dome, and pick a tile to read that fact.

Read all 21 as a list
  1. I live in Hermosillo, Sonora, right in the middle of the desert.
  2. I have two dogs, Artemisa and Ippo, and I love them an unreasonable amount.
  3. If I have time off, there’s a very high chance I’ll start a home improvement project instead of actually resting.
  4. I’m constantly thinking about how to improve my house: painting something, changing furniture, adding shelves, reorganizing a room… allegedly, one day I’ll finish.
  5. I have way too many interests. I love learning new things and I’m almost always picking up a new hobby, skill, or project.
  6. I was almost a software developer, chose Graphic Design instead, and somehow ended up circling back to code through Design Engineering.
  7. I’ve tried to make video games several times. Games shipped so far: 0. Attempts: many.
  8. I love pixel art.
  9. I illustrate as a hobby and have experimented with pretty much every visual art medium I could get my hands on: painting, pastels, oil pastels, airbrush, spray paint, printmaking, and more. See my illustrations on Instagram(opens in a new tab)
  10. For some reason, visual arts have always come very naturally to me.
  11. Music did not get the memo. I have absolutely no musical talent. I tried singing. It was a terrible idea. Apparently, all my creative stats went into visual arts and none into music.
  12. I went through a phase where I wanted to become a photographer. I eventually realized I enjoy having control over creative decisions much more than negotiating which portrait someone likes best.
  13. I co-host a design podcast.
  14. I love games where I can build, organize, automate, and optimize things.
  15. I cannot play Stardew Valley casually. My farm eventually becomes an operations system.
  16. I have a tendency to turn hobbies into systems.
  17. I’m part of a book club because apparently I occasionally need external accountability even for things I genuinely enjoy.
  18. I love learning practical skills just because I can: home improvement, woodworking, sewing, electrical work, and whatever catches my attention next.
  19. I’m usually the person making jokes in the middle of a serious work discussion.
  20. I have a habit of thinking “this could be better” and accidentally creating a new project for myself.
  21. Hermosillo once became the target of national jokes because a new underpass opened and basically the entire city went to see it. Honestly, fair.

Looking for a lead product designer or design engineer?

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