I help Fintech & Consumer teams turn their ideas into products that people love

I help Fintech & Consumer teams turn their ideas into products that people love

I help Fintech & Consumer teams turn their ideas into products that people love

I’m a product designer combining visual craft with functional design.
I help teams bring ideas to life, go 0 → 1, create scalable systems, build websites, and grow their business.

I’m a product designer combining visual craft with functional design. I help teams bring ideas to life, go 0 → 1, create scalable systems, build websites, and grow their business.

allUP screens

allUP screens

Trusted by 15+ startups and industry leaders

2023 ~ 2025

I helped allUP increase user activation by simplifying their web and iOS app.

Product Design

Product Strategy

Design System

Web Development

accomplishments

Increased conversions through a simplified onboarding flow

Established a design system in Figma

Designed an AI feature to give users live feedback to their answers

Built and animated marketing landing pages in Webflow

Designed and completed 20+ projects on desktop and mobile

2022 ~ 2023

I helped small business owners feel more confident managing their money.

Product Design

Product Strategy

Design System

Web Development

accomplishments

Redesigned invoicing to increase user's LTV

Created and managed a design system in Figma

Increased conversions through improvements to onboarding

Improved invoicing, payroll, banking, and accounting features for 30,000+ businesses

2025

I designed a donation app for a fintech startup
that raised millions in funding.

My most ambitious project to date, we went 0 → 1 with a tight timeline of only 2 months.
The end result of my work raised funding that will allow the team to scale.
The company is still stealth, but I can showcase a few screens.

Product Design

Product Strategy

Design System

What I delivered

Figma designs and prototype with 40+ screens

Ui Interaction and animations in Jitter

Atomic design system in Figma

Logo & Branding

Misc works

I designed and built a website
for Factory

I designed and built a website for Factory

I made a design system for Centrical’s website

I prototyped conceptual dashboards for Hoag

I helped design a referral program for Perch

I improved the design for a Home Service CRM

I helped redesign
VIZIO’s website

Working together, in their words

Working together,
in their words

Some lovely words from people I’ve had the pleasure to work with

Absolute machine – a product manager’s dream. I am thankful to have him for our projects. He’s also just a pleasure to work with. If he’s available, hire him.

Jakeh Bradley

Former PM @ Cash app

Dakota is a great executor. He takes projects from ideation to completion in the mist of ambiguity. He takes feedback extremely well and always looking to up-level himself.

Soren Iverson

Founder @ Iverson

Dakota proposes smart solutions, listens to feedback, and pushes back when needed. He's done amazing work and it's been so helpful having him on the team.

Joe Fernandez

Founder @ allUP

Dakota goes above & beyond expectations to solve both user and business problems. He's also so proactive, always taking initiative to suggest solutions and improvements.

Justin Unger

CEO @ Likewise

Pardon the talking about myself, but…

Here’s what sets me apart

Self starter

I started designing at 14, skipped formal design school, pursued mentorship, and built a micro web agency at 18. I'm addicted to growing, learning, and pushing myself.

Coding chops

I started as a web developer. This now allows me to think in systems, navigate code, and partner well alongside Engineering.

HTML

CSS

Swift

React

Extreme ownership

I care deeply about projects I work on. I will proactively look to improve your product and turn your company into an industry leader.

Visual and functional

I sweat ever little visual detail, but always zoom out to think strategically. It's important balance business goals with meticulous design.

Behind the pixels

About

Hey! I'm Dakota. I’m a husband, father, and designer.
I’ve been pushing pixels for over 10 years now, 5 of them professionally.
I started with Squarespace, lots of youtube tutorials, and a dream.
Now, I’m blessed to design to support my family.

Hey! I'm Dakota. I’m a husband, father, and designer. I’ve been pushing pixels for over 10 years now, 5 of them professionally I started with Squarespace, lots of youtube tutorials, and a dream. Now I’m blessed to design professionally.

Early life

I was born and raised in Southern California.
I wanted to be a professional skateboarder, just like my dad.
I become a designer instead, and I still enjoy skating when I can!
I was homeschooled, which allowed me to travel internationally with my family and learn valuable life lessons and principles.

I was born and raised in Southern California.
I wanted to be a professional skateboarder just like my father. I become a designer instead, but I still enjoy skating when I can! I was homeschooled, which allowed me to travel internationally with my father and taught me valuable life lessons and principles at an early age.

Getting into design

My first design was a website for my mom's bakery when I was 14. After learning the basics, lots of youtube tutorials, and trail and error, I completed her website. This sparked my love for using design to solve real problems.

Since then, I haven't stop designing and building. I don't have formal schooling, but I've been fortunate to have many mentors guide me along the way.

Now

I live in Huntington beach, CA.
I’m married to my high school sweet heart.
We just had our first daughter, her name is Winslow.
In my free time I spend time with my family, surf, skate and train Jiu Jitsu.

I'm looking for my next opportunity

I'm looking for my next opportunity

Me

Family

🛹

🏄‍♂️

Me

Family

🛹

🏄‍♂️

Behind the pixels

My approach to working

Over the years, I’ve learned tons of lessons and principles.

Here’s the ones I come back to often:

Say, Do, Say

Your word is everything. Say what you do, do what you say, say what you did.

Get going, then get good

Software is malleable. Let’s ship, get feedback, and ship again.

Prototype the path

Prototypes are more meaningful than static screens. Aim for those.

Strong opinions, loosely held

Show up with solutions, finish with resolutions

Show and tell

I share work in progress often, usually in the form of Loom videos.

Tools I use

Figma

Figma

Webflow

Webflow

Framer

Framer

GTP & Ai

GTP & Ai

Jitter

Jitter

Raycast

Raycast

Notion

Notion

Figma

Cursor

Figma

Cursor

Need a designer that
acts like an owner?
I'll be your guy.

or copy my email

Open to opportunities

© 2000

Made with love in California ☀️