about

i'm a thinker, and maker, i design digital products and experiences while i'm drinking coffee and listening to '90s rock

my.experience

7+ years

my.location

Southern CA (PST)

my.availability

Available

hey.there

I'm Paul Miranda. I love collaborating with creative thinkers and builders, and with anyone looking to use design to solve problems, create, innovate, inform, inspire, and make a lasting impact.

Always a student of design, I received my Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design & Digital Media from California Baptist University, and a Masters in Professional Studies in User Experience Design from Maryland Institute College of Art.

I’m an Air Force veteran with 20+ years of experience supporting Air Force and Space Force across active duty, civilian, and contractor roles. I began my career in Financial Management, where I used design to develop digital tools—an experience that inspired my transition into UX and product design. Today, I'm a founding partner and Principal Designer at Elevated. and most recently was the Lead UX Designer for a digital product development team at Space Systems Command leading product strategy, design, and delivery of mission business support solutions.

I'm Paul Miranda. I love collaborating with creative thinkers and builders, and with anyone looking to use design to solve problems, create, innovate, inform, inspire, and make a lasting impact.

Always a student of design, I received my Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design & Digital Media from California Baptist University, and a Masters in Professional Studies in User Experience Design from Maryland Institute College of Art.

I’m an Air Force veteran with 20+ years of experience supporting Air Force and Space Force across active duty, civilian, and contractor roles. I began my career in Financial Management, where I used design to develop digital tools—an experience that inspired my transition into UX and product design. Today, I'm a founding partner and Principal Designer at Elevated. and most recently was the Lead UX Designer for a digital product development team at Space Systems Command leading product strategy, design, and delivery of mission business support solutions.

Design is a Responsibility

Design is a Responsibility

Design, whether people realize it or not, is one of the influential forces that drive our society and culture. It informs us (for better or worse), it inspires us, it is what we see, it is what we touch, it is what we use, and it helps us decide where to go and what to do. Design isn't about what you see with your eyes but rather how you experience it. Pleasing aesthetics is simply a byproduct and execution of good ideas that solves problems and connect with people that interact with it—the essence of design. As a designer, it is my job to have a deep understanding of what I'm designing, why, and for whom. People are at the center of my process.

In the spirit of the Bauhaus, through design, we can build a profound experience and, in essence, a better life and world for today and the future. However, a design must not be all about form and function; it has to connect—emotionally and perhaps even spiritually—to anyone who experiences design. The great Paul Rand once said, "Design is the product of feeling and awareness, of ideas that originate in the mind of the designer and culminate, one hopes, in the mind of the spectator."

Design, whether people realize it or not, is one of the influential forces that drive our society and culture. It informs us (for better or worse), it inspires us, it is what we see, it is what we touch, it is what we use, and it helps us decide where to go and what to do. Design isn't about what you see with your eyes but rather how you experience it. Pleasing aesthetics is simply a byproduct and execution of good ideas that solves problems and connect with people that interact with it—the essence of design. As a designer, it is my job to have a deep understanding of what I'm designing, why, and for whom. People are at the center of my process.

In the spirit of the Bauhaus, through design, we can build a profound experience and, in essence, a better life and world for today and the future. However, a design must not be all about form and function; it has to connect—emotionally and perhaps even spiritually—to anyone who experiences design. The great Paul Rand once said, "Design is the product of feeling and awareness, of ideas that originate in the mind of the designer and culminate, one hopes, in the mind of the spectator."

work.experience

2024 — 2026

Lead UX Designer

FWDthink

Contracted with US Space Force

Led product strategy, UX, and cross-functional delivery for an integrated ecosystem of mission-critical digital products and AI initiatives supporting US Space Force organization.

2024 — 2026

Lead UX Designer

FWDthink

Contracted with US Space Force

Led product strategy, UX, and cross-functional delivery for an integrated ecosystem of mission-critical digital products and AI initiatives supporting US Space Force organization.

2022 — 2024

UX Designer

Ava Tech

Contracted with US Space Force

Served as lead UX designer and founding member of a product development team, driving end-to-end product design, research, and strategy for enterprise productivity applications.

2022 — 2024

UX Designer

Ava Tech

Contracted with US Space Force

Served as lead UX designer and founding member of a product development team, driving end-to-end product design, research, and strategy for enterprise productivity applications.

2015 — 2017

UX/UI Designer

Frontier Technology Inc

Contracted with US Space Force

Operated as the sole UX designer supporting Space Systems Command (SSC) digital modernization efforts through user research, platform redesign, and enterprise branding initiatives.

2021 — 2022

UX/UI Designer

Frontier Technology Inc

Contracted with US Space Force

Operated as the sole UX designer supporting Space Systems Command (SSC) digital modernization efforts through user research, platform redesign, and enterprise branding initiatives.

2015 — 2017

UX/UI Designer

Frontier Technology Inc

Contracted with US Space Force

Operated as the sole UX designer supporting Space Systems Command (SSC) digital modernization efforts through user research, platform redesign, and enterprise branding initiatives.

2020 — 2021

Management Analyst

US Air Force Reserve

452FM

Led operational improvement initiatives through digital service design, workspace innovation, and financial analytics solutions supporting reserve force operations at March ARB, CA..

2020 — 2021

Management Analyst

US Air Force Reserve

452FM

Led operational improvement initiatives through digital service design, workspace innovation, and financial analytics solutions supporting reserve force operations at March ARB, CA..

2019 — 2020

Visual Designer

US Air Force

Business Innovation Office, Space & Missile Systems Center

Designed data visualization systems, innovation-focused digital experiences, and scalable visual communication assets supporting organizational transformation efforts.

2019 — 2020

Visual Designer

US Air Force

Business Innovation Office, Space & Missile Systems Center

Designed data visualization systems, innovation-focused digital experiences, and scalable visual communication assets supporting organizational transformation efforts.

tool.stack

Figma

design & prototyping

Figma

design & prototyping

Notion

productivity

Notion

productivity

Framer

web design

Framer

web design

Procreate

illustration

Procreate

illustration

Adobe

design

Adobe

design

Claude

design & prototyping

Claude

design & prototyping

ChatGPT

research & productivity

ChatGPT

research & productivity

Midjourney

AI design

Midjourney

AI design

Lovable

prototyping

Lovable

prototyping

send.a.hey

i'm open to new exciting opportunities, so feel free to say hey to see how we can work together.

send.a.hey

i'm open to new exciting opportunities, so feel free to say hey to see how we can work together.

© 2026 by Paul Miranda. All rights reserved.

© 2026 by Paul Miranda. All rights reserved.