PERSONNEL.SYS
ID:7749
John LoCasto

Strategy to production code.

Most people with design skills can't code.

Most people who code don't think strategically.

Most strategists can't execute.

I do all three — and I've built a way of working that makes it sustainable.

DesignerDeveloperStrategistSystems Thinker

Not four roles. One operating model.

EXPERIENCE
15+ yrs
FOCUS
Full Stack
STATUS
Available
LOCATION
40.41°N
// How I Work

Most designers do projects. I build infrastructure.

Every engagement, I'm not just solving the immediate problem — I'm building systems that make the next problem faster to solve.

  • Brand systems that maintain voice at scale without me in the loop
  • Component libraries that let products evolve without re-architecting
  • Knowledge bases that compound instead of decay

AI as multiplier, not replacement.

I use LLMs as thinking partners and production accelerators. Not to replace judgment — to extend reach.

What takes most teams weeks takes me days. Not by cutting corners, but by building systems that compound.

No handoffs. No translation errors.

I design it. I build it. I ship it.

The same brain that understands the business problem writes the code that solves it. No game of telephone. No "that's not what I designed."

// Principles
01

Constraints are the job.

Anyone can design with infinite space. I design in the phone booth.

02

If you can't explain it, you guessed.

Every design choice has a technical reason. Intuition is just pattern recognition you can articulate.

03

Designers should think like engineers.

Not become them — but understand what's happening under the hood.

04

The interface is the product.

Everything else is backstage. If the user is confused, you failed.

05

Professional means delivering inside limitations.

Technical, timeline, budget. That's the job. The creative part is how you do it anyway.

// ExperienceDownload CV

history.log --verbose

ResultStack
2025 – NOW+
Sole UI/UX Designer(Contract)
01

Brought on as the single design resource. Owned all client-facing UI/UX and front-end delivery across multiple accounts.

02

Shipped a production-ready V1 consumer app front-end in under 24 hours. Real React code, not a prototype.

03

Built reusable design systems and component libraries that let the agency run parallel workstreams without adding headcount.

04

No design-to-dev handoff. I designed it, I built it, I shipped it.

Kantha Bae
2020 – NOW+
Creative Technologist(Contract)
01

One-person design and front-end team for a $5M+ DTC ecommerce brand. Five years, one owner.

02

Designed and built the full ecommerce surface—product pages, collections, checkout, post-purchase—optimized for performance, conversion, and SEO.

03

Built brand systems that maintain voice at scale across web, email, SMS, paid, and product copy. No external agencies.

04

Designed and executed acquisition funnels and retention systems that drove 35% YoY revenue growth—the brand's strongest year on record.

05

Currently leading migration from themed Shopify to headless architecture with React Native app.

Vitrine
2024 – 2025+
UI/UX Designer & Front-End Developer(Freelance)
01

Hired for a UI redesign. Saw the real problems. Expanded scope into a full platform rebuild—product reconceptualization, React Native app, backend migration, subscription monetization, admin tooling.

02

Delivered the entire rebuild at nearly the original contract cost. One person. No team.

03

Led the Firebase to PostgreSQL migration—refactored data models, rewired services, rebuilt admin tools.

04

Designed and implemented a subscription Pro tier, creating a second revenue stream alongside marketplace transactions.

05

Platform relaunching Q3 2026.

Enterprise Platform
2025+
UI/UX Designer & Front-End Developer(NDA)
01

Took a loosely defined internal concept and turned it into a market-ready enterprise product positioned for $500K–$1M engagements.

02

Built brand and messaging systems that let the team maintain voice consistency across sales, marketing, and product without external support.

03

Designed, developed, and deployed a production-quality marketing site in under two weeks.

04

Defined product positioning and go-to-market narrative for enterprise buyers.

JKP Technologies
2016 – NOW+
Sole UI/UX Designer & Front-End Developer
01

One-person design and front-end department. If it's on the screen, I own it.

02

Led UX and front-end delivery across long-running agency client engagements.

03

Designed modular design systems and component libraries used across multiple products.

04

Built the systems foundation that later evolved into my current workflow.

NULL & VØID Design
2013 – 2016+
Digital Designer
01

Built core fundamentals in layout systems, interaction patterns, and responsive design.

02

Learned that the job isn't artistic talent—it's designing inside constraints.

Education

B.S. Communication Design · St. John's University · 2009

The pattern: take ownership, build systems, ship results. Repeat for 15 years.

// Coverage

capabilities.map()

UI/UX DesignVisual DesignInteraction DesignDesign SystemsComponent LibrariesPrototypingWireframingFront-End DevelopmentReact / React NativeJavaScript / TypeScriptBrand SystemsEcommerceMobile AppsResponsive Web
// Tooling

stack.current()

Figma
Figma
Claude
Claude
Cursor
Cursor
v0
v0
HTML5
HTML5
JavaScript
JavaScript
TypeScript
TypeScript
React
React
Next.js
Next.js
Tailwind
Tailwind
Shopify
Shopify
PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL
Firebase
Firebase
Git
Git

Claude, Cursor, and v0 aren't just tools — they're the infrastructure that lets one person move like a team.

// Connect

Let's build
something together.

Location

40.41°N 74.18°W

U.S. based · Available for remote collaboration worldwide