Early Works

While others chased glossy trends, I focused on grids, typography, and color. Worth noting: these designs were built with pixel fonts, tables, and Flash-based animations—tools and methods that predated HTML5 and responsive web design.

Early in my career, my reliability, a fine-arts approach to web design rooted in modernist post–World War II principles, and a pursuit of pixel-perfect execution opened unexpected doors—including the opportunity to design websites for the Smithsonian, one of the nation’s most treasured cultural institutions, and Bay Area tech giants like Autodesk.

Although I didn’t have formal graphic design training at the time—a gap I later addressed during my graduate studies through coursework in visual design, typography, and data visualization—I drew on my undergraduate training in the fine arts, shaped by Bauhaus principles, International Style minimalism, and an emphasis on restraint, to create intuitive, timeless digital experiences.

I’ve always been drawn to designing for art, design, and cultural institutions—a thread that runs through my later work with Etsy, Milk Makeup, and the Art Institute of Chicago, where craft, storytelling, and cultural resonance remain at the heart of the experience.

You can explore these case studies by visiting the Case Studies page.

  • «Michael believes in everyone, he spreads good energy and motivation that boosts creativity and the performance of everyone.» —S. Zachrisson

  • «Michael leads with clarity and purpose, brings cross-functional teams together, and always keeps the focus on delivering meaningful value to users.» —T. Rooks

  • «Michael drives people and projects forward with his thinking and ambition. He always pushes a little bit further, and encourages the ‹extra mile›» —S. Zachrisson

  • «Michael contributes throughout the whole process, filling any shoes needed, but he does so without stepping on anyone’s toes. He’s more than just a great asset, he’s a mentor, source of inspiration, and friend.» —S. Zachrisson

  • «Michael has been a thoughtful and positive mentor as my career has evolved.» —S. Carmichael

  • «Michael is truly a standout collaborator and design leader. While at Etsy, he applied innovative design thinking methodologies to drive loyal, happy customers and help the business grow.» —B. Ellis

  • «As a collaborator, Michael is a fun, dynamic thinker who pushes everyone around him to do their best work.» —B. Ellis

  • «Our work together forever inspired me, and I continue to reference it on an almost daily basis both at work, and in my personal life.» —B. Ellis

  • «Michael inspires us with the clarity and insight of his strategic thinking and encourages us as leaders to dig deeper within ourselves.» —VP Engineering, Etsy

  • «Michael makes the right kind of difference where it matters most—balancing product impact with organizational leadership and offering the kind of mentorship that fuels teams.» —VP Design, Etsy

  • «Michael’s deft, adaptive leadership—knowing when to lead from the front and when to support from behind—has earned deep credibility across PMs and Engineering.» —Senior Product Design Manager, Etsy

  • «Michael demonstrates tremendous grit, grace, and optimism.» —Product Design Director, Etsy

  • «Working with Michael has been a deep honor—he’s not only a wonderful designer, but an extraordinary human.» —VP of Product Design, Etsy

links

HomeAboutCase StudiesWriting & SpeakingContact

ResumeLinkedIn

colophon

This website is set in Oracle and Writer, typefaces by Dinamo and Pangram Pangram. Titles and decks feature ligatures—single characters that replace two or more letters—enhancing the rhythm and harmony of the text. Quotations are framed with guillemets, a nod to the classical French types that inspired Writer. Hederas mark the end of articles.

The writing, design, and development of this site was done by me.

Dedicated to my first child, Noah, who was born during the creation of this site.

© 2025 Michael R. Yap. All Rights Reserved.

epigraph

«The details are not the details, the details make the product.»

—charles and ray eames

«Good work, done well, for the right reasons, and with the right companions, is one of the great human joys.»

—david whyte

«We should not feel embarrassed by our difficulties, only by our failure to grow anything beautiful from them.»

—alain de botton

  • «Michael believes in everyone, he spreads good energy and motivation that boosts creativity and the performance of everyone.» —S. Zachrisson

  • «Michael leads with clarity and purpose, brings cross-functional teams together, and always keeps the focus on delivering meaningful value to users.» —T. Rooks

  • «Michael drives people and projects forward with his thinking and ambition. He always pushes a little bit further, and encourages the ‹extra mile›» —S. Zachrisson

  • «Michael contributes throughout the whole process, filling any shoes needed, but he does so without stepping on anyone’s toes. He’s more than just a great asset, he’s a mentor, source of inspiration, and friend.» —S. Zachrisson

  • «Michael has been a thoughtful and positive mentor as my career has evolved.» —S. Carmichael

  • «Michael is truly a standout collaborator and design leader. While at Etsy, he applied innovative design thinking methodologies to drive loyal, happy customers and help the business grow.» —B. Ellis

  • «As a collaborator, Michael is a fun, dynamic thinker who pushes everyone around him to do their best work.» —B. Ellis

  • «Our work together forever inspired me, and I continue to reference it on an almost daily basis both at work, and in my personal life.» —B. Ellis

  • «Michael inspires us with the clarity and insight of his strategic thinking and encourages us as leaders to dig deeper within ourselves.» —VP Engineering, Etsy

  • «Michael makes the right kind of difference where it matters most—balancing product impact with organizational leadership and offering the kind of mentorship that fuels teams.» —VP Design, Etsy

  • «Michael’s deft, adaptive leadership—knowing when to lead from the front and when to support from behind—has earned deep credibility across PMs and Engineering.» —Senior Product Design Manager, Etsy

  • «Michael demonstrates tremendous grit, grace, and optimism.» —Product Design Director, Etsy

  • «Working with Michael has been a deep honor—he’s not only a wonderful designer, but an extraordinary human.» —VP of Product Design, Etsy

links

Home

About

Case Studies

Writing & Speaking

Contact

Resume

LinkedIn

colophon

This website is set in Oracle and Writer, typefaces by Dinamo and Pangram Pangram. Titles and decks feature ligatures—single characters that replace two or more letters—enhancing the rhythm and harmony of the text. Quotations are framed with guillemets, a nod to the classical French types that inspired Writer. Hederas mark the end of articles.

The writing, design, and development of this site was done by me.

Dedicated to my first child, Noah, who was born during the creation of this site.

© 2025 Michael R. Yap. All Rights Reserved.

epigraph

«The details are not the details, the details make the product.»

—charles and ray eames

«Good work, done well, for the right reasons, and with the right companions, is one of the great human joys.»

—david whyte

«We should not feel embarrassed by our difficulties, only by our failure to grow anything beautiful from them.»

—alain de botton

  • «Michael believes in everyone, he spreads good energy and motivation that boosts creativity and the performance of everyone.» —S. Zachrisson

  • «Michael leads with clarity and purpose, brings cross-functional teams together, and always keeps the focus on delivering meaningful value to users.» —T. Rooks

  • «Michael drives people and projects forward with his thinking and ambition. He always pushes a little bit further, and encourages the ‹extra mile›» —S. Zachrisson

  • «Michael contributes throughout the whole process, filling any shoes needed, but he does so without stepping on anyone’s toes. He’s more than just a great asset, he’s a mentor, source of inspiration, and friend.» —S. Zachrisson

  • «Michael has been a thoughtful and positive mentor as my career has evolved.» —S. Carmichael

  • «Michael is truly a standout collaborator and design leader. While at Etsy, he applied innovative design thinking methodologies to drive loyal, happy customers and help the business grow.» —B. Ellis

  • «As a collaborator, Michael is a fun, dynamic thinker who pushes everyone around him to do their best work.» —B. Ellis

  • «Our work together forever inspired me, and I continue to reference it on an almost daily basis both at work, and in my personal life.» —B. Ellis

  • «Michael inspires us with the clarity and insight of his strategic thinking and encourages us as leaders to dig deeper within ourselves.» —VP Engineering, Etsy

  • «Michael makes the right kind of difference where it matters most—balancing product impact with organizational leadership and offering the kind of mentorship that fuels teams.» —VP Design, Etsy

  • «Michael’s deft, adaptive leadership—knowing when to lead from the front and when to support from behind—has earned deep credibility across PMs and Engineering.» —Senior Product Design Manager, Etsy

  • «Michael demonstrates tremendous grit, grace, and optimism.» —Product Design Director, Etsy

  • «Working with Michael has been a deep honor—he’s not only a wonderful designer, but an extraordinary human.» —VP of Product Design, Etsy

links

HomeAboutCase StudiesWriting & SpeakingContact

ResumeLinkedIn

colophon

This website is set in Oracle and Writer, typefaces by Dinamo and Pangram Pangram. Titles and decks feature ligatures—single characters that replace two or more letters—enhancing the rhythm and harmony of the text. Quotations are framed with guillemets, a nod to the classical French types that inspired Writer. Hederas mark the end of articles.

The writing, design, and development of this site was done by me.

Dedicated to my first child, Noah, who was born during the creation of this site.

© 2025 Michael R. Yap. All Rights Reserved.

epigraph

«The details are not the details, the details make the product.»

—charles and ray eames

«Good work, done well, for the right reasons, and with the right companions, is one of the great human joys.»

—david whyte

«We should not feel embarrassed by our difficulties, only by our failure to grow anything beautiful from them.»

—alain de botton

  • «Michael believes in everyone, he spreads good energy and motivation that boosts creativity and the performance of everyone.» —S. Zachrisson

  • «Michael leads with clarity and purpose, brings cross-functional teams together, and always keeps the focus on delivering meaningful value to users.» —T. Rooks

  • «Michael drives people and projects forward with his thinking and ambition. He always pushes a little bit further, and encourages the ‹extra mile›» —S. Zachrisson

  • «Michael contributes throughout the whole process, filling any shoes needed, but he does so without stepping on anyone’s toes. He’s more than just a great asset, he’s a mentor, source of inspiration, and friend.» —S. Zachrisson

  • «Michael has been a thoughtful and positive mentor as my career has evolved.» —S. Carmichael

  • «Michael is truly a standout collaborator and design leader. While at Etsy, he applied innovative design thinking methodologies to drive loyal, happy customers and help the business grow.» —B. Ellis

  • «As a collaborator, Michael is a fun, dynamic thinker who pushes everyone around him to do their best work.» —B. Ellis

  • «Our work together forever inspired me, and I continue to reference it on an almost daily basis both at work, and in my personal life.» —B. Ellis

  • «Michael inspires us with the clarity and insight of his strategic thinking and encourages us as leaders to dig deeper within ourselves.» —VP Engineering, Etsy

  • «Michael makes the right kind of difference where it matters most—balancing product impact with organizational leadership and offering the kind of mentorship that fuels teams.» —VP Design, Etsy

  • «Michael’s deft, adaptive leadership—knowing when to lead from the front and when to support from behind—has earned deep credibility across PMs and Engineering.» —Senior Product Design Manager, Etsy

  • «Michael demonstrates tremendous grit, grace, and optimism.» —Product Design Director, Etsy

  • «Working with Michael has been a deep honor—he’s not only a wonderful designer, but an extraordinary human.» —VP of Product Design, Etsy

links

Home

About

Case Studies

Writing & Speaking

Contact

Resume

LinkedIn

colophon

This website is set in Oracle and Writer, typefaces by Dinamo and Pangram Pangram. Titles and decks feature ligatures—single characters that replace two or more letters—enhancing the rhythm and harmony of the text. Quotations are framed with guillemets, a nod to the classical French types that inspired Writer. Hederas mark the end of articles.

The writing, design, and development of this site was done by me.

Dedicated to my first child, Noah, who was born during the creation of this site.

© 2025 Michael R. Yap. All Rights Reserved.

epigraph

«The details are not the details, the details make the product.»

—charles and ray eames

«Good work, done well, for the right reasons, and with the right companions, is one of the great human joys.»

—david whyte

«We should not feel embarrassed by our difficulties, only by our failure to grow anything beautiful from them.»

—alain de botton

  • «Michael believes in everyone, he spreads good energy and motivation that boosts creativity and the performance of everyone.» —S. Zachrisson

  • «Michael leads with clarity and purpose, brings cross-functional teams together, and always keeps the focus on delivering meaningful value to users.» —T. Rooks

  • «Michael drives people and projects forward with his thinking and ambition. He always pushes a little bit further, and encourages the ‹extra mile›» —S. Zachrisson

  • «Michael contributes throughout the whole process, filling any shoes needed, but he does so without stepping on anyone’s toes. He’s more than just a great asset, he’s a mentor, source of inspiration, and friend.» —S. Zachrisson

  • «Michael has been a thoughtful and positive mentor as my career has evolved.» —S. Carmichael

  • «Michael is truly a standout collaborator and design leader. While at Etsy, he applied innovative design thinking methodologies to drive loyal, happy customers and help the business grow.» —B. Ellis

  • «As a collaborator, Michael is a fun, dynamic thinker who pushes everyone around him to do their best work.» —B. Ellis

  • «Our work together forever inspired me, and I continue to reference it on an almost daily basis both at work, and in my personal life.» —B. Ellis

  • «Michael inspires us with the clarity and insight of his strategic thinking and encourages us as leaders to dig deeper within ourselves.» —VP Engineering, Etsy

  • «Michael makes the right kind of difference where it matters most—balancing product impact with organizational leadership and offering the kind of mentorship that fuels teams.» —VP Design, Etsy

  • «Michael’s deft, adaptive leadership—knowing when to lead from the front and when to support from behind—has earned deep credibility across PMs and Engineering.» —Senior Product Design Manager, Etsy

  • «Michael demonstrates tremendous grit, grace, and optimism.» —Product Design Director, Etsy

  • «Working with Michael has been a deep honor—he’s not only a wonderful designer, but an extraordinary human.» —VP of Product Design, Etsy

links

Home

About

Case Studies

Writing & Speaking

Contact

Resume

LinkedIn

colophon

This website is set in Oracle and Writer, typefaces by Dinamo and Pangram Pangram. Titles and decks feature ligatures—single characters that replace two or more letters—enhancing the rhythm and harmony of the text. Quotations are framed with guillemets, a nod to the classical French types that inspired Writer. Hederas mark the end of articles.

The writing, design, and development of this site was done by me.

Dedicated to my first child, Noah, who was born during the creation of this site.

© 2025 Michael R. Yap. All Rights Reserved.

epigraph

«The details are not the details, the details make the product.»

—charles and ray eames

«Good work, done well, for the right reasons, and with the right companions, is one of the great human joys.»

—david whyte

«We should not feel embarrassed by our difficulties, only by our failure to grow anything beautiful from them.»

—alain de botton

  • «Michael believes in everyone, he spreads good energy and motivation that boosts creativity and the performance of everyone.» —S. Zachrisson

  • «Michael leads with clarity and purpose, brings cross-functional teams together, and always keeps the focus on delivering meaningful value to users.» —T. Rooks

  • «Michael drives people and projects forward with his thinking and ambition. He always pushes a little bit further, and encourages the ‹extra mile›» —S. Zachrisson

  • «Michael contributes throughout the whole process, filling any shoes needed, but he does so without stepping on anyone’s toes. He’s more than just a great asset, he’s a mentor, source of inspiration, and friend.» —S. Zachrisson

  • «Michael has been a thoughtful and positive mentor as my career has evolved.» —S. Carmichael

  • «Michael is truly a standout collaborator and design leader. While at Etsy, he applied innovative design thinking methodologies to drive loyal, happy customers and help the business grow.» —B. Ellis

  • «As a collaborator, Michael is a fun, dynamic thinker who pushes everyone around him to do their best work.» —B. Ellis

  • «Our work together forever inspired me, and I continue to reference it on an almost daily basis both at work, and in my personal life.» —B. Ellis

  • «Michael inspires us with the clarity and insight of his strategic thinking and encourages us as leaders to dig deeper within ourselves.» —VP Engineering, Etsy

  • «Michael makes the right kind of difference where it matters most—balancing product impact with organizational leadership and offering the kind of mentorship that fuels teams.» —VP Design, Etsy

  • «Michael’s deft, adaptive leadership—knowing when to lead from the front and when to support from behind—has earned deep credibility across PMs and Engineering.» —Senior Product Design Manager, Etsy

  • «Michael demonstrates tremendous grit, grace, and optimism.» —Product Design Director, Etsy

  • «Working with Michael has been a deep honor—he’s not only a wonderful designer, but an extraordinary human.» —VP of Product Design, Etsy

links

Home

About

Case Studies

Writing & Speaking

Contact

Resume

LinkedIn

colophon

This website is set in Oracle and Writer, typefaces by Dinamo and Pangram Pangram. Titles and decks feature ligatures—single characters that replace two or more letters—enhancing the rhythm and harmony of the text. Quotations are framed with guillemets, a nod to the classical French types that inspired Writer. Hederas mark the end of articles.

The writing, design, and development of this site was done by me.

Dedicated to my first child, Noah, who was born during the creation of this site.

© 2025 Michael R. Yap. All Rights Reserved.

epigraph

«The details are not the details, the details make the product.»

—charles and ray eames

«Good work, done well, for the right reasons, and with the right companions, is one of the great human joys.»

—david whyte

«We should not feel embarrassed by our difficulties, only by our failure to grow anything beautiful from them.»

—alain de botton