Daniel J. Callicoat

Lead UX Designer - Prime Factors

Jan 2024–Present · Eugene, Oregon · Hybrid

Leading the end-to-end UX redesign of the Bank Card Security System (BCSS), 40+ years of Hardware Security Module (HSM) management software used by banks and processors to secure encrypted payment infrastructure, as it migrates from a Windows client to a modern web interface.

• Product-wide legacy audit in a highly complex, high-security environment: ~1,000 screenshots assembled into 114 user stories and 114 user flow diagrams, generating 250+ captured comments and 189 action items, forming the formal requirements base for the redesign and the team's shared communication foundation.
• Reconceived the product's information architecture and interface paradigm: role-driven navigation mirroring the permissions and object hierarchy, a flattened single-page model replacing stacked-modal Windows workflows, and the full fidelity ladder from sketch to grey box to pixel-perfect for every tool and utility.
• Created an entirely new design system of pattern and visual libraries, styling, redlines, and behavioral systems (24 sections, 54 subsections, 215+ pattern illustrations), defining future site design and the conversion of the company's other products; guided development of the new UI technology suite that renders it.
• The redesign was so conceptually distinct the company is repackaging it as a new flagship product with subscription licensing, establishing its long-term recurring-revenue model, a scope the engagement never originally included.

Independent Designer - AI-Native Products

2025–Present · Personal projects, concurrent with Prime Factors

• Designed and shipped The Reality Machine (the-reality-machine.com), a free peer-to-peer gaming platform pairing an AI game master with a deterministic programmatic game engine, 1,728 AI-generated character avatars, 410+ automated tests, fully P2P with no data collection. Entirely AI-implemented under my design direction.
• Designed and functional, Nettleweft (nettleweft.com), an ultra-secure open-source peer-to-peer social networking app built on Signal's open-source protocols, post-quantum security, no intermediary servers, no engagement manipulation; currently shipping Android beta. Entirely AI-implemented under my design direction.
• Authored system-level product plans for OpenGeoAR (community-driven AR world map platform) and Pocket Advocate (community-funded AI legal-empowerment tool). See the case study.

Writer / Photographer - The Wandering Hedonist

2019–2023 · Remote / global

• Founded and ran a literary food-and-travel publication startup, using the lens of local traditional cuisine to explore the underlying culture and, where possible, to contrast those origins with highly refined versions by Michelin-quality chefs, all in a literary voice with a non-clickbait aesthetic.
• The goal was to become self-supporting, which was achieved, and the content created is now being made into a 490-page coffee table book.
• During this project I traveled continuously for over 3 years, living out of a single carry-on bag, photographing and documenting traditional culture and cuisine around the world, including a year-long road trip looping the United States exploring our own cuisine and history, all while surviving the pandemic.

Lead Senior UX Designer - Amazon

2011–2019 · Seattle, WA

• Original designer on the R&D team that reimagined the global Amazon payments experience (APX).
• Analyzed and deconstructed all existing payments-pipeline experiences; created a fully encapsulated, stylable, configurable, componentized payment widget suite to accommodate them.
• Translated the component architecture into API-based data models and workflows; unified payments patterns and styling architecture, making brand-wide change possible for the first time.
• Led negotiation of voluntary adoption by 99%+ of global Amazon payments traffic; provided consultation across Amazon as the payments subject-matter expert.
• Personally reviewed and approved all new payment features company-wide in a federated development model; created and ran the Payments Experience Bar Raiser program.
• Created or oversaw all new payment methods internationally, with extensive exploratory and functional in-region user testing.
• Owned long-running payments-adjacent programs including the Universal Preference Authority; championed cross-vertical technologies where none existed.
• Mentored designers and design interns; participated in interview loops and promotion reviews. Helped grow payments design and development from 4 developers and 1 designer to multiple large teams with global ownership.

UX Designer / VR Interaction Designer - Microsoft, Turn 10 Studios

2011 · Redmond, WA

• Created interactive 3D world-space UI, animations, and virtual UX (Kinect) for Forza Motorsport 4 (Best of E3 2011, Most Anticipated Game of E3 2011).
• Created the world tour and racing HUD; assisted on top-level game UI; built 3D transition animations and the showroom multimedia presentations.

Design Manager / Lead UX Designer - RealNetworks

2007–2010 · Seattle, WA

• Redesigned and deployed the GameHouse direct-to-consumer flagship site, taking the D2C business from $10M to $40M in revenue.
• Rebuilt the creative team from scratch; created a light agile process to manage workflow; managed 6 in-house designers and international contract teams while overseeing creative for 100+ developers.
• Ran extensive user studies and marketing research to drive user-centric design; designed social gaming strategy and new brands across casual and mid-core demographics.
• Migrated 120K subscribers ($14.4M annual revenue) between sites and brands at 99% retention.

Senior Web Designer - Blue Frog Media

2006–2007 · Seattle, WA

• Managed the company's online creative properties: websites, landing pages, and rapid-deployment systems in a web/mobile/IVR environment; managed international design teams.
• Work spanned interior, industrial, print, tradeshow, and TV interface design, plus original interactive TV programming.

Creative Director / Interaction Designer - Infinium Labs

2004–2006 · Seattle, WA

• Designed and modeled a live 3D user interface for a game console in Maya, including customizable home environments and a virtual commodity system; console nominated for a Best of E3 Award in 2004.
• Helped design custom gaming keyboard and controller hardware; designed marketing, packaging, and the console out-of-box experience.

Bachelor of Fine Arts - Ohio University

Athens, OH · 2000