Hi, I’m Elise! I’m a footwear designer striving to design products which care for people and the planet. Outside of the studio, you can find me rock climbing, sewing, or searching for the best matcha in town!My journey into footwear began in sixth grade when I designed a pair of hot pink shoes with duct-tape. After carefully developing a pattern and reinforcing seams, a day on the playground quickly wore them down. This sparked a desire to learn how to iterate and understand materials.Years later, I pursued a B.S. in Industrial and UX Design at Western Washington University, immersing myself in courses on generative design, manufacturing, and design thinking. Alongside my studies, I interned in corporate and consulting settings designing consumer electronics, medical devices, and packaging. Through these experiences, I came to learn that a product is not the hero of a story. You might be thinking, ‘Oh, hot take’, but hear me out: the user is the true hero, and a product serves as the tool which empowers them to achieve their goals. Effective product design hinges on incorporating empathetic, human-centered, and sustainable practices to empower users on their journey.
