Introduction
Maria Cristoforo
thinks like a designer, executes like an engineer
LocationSan FranciscoSan Francisco, CA
StatusOpento chat
Building atCurrently building atOcular AI (YC W24)
I work at the intersection of design and engineering, owning features end-to-end on small, fast-moving teams. I consider design principles throughout the ideation and development process, rather than treating design as a separate step. My work is shaped by an interdisciplinary background in computer science and human-centered design, along with interests in psychology and writing. I believe storytelling, user empathy, and intentional human-made decisions are what set great interfaces and designers apart, and I aim to bring those qualities to every project.
Explore
Case Studies
Selected projects with description of the problem, my approach, outcomes and learnings.
Writing
My thoughts on design engineering, UX friction, and building in small teams.
Skills
API-style reference of languages, tools, and frameworks I know and how well.
Experience
Roles, companies, and milestones formatted as a software changelog.
Changelog
v3.0.0Joined Ocular AI as a Design Engineer
Winter 2025v2.0.0Graduated Dartmouth, CS + Human-Centered Design
Spring 2024v1.0.0First design and development work at DALI Lab, Dartmouth
Spring 2021Selected Work
ApiLens
Open source versioning + visual diff tool for OpenAPI specs. Designed, built, and published to PyPI.
Canvas & Annotation Revamp
Full design and implementation process for revamping Ocular’s image annotation canvas.
Turn-Based Audio Annotation
New annotation interface for multi-speaker audio, built using an AI-assisted design process.
Portfolio
How I adapted Mintlify, an AI-native product documentation platform, into a personal portfolio.