Nathan Cheng

Nathan Cheng

Design/Front-end in Philadelphia, PA, He/him

I shape visual systems and narratives to make things more resonant and understandable for people.

My background in film and digital design turned into various 'Swiss Army knife' roles spanning code, graphic & UI design, operations, and video. I dive deep, upskill quickly, and have helped startups, non-profits, and small businesses sharpen their comms, design, and platforms.

I currently split my time between operations at a software company and freelance design for early-stage startups. Now, I'm seeking a design or generalist role at a company that values knowledge, sustainability, play, or immersion.

Outside of work, I'm an internet curator, poster designer, and tech tinkerer with a focus on digital platforms, culture, film, and entertainment.

Contact

Portfolio
LinkedIn
GitHub
Letterboxd

Education

2016 — 2020
Middletown, CT
  • Major: Film Studies (production + theory, history, business, and aesthetics)
  • Minor: "I.D.E.A.S." (aka Integrated Design, Engineering, and Applied Science concentrated in Digital Design)
  • Side courses in Film, English, American Studies, Linguistics, Computer Science, Integrated Sciences, Studio Art, and Theater

Projects

2024
Design improvements, web & product at TALtech

I joined TALtech in 2021 as the sole employee to help maintain and improve its software and platforms. My role there grew from Sales and Admin Assistant into an amorphous “everything-else” role juggling sales, support, design, and web dev. This position gave me a comprehensive view of their operations and revealed many opportunities for improvement.

See full case study for details.

2024
Pitch decks for early stage startups at Various

Worked with several early-stage startups including Wscripted, Ranked, and Callo to improve their pitch decks, focusing on making complex information more accessible and compelling. Created clearer narrative flows & visual hierarchies while helping founders better distinguish their companies from misconceptions and competitors.

See case study for details.

2023
SPCC Logo at South Philadelphia Chess Club

SPCC is a small, Discord-grown chess club that meets weekly in South Philly. The style reflects the eccentric and jagged look of the mosaic tiles seen throughout South Philly—most memorably in the South Philly Magic Gardens. The icon and background treatments blend this with a distorted chess board pattern, and the mark itself styles the club's initials into a knight piece.

Further treatments could take the checkerboard abstractions and geometric logo further with animations that represent calculated, mathematical thinking (e.g., the animations of @beesandbombs on Twitter).

2022
Mini informational site and visual language at Rices Mill Booksellers

Simple website design & brand refresh for a family friend’s small business making it easier for administrators to provide for teachers and students. They provide supplies to Philadelphia schools that aren’t otherwise obtainable through standard processes.

Rices Mill prides itself as a "mom-and-pop," family-owned business emphasizing speed and personability. The owner had minimal needs: core business information, a contact button, and a rotating collection of featured items. She also felt inadequate about her ability to manage a website herself. With that in mind, I made the website approachable and maintainable by offloading the site’s dynamic content to an Airtable embed instead of a CMS, allowing her to easily customize through a familiar spreadsheet interface without having to learn a complex tool like Webflow CMS.

2019

Proof of concept demo & pitch presentation for an immersive 3D videogame world introducing kids to sleep science. Inside a sleeping brain, players maintain brain function and fix neurons as they progress through the stages of sleep.

2017

Interface & motion design for a bespoke web gallery that brings visitors into the sparse, “zen” feeling of coffee table photography books & museum exhibits, along with the humanistic touch of Duane Michals’ work & outlook.

Side Projects

2023
Misc. Posters & Flyers
2023

Export your Kindle highlights, notes, and bookmarks as HTML, then use this web tool to convert them into Markdown format - ideal for Obsidian notes or markdown-based websites.

I made this because I wanted to have all my book highlights and web highlights in the same place (Obsidian), and for easy publication of highlights to my digital garden.

2023

A streamlined version of Quotebacks that transforms blockquotes into interactive cards.

I built this for my blog after realizing I could optimize the original script by Tom Critchlow and Toby Shorin to focus solely on styling quotes as nice little cards.

2020
Photo Painter Tool Prototype at Wesleyan University; Christopher Chenier (advisor)

A prototype for a drawing tool allowing users to "paint" with color-filtered selections of a pre-defined image. The original image remains hidden to encourage an improvisational approach to painting and remixing. Featured on the front page of CV in December 2021.

How might shaders and 3D layering allow users to reimagine the original images in more expressive ways? What opportunities are there to intersect this kind of image remixing with video frames and motion blending?

2020
macOS App Icons

I created these icons because I didn't want to wait for third-party developers to update to Apple's new app icon style introduced in macOS Big Sur. I shared them on macosicons.com, where they've garnered over 3,000 downloads.

2020
Shine proof-of-concept iOS screens at Vavila

Concept mockups, visual language, and UI design for a founder's exploratory phase emphasizing luxury aesthetics and high-end materials. Completed in 3 weeks using Sketch.

I incorporated social media design patterns and emphasized jeweller logos and brand colors, based on survey research pointing to the strong influence of branding & social media presentation on luxury shoppers’ purchasing decisions.

I chose the hexagon for its ability to represent a gift box, gemstone, and message bubble, while its rigid form contrasted typical dainty, ornate designs used in jewelry designs.

2020

I was one of 21 film majors at Wesleyan who each created a short film for their thesis, despite the program's theoretical focus.

I love movies where stylistic flairs accentuate characters' inner struggles. In "Krisha," swirling camerawork transforms Thanksgiving into chaos, while "Punch-Drunk Love" uses abstract visuals and disorienting sound to channel its protagonist's anxiety. I aimed to bring similar artistic elements here.

The films screened to a jury of 5 unaffiliated professors, including AFI board emeritus Jeanine Basinger, as well as 3 anonymous industry professionals. I received honors and the Frank Capra Prize “for creating a senior film that is fully cinematic and uses the tools of filmmaking at the highest level,” and for “exemplifying Capra's skill in telling a human story that contains both humor and pathos.”

2019
16mm Atmospheric shorts at Sight and Sound; Wesleyan's College of Film and the Moving Image

Student films for “Sight & Sound” led by Steve Collins; ~1 week per film. Roles—Directing, Concept, 16mm film editing. Tools—16mm Bolex film camera, Steinbeck flatbed film editor

2018
Misc. motion & depth experiments
2018
Organic Machines at Wesleyan University; Christopher Chenier (advisor)

Experimentations with umbrella forms.

2018
Miscellaneous photography

Work Experience

2023 — Now
Remote
  • Worked 1:1 with founders of 3 early stage tech startups, including 2 from the Techstars Atlanta Accelerator program, to tell their stories better: sharpening their unique value proposition, competitive differentiation, and growth trajectory in both narrative framing and visual design.

  • Redesigned existing web designs and slide decks to optimize for visual polish, information hierarchy, stakeholder clarity, and brand consistency.

  • Developed an internal form-building tool for an AI startup using Next.js/React and Tailwind.

2021 — Now
Design & Operations Assistant at TAL Technologies, Inc.
Philadelphia, PA

Assisting as a sole part-time employee:

  • Drove UX improvements across digital touchpoints: collaborated on website redesign, conceptualized WinWedge software interface overhaul, and produced tutorial videos, resulting in reduced support calls and increased user engagement
  • Bridged design and development with external contractors, providing UX guidance, creating mockups, and implementing design refinements using WordPress, Elementor, and custom CSS
  • Streamlined internal processes by creating a centralized Notion wiki and improving documentation
  • Aiding backend modernization efforts: evaluating e-commerce platforms, defining requirements for integrated license management and customer data systems, and assisting in technical hiring
  • Notable customers include NASA, Eli Lilly, Nestle, EPA, 3M
2024 — 2024
Event coordinator & Designer at VFA Philadelphia Flagship Committee
Philadelphia PA
  • Orchestrated Philly Phormal, an annual flagship Venture for America community event, leveraging a 500-capacity venue and securing in-kind sponsorships. Implemented a Notion knowledge base for coordination among our 4-member team.

  • Facilitated a panel with Philadelphia ecosystem leaders including Tempest Carter from the Department of Commerce, Julie Zeglen from Technical.ly, and Chuck Sacco from Drexel's School of Entrepreneurship.

  • Designed and published all marketing materials, flyers, and social media posts through Instagram, GroupMe, Slack, and a custom-designed mmm.page hub website.

  • Promoted participation from VFA RISE groups to strengthen community ties among diverse fellows and alumni

2023 — 2024
Detroit, MI / Remote

VFA was a national nonprofit organization founded by Andrew Yang that operated a selective, admission-based two-year fellowship program designed to empower recent college grads with the community and skills to make an impact in young, growing companies.

  • Honed skills in rigorous, two-week training program featuring workshops from Frog, IDEO, and other business leaders

  • Led a 5-member team in a 3-day design sprint and pitch presentation for a motivating city exploration mobile app: I conceptualized and designed the mockups, and served as one of 3 pitch presenters. We received both the Crowd Favorite and Judge Pick awards over 4 other teams, with a panel of visiting VC and business executives.

2022 — 2022

Designed and developed a simple website & brand refresh for a local business.

2022 — 2022
ACT Tutor at Summit Educational Group
Remote

Helped 2 high school students improve their scores for ACT tests over one-on-one virtual tutoring sessions. Tailored study plans & feedback for students based on individual learning styles & personalities. Distilled complex concepts and motivated students to stay on track.

2021 — 2021
Video Editor at Carroll Sisters Productions
Philadelphia, PA

Salvaged scrappy footage and audio into a coherent narrative, 40-min pilot episode for web series "And We're Live," making savvy changes to the tone, pacing, and dialogue of scenes as needed to solve production-related errors and technical issues.

2020 — 2021
Admin / Design / Multimedia Assistant at Berkshire Playwrights Lab
Remote

Served as a tech/design consultant and sole administrative support for a non-profit theatre/arts organization, where I refreshed the branding, organized records, and provided technical advice. Created assets for their virtual events and designed a new website that doubled online traffic.

2021 — 2021
Producer's Assistant / Video Editor at Dreamatorium Productions
Remote

Created video graphics for a critical virtual event of a new Sign Language play attended by dozens of stakeholders. Enriched the viewing experience with FaceTime-inspired floating cards for cast/team asides and subtitles, transitioning between documentary clips and play excerpts and integrating multiple interpreter feeds. Consulted with 6 sign language consultants to research and plan digital solutions in Zoom to make the event more accessible for both Deaf attendees.

2019 — 2020
Middletown, CT

Oversaw all stages of production for an 11-minute comedy film, including directing a 16-person crew over 4 days. The film stood out from 21 film theses and earned me the non-annual Frank Capra Prize for achievements in cinematic storytelling and combining humor with pathos. I also organized and edited a media library of over 400 assets, and researched and self-taught new equipment & production software as needed.

2019 — 2019
Middletown, CT

Led a team of 4 students to develop and pitch an alpha demo based on my concept for an educational video game and immersive 3D world introducing kids to sleep science.

Received First Place for best concept & execution against three other teams by engaging a jury of 6 business, film, and game industry professionals from AFI, Harmonix, Warner Brothers Games, Demiurge Studios, and Wesleyan’s I.D.E.A.S. Program.

2016 — 2017
Remote

Proposed a new brand and graphic identity to express a startup's health and ethics approach in the snack industry. Designed signs, sell sheets, and other merchandising materials that promoted key brand values and product selling points.

Awards

2023
Judge Pick and Crowd Favorite awards from VFA Guest Advisory Panel and 2023 Fellow Cohort

See Work Experience entry for "Fellowship at Venture for America" for details.

2020

Best film among 21 to exemplify the legendary film director’s blend of pathos + humor, and for “using the tools of filmmaking at the highest level.” Awarded on an ad hoc basis.

2019
First Place from Weaver Development Competition

Best concept & execution in competition for an videogame demo teaching a STEM concept to children.

Writing

2023

A digital garden (not a blog) where you can peruse my notes and explore their links.

2019

Midterm paper for AMST / FILM308: "Television Storytelling: The Conditions of Narrative Complexity.

Riverdale, the CW's unhinged take on Archie Comics, is a fever dream of 30-year old actors playing teens in cringe-inducing, surreal plots with absurd dialogue. This paper digs into how the series' commitment to chaos has spawned a singular and standout aesthetic spectacle.

Speaking

2019
Teenage Television: Aesthetics, History, and "Hate-Watching" at Wesleyan Forum on Teenage Television
Middletown, CT

Led class discussions for a semester based on a syllabus I co-designed. We examined the history of the teen soap opera and its changes since the 90's, focusing on evolutions of contemporary societal values and business practices, and how their asethetic systems create a unique kind of entertainment despite viewers' tendency to "hate-watch" this nano-genre.