About
Who we are
About Us
Creating human-centered experiences
Stranger Creative is a creative agency that helps brands build human-centered experiences for websites and mobile apps. With decades of experience leading and designing digital experiences for recognizable brands and industries, we've branched off to start our own initiative to bring big agency creative to small & medium-sized companies.
Supporting diverse creatives
Stranger Creative is the executive sponsor of QTBIPOC Design, a nonprofit organization that empowers queer BIPOC creatives to thrive in the creative industry through education, mentorship, and networking opportunities. Collaborating with us on a project directly impact and support empowering diversity within our creative industry.
Our team
Design lead
Alberto Murillo
About: Alberto is a Design lead, with multidisciplinary skills, focused on creating digital experience and pushing brand language. With a trained eye in art direction he finds a balance between functionality and beauty for all products. Some of the work experience has been with Juan Valdez, Digitas, Prodigious, Google and Huge inc. His work philosophy is to push boundaries and create the best user experience interaction possible, while working alongside the best talent. Design is a co-creating process for multidisciplinary craft to identify the right Point of view for any challenge. Alberto is mostly known for his positive and go get it attitude.
I am: a proud Colombian surfer who drinks the best coffee.
I am passionate about: Understanding human behavior through the lens of psychology and how through interaction design we can help users make the right choice for their lives.
Operations Associate
Alisha Hurtado
About: Alisha supports the internal operation within Stranger Creative. Before moving to the online space, she was a luxury event planner at exclusive venues in Houston & Los Angeles planning out every detail for weddings, galas and golf/tennis tournaments. Her focus is to create a positive client experience for those working with Stranger Creative & QTBIPOC Design.
I am: a Japanese-Hawaiian-Hispanic female originally from Orange County, CA currently living in Houston with her husband, Daniel and young daughter, Charley with the goal to listen and continue to be a better ally.
I am passionate about: being environmentally conscious in my everyday life and attempting to minimize my carbon footprint
experience Design Associate
Conor Moran
About: Conor is a User Experience designer for Stranger Creative- specializing in creating human-centered, accessible design that simplifies the complex. He has experience working alongside multidisciplinary teams with agencies and brands such as The Eric Carle Museum, New York Life, Start Hearing, and Fusion 92.
I am: a first-generation Taiwanese, Irish American living in the Chicago-land area.
What I'm passionate about: mindful design and finding new solutions to existing problems.
Design director
June Hongkiatkhajorn
About: June is a product designer with a background in art direction and visual design. Her work spans multiple disciplines inclusive of UX/UI design, art direction, e-commerce, creative direction, and design strategy. Clients include Google, Mastercard, Verizon, Levi's, Tiffany & Co, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Frye, David Yurman, and Our Place.
I am: a Thai-Chinese female originally from Bangkok, Thailand currently living in Los Angeles.
What I’m passionate about: using art and design for supporting good causes and helping raise consciousness and awareness for notable issues.
product design lead
Mahogany Breaux
About: Mahogany is a product designer who took an untraditional path into the tech industry from digital marketing and web design. Her first design role has been with Microsoft working to help empower families and deliver reliable, trustworthy experiences.
I am: an African American queer woman residing in the Bay Area.
What I'm passionate about: learning from diverse people and helping to deliver social impact in some way.
Product design director
Rachel Paves
About: Rachel is a business led experience designer and strategist, passionate about delivering experiences that are simple, memorable, and impactful. She has a diverse background working in multiple disciplines throughout her career including UX/UI design, experience strategy, digital marketing, and eCommerce. Some of her previous clients include Apple, Salesforce, Twitter, Sephora, Westpac, and Bank of Hawaii.
I am: a first-generation Filipino American living in San Francisco, CA.
What I'm passionate about: connection. I lead with empathy and love to learn about people and our world and build meaningful connections.
Founder & Studio Director
Steven Wakabayashi
About: Steven is the founder and managing creative director for Stranger Creative - handling new business and leading creative initiatives. Previously, he's led design teams at some of the biggest agencies and brands including Sapient, Publicis, Razorfish, Huge, Apple, Google, Salesforce, Sephora, Walmart, Samsung, and Glossier.
I am: a second-generation queer Japanese, Taiwanese American living in NYC creating the intersection of social change, tech innovation, and creativity.
What I'm passionate about: integration of joy within social and racial justice in the liberation of our communities.
Strategy Associate
Val Tikka
About: Val is the Strategy Associate of Stranger Creative. Val's experience in digital marketing and content strategy has helped businesses grow their online presence. With a focus on providing strategic content planning and user-centered website experience strategies, Val has aided companies in reaching their target audiences more effectively.
I am: a first generation Albanian-American living in Chicago, IL
What I'm passionate about: helping brands find their voice and communicate with their customers in an authentic way.
Our approach
Equitable innovation led by diverse creatives
We believe that the future of innovation and creativity will be led by creatives that have been historically underrepresented within our community. As our collective digital footprint continues to grow globally, so will the myriad of experiences that go into designing these products.
Partnerships centered in mindfulness
The way in which we engage with our teams, clients, and community is centered on conscious awareness. From collaboration to finances, we regularly check in and ensure that our conducts are sustainable for one another and the greater world.
Organizations we love
Amplifying the important work of these organizations
