Hi, I’m Peter

Let’s make the world a little better today.

I live at the intersection of behavioral science, human-centered design and social impact. My passion is driving innovation & strategy for products and services that tangibly improve the quality of people's lives.

I have used gamification to reimagine financial literacy curricula, designed programs using (my own) photography to improve health outcomes for long-term hospital patients, and submitted award-winning policy proposals for federal asset development programs. I have experience using human-centered design methodologies to tackle tricky problems like housing for youth aging out of foster care, and novel approaches for ending the cycle of generational poverty.

I believe that inequity exists by design, and that together we can un-design it.

I’m always open to opportunities where I can make a real difference in the world. Need help with a product or service that lifts people up? Let's talk.

My LinkedIn

Some things I’ve done

Featured

Squirrel Finance

Drawing on my background in financial literacy, I used a class project from one of my UX design courses as an opportunity to explore solutions for getting kids on track for retirement. At the time of writing, this is yet a work in progress.

UltiCones

A passion project in support of my favorite sport: Ultimate. This one is under wraps for the moment, but look for a product launch in the not-too-distant future. I’m also seeking collaborators with experience bringing consumer products to market, so please contact me especially if you have connections in manufacturing & distribution.

Manifest Photo & Design

Since 2009 I’ve been channeling my passion for photography into a healthcare-focused art business. Building on research connecting specific types of nature imagery with positive health outcomes, I have designed innovative products and services to bring the benefits of Evidence-Based Art to those who need it most.

Social Impact Lab

In 2018 I participated in an 8-week human-centered design challenge centered around youth aging out of foster care. The design challenge as given was “How might we redesign ‘home’ or ‘housing’ for transitional foster youth?” Multidisciplinary teams were challenged to research, design and prototype solutions using a Design Thinking approach.

Patient Art Choices

As part of my commitment to using my art to improve lives, I have been developing and piloting a program that allows long-term hospital patients to choose art from my portfolio to be displayed in their hospital rooms. The pilot study in the Legacy Oregon Burn Center had 83% of patients report reduced stress or anxiety, and 42% report better pain management. Click through to read more about the development of the program.

The Credit Card Game

During my time working at REACH Community Development, I was tasked with helping the kids in our programs understand credit. My solution was to give them all credit cards, let them rack up a bunch of debt buying things they couldn’t afford, and then figure out how to dig themselves out of debt. In other words, I let them fail when the stakes were low so they would be less likely to make the same mistakes when real money was on the line.

IDA Student Loan

In 2009, I submitted a federal policy proposal designed to improve access to Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) for high school seniors wishing to fund their college education. The Center for Enterprise Development selected my plan to be presented at their Innovation Summit in Washington, DC, and I was given the “Innovative Idea Engineer” award for the proposal.

Peak Design Capture Compatibility Hack

I love good design, and one company that has impressed me is photography accessories maker Peak Design. They make beautiful, functional gear that helps me be a better photographer. Unfortunately, they missed the mark when they updated the design of their “Capture” clips, rendering the new version incompatible with the old. Or so everyone said (including them). I spent a few minutes investigating and discovered a very simple hack that solves the problem.