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Personal Profile
Robert Trahan

Product Designer, Maker, and Product Manager, specializing in storytelling through user experience (UX).

Scroll down to read about my journey.
In my shop working on a piece of furniture circa 2009.
Fueled by Curiosity & Creativity 
Growing up in Lafayette, Louisiana, I was always drawn to creative and technical pursuits. Music, art, and nature were my early passions. I loved taking things apart and attempting to put them back together, often with mixed results. My early career was steeped in carpentry, working as a furniture maker and cabinet designer. These experiences taught me to dive into projects without fully knowing how to do things, valuing the lessons learned from taking the action of getting started.
Entering the Digital World  

My journey into design and building digital products began with the advent of the iPhone and the App Store in 2008. Intrigued by the potential of mobile apps, I started exploring app development, initially creating simple button box sound apps and then an animation-based app. Later, I combined all these experiences to bring a children’s storybook that my dad had written for me and my two sisters to life as an iPad app.

Walking the promenade in Brooklyn, NY during a break from a product development project in 2014.
Conceptualizing large screen touch experiences on a white board at a experience workshop in 2015.
Early Career Milestones 
With my initial experience with app development, I landed a role at The Smyth Group, starting as an iOS developer. Over the years, I transitioned into various roles, early on I realized my passion for user experience. I embedded myself in different positions with their clients to understand user pain points and designed workflows to solve inefficiencies. This hands-on approach allowed me to create tools that aligned with business goals and improved user experience. Ultimately I helped them in business development, managing projects, and aligning business goals with design and development.
Innovating at Rocket Power

One of my major career milestones was being hired by Rocket Power, a recruitment agency in San Francisco, during the height of the pandemic. My role involved building internal products and rebranding the company from the ground up. I embedded myself in the company’s operations to understand the needs of recruiters and the inefficiencies they faced. This hands-on approach enabled me to create effective recruitment tools and a successful rebrand. The transformation played a significant role in Rocket Power’s acquisition by Kelly Services.

Getting sweet with the Mass Productive team in 2024.
Hiromi and i have been hanging and working together for over 10 years.
Getting Más Productive 
In 2023, I teamed up with my long-time friend Hiromi Matsumoto to grow MassProductive. We aimed to help digital products succeed by crafting great visions, removing obstacles, and finding the right market. Together, we’ve turned MassProductive into a productivity powerhouse.
Designing with Purpose 

Throughout my career, I’ve worked on a variety of impactful projects, including language learning applications and museum exhibits and tools used by millions of users. However, what I’m most proud of isn’t my individual role but the collective achievements made possible by collaborating with talented teams. These teams have come together to form something greater than the sum of their parts, delivering exceptional user experiences.

Game-storming at a Museum experience workshop in 2014.
Contemplating the future in the past.
Looking Ahead 

The ever-evolving landscape of AI and augmented reality excites me. I am passionate about addressing yet-unsolved challenges in digital representation, such as improving the format for digital books. At MassProductive, our goal is to create value through strategic, wise, and innovative solutions that save time and money while enhancing the quality of services and products.


Together with Hiromi, I am committed to designing thoughtful and impactful experiences, and I am eager to tackle the vast opportunities that lie ahead.