Meet Matthew Martin | Product UX Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matthew Martin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matthew, what principle do you value most?
Design decisions have become increasingly important in our technology-driven society.

It is crucial that we look beyond the immediate usability of a product and consider the broader context and long-term effects on society and future generations.

we need to think about the interconnectedness of everything. What we create is part of a larger ecosystem and our designs impact the world around us.

Every design is shaped by the past and has the potential to shape the future. It also exists within a broader context, an ecosystem of interconnected elements. To create truly meaningful designs, we must embrace this inherent duality. We must understand how our creations are shaped by the past and, simultaneously, how they will influence the future. We must also recognize their place within the wider ecosystem, ensuring they harmonize with their surroundings and contribute positively to the overall system.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My exploration of art started with photography. My first “real” job as a photographer was at a research hospital as a BIO/MED photographer. This was at a time when the digital and chemical processes were converging. I was tasked with everything ranging from developing (in a dark room) audio radiographs of DNA to capturing sugar cured mummies from the 1700s with a film camera. It was at this time however, digital technology was taking over at an exponential rate. That is when I decided to go into Human Computer Interaction, so instead of technology designing what I did, I wanted to design technology. From there I was able to use my background in visual arts and technology to inspire how I would approach information visualization, information architecture, and user interfaces.

Photography was a novel technology that was met with fear and mistrust when first invented, a common reaction to transformative innovations. “This beautiful invention… opens a fearful source of temptation to the bad passions—it will be impossible to guard against forgeries of the most dangerous kind.”Sir John Herschel, English astronomer (1839) I strive to use all technological mediums conscientiously. The early impact of photography gave me a sensitivity to consider the implications of what we create and how it is used.

As I have continued exploring photography and digital art, I have begun incorporating artificial intelligence into my creative process. Just as past innovations like photography transformed painting, and digital tools reshaped photography, AI is poised to profoundly impact art across all mediums. Rather than shy away from this technology in its infancy, I chose to embrace AI and make it an integral part of my practice. This parallel between photography’s emergence centuries ago and AI’s nascent potential today motivates me to engage thoughtfully yet openly with cutting-edge creative tools.

The piece entitled “Youth of Venus” I used generative AI to create some of the landscape. You may also see influences by William Mortensen, Dr. Seuss, and Henry Darger. The mediums include pen and ink, acrylic, and ink transfer on canvas.

My connection to Detroit and art is further extended since, from 2004-2007 founded and ran an art gallery in Detroit’s Eastern Market with my wife. We won best new gallery in 2005

To fund my artistic pursuits, I am a product designer, helping libraries and cultural institutions publish primary sources like medieval manuscripts and civil rights speeches. My role involves designing online platforms that make these materials more discoverable – think YouTube, but for rare academic resources instead of viral videos. Though an oversimplification, this comparison captures the mission of broadening engagement with these collections beyond just the scholarly community, allowing the public to interact with history themselves.

What distinguishes this product from similar ones is that it automatically maps metadata fields from the user’s content to corresponding fields in the publishing platform. This maximizes discoverability by integrating with search, filter, and sort tools. At the same time, we empower users by allowing them to review the automated mappings, edit them if needed, and opt out if they prefer to manually configure the field mapping. The key differentiation is the combination of automatic metadata mapping for platform integration while still giving users control over how their content is interpreted and presented. This sets us apart by providing both automation for ease of use and autonomy for flexibility – factors that matter greatly to users I interviewed.

Pursuing both technology and art provides balance in my creative life. Designing digital products requires logical thinking and problem solving, while art allows me to tap into chaotic emotions and new perspectives. The two practices inform each other – the structured approach of technology inspires bold experimentation in my art, while the fluidity of art pushes me to think beyond the interface of technology. Exploring these different modes of creation gives me a multifaceted foundation and helps mitigate “future shock” from rapid technological and societal changes.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have been skating since 1986. In the last few years Detroit has exploded with Skateparks. I would want to take a friend on a Skatepark tour

Day 1
Honest Johns for breakfast
The Wig DIY Skatepark
Check out the DIA
Eastern Market
Heidelberg project
Day 2
Polish village cafe
Hamtramck Disneyland
Ride it Sculpture Park
Check out a punk show at Small’s

Day 3
Chandler Park Skatepark
Mexican Village
Riverside Skatepark

Day 4
Bishop DIY Skatepark
Motown Museum
Marble Bar

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I continue to find inspiration in Buckminster Fuller’s concept of “ephemeralization” – the ability of technology to continually do more with less energy, materials, space, and time. This core theme that ran through his work deeply resonates with me. In designing software and apps, we are constantly striving to make our team’s processes more efficient, optimize how the machine is used, and streamline the human experience when using the system.

I seem to always circle back to Fuller’s writings and inventions when I need inspiration. I find it remarkable that his work remains so relevant today after all these years. I am a ”Designer”, but my role has been given many titles over time – Information Architect, Experience Planner, User Experience Designer, and Product Designer to name a few. What we design and build evolves so quickly, and we as designers need to continue adapting just as rapidly to keep pace with exponential change. Fuller sums it up nicely, “A designer is an emerging synthesis of artist, inventor, mechanic, objective economist, and evolutionary strategist.” A bit wordy for a business card, but it captures the interdisciplinary nature of what we do.

Now that Artificial Intelligence is evolving exponentially, and is accessible to anyone with an internet connection, Design decisions have become increasingly important in our technology-driven society.

It is crucial that we look beyond the immediate usability of a product and consider the broader context and long-term effects on society and future generations.

“There is more recognition now that things are changing, but not because there is a political move to do it. It is simply a result of the information being there. Our survival won’t depend on political or economic systems. It’s going to depend on the courage of the individual to speak the truth, and to speak it lovingly and not destructively. It’s saying what you really know and feel is the truth, in all directions. Our greatest vulnerability lies in the amount of misinformation and misconditioning of humanity.You have to examine each word and ask yourself, “Is that the right word for that?” — the integrity and the courage of the individual to speak his own truth and not to go along with the crowd, yet not making others seem ignorant. After a while, if enough human beings are doing it, then everybody will start going in the right direction.” Fuller -1981

Website: https://matomaton.github.io/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atomatron/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atomaton/

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@atomaton 14 subscribers 58 videos 12,409 views Joined Nov 8, 2005 United States

Image Credits
Matthew Martin