Zerphina Quortane

Summary

Zerphina Quortane is a Portland-based product designer and creative technologist exploring the intersections of human perception, AI-driven design tools, and ambient computing. She is known for open-source experiments that blend motion, sound, and web interfaces into immersive micro-experiences. Her portfolio spans interactive data visualizations, conceptual web art installations, and tools that transform real-world inputs—like movement or weather—into digital expressions.

Experience

• Quortane Studio

  Founder & Creative Director · 2023–Present · Portland, OR

  Leads a boutique studio focused on browser-native generative art and AI-assisted UX tools.

  Created Sublayer, a minimalist productivity app that visualizes task load as morphing geometric forms.

  Collaborates with musicians and developers on EchoTrace, converting live music frequencies into abstract web animations in real time.

• Tangent Labs

  Interaction Designer · 2021–2023 · Remote

  Designed interfaces for experimental AR dashboards and smart mirror prototypes exploring spatial UI for healthcare data.

  Conducted 40+ user studies on attention and cognitive flow, informing design heuristics for emerging computing contexts.

• Driftline Systems

  UX Design Intern · 2020 · San Francisco, CA

  Prototyped responsive control panels for IoT devices using Figma and WebGL.

  Documented accessible color systems to unify device screen experiences across the company.

Education

• University of California, San Diego

  B.S. Cognitive Science & Human-Computer Interaction · Class of 2021

  Thesis: “Perceptual Anchors in Generative Visual Design.”

  Lab Assistant in the Perception, Computation & Design group.

Projects

• The Weathering

  Web Installation

  A participatory piece mapping emotional “weather reports” from anonymous users, rendered as evolving color storms.

• Forma Nova

  Experimental Typography

  An audio-reactive type generator that warps letterforms based on microphone input.

• Bend & Break

  Short Film & Interactive Gallery

  An exploration of how digital glitches can mimic organic motion, blending film sequences with interactive canvases.

Interests & Hobbies

Tools & Skills

Design: Figma, Framer, Blender, After Effects
Code: TypeScript, GLSL, Python, Three.js, p5.js
Other: Creative coding, sound-reactive visuals, UX research

Personal Motto

“Interfaces are stories; the good ones don’t just respond—they resonate.”