Leslie Montes

I am a product designer working to bring simple, useful, and elegant everyday objects and experiences to people’s lives. With experience designing both physical and digital products, I have a unique ability to implement the product design process across mediums, from defining problems to crafting solutions.

As a product designer at Yohana, a startup funded by Panasonic, I helped shape the company's member experience, including helping design, prototype, test, and improve our mobile app. I also helped define foundational industrial design and UX strategy for the company’s hardware program with high level explorations across various industries. Previously I worked at Panasonic Beta, where I was part of a team developing concepts and prototypes for IoT connected appliances.

Before moving to the Bay Area, I lived in Japan, where I designed, produced, and held a solo exhibition for my furniture collection inspired by my research on Japanese woodworking and sustainable furniture design. Through this work I earned a Master’s degree in Design Strategy from Kyushu University Graduate School of Design in Fukuoka, Japan.