About me,

I’m based in Seattle but originally hail from the tiny town of Perth, Australia. I have a big love for travel and care deeply about social impact, healthcare, and clean energy.

Throughout my now 18+ year career in design, I've worked with teams of varying sizes, interviewed, hired, grown, and observed how designers work in various industries around the world.

At present, I view my role as a creative leader, mentor, and designer. Working with me means working authentically, collaboratively solving problems while being biased for action, and framing problems as opportunities. I make an effort to favor collaboration above individual work because I really believe that working with people is the only way to accomplish anything worthwhile.

Before joining Coupang, I served as Head of Growth and Conversion Design at Rakuten, where I led strategic design initiatives that redefined cashback rewards for millions of consumers and merchants across North America. Prior to that, I spent three years at Amazon Alexa, driving design across a portfolio of ecosystem products — including voice shopping, in-car experiences, Fire TV, and smart home integrations — shaping the future of ambient, voice-forward technology.

Earlier in my career, I led the design of CommBank’s award-winning smart banking assistant and played a key role in launching Australia’s first instant mobile payment experience. At Fox Sports, I oversaw the redesign of their mobile platform and global navigation, and previously co-led major digital initiatives for Australia’s IPART and WebMD’s health information portal.

Currently, I serve as Design Director at Coupang, the leading e-commerce platform in South Korea and Taiwan, now expanding its global footprint with the acquisition of Farfetch. I lead three strategic design teams focused on loyalty and rewards, consumer electronics, and web experience — core pillars of Coupang’s growth. In close partnership with executive leaders across Product, Fintech, and Engineering, I shape the design vision and customer experience strategy that drives engagement and delivers measurable value to millions of customers.

Testimonials

“It's rare you meet someone with both the positive attitude and thoughtfulness that Derrick possesses. I was lucky to work with Derrick on a three-week client project that had both a tight timeline and ambitious goals. Derrick's ability to juggle both client needs and user needs, and to continually delight both, was remarkable. He's an asset to any team or project!”

-Maren Hotvedt · Senior Experience Designer at Atlassian

“Derrick is a skilled & professional UX designer. Having worked with Derrick on various projects I have seen and used his knowledge and expertise to create useful and intelligent products to enhance people's lives. Derrick always has a professional yet easy-going attitude which makes him a pleasure to work with. His unique combination of skills also makes him an asset to many organizations. It is without hesitation that I recommend Derrick as an outstanding professional.”

-Julio Castellano · Lead Product Designer at WooliesX

Derrick is an exceptional talent and a pleasure to work with. Technically gifted, he has a proven track record of high performance, especially across UX and Analytics. Beyond this, he is an inspiring team member with genuine enthusiasm and has played key roles in important projects with reputable brands.

-Aaron Bruce · Director of Digital Products

Having worked with Derrick for over 3 years has a wonderful way of driving marketing results while building a cohesive team and having fun at the same time. He can uplift a team, upgrade the company profile, expand business relations with customers, and bring innovation to the boardroom with a great professional attitude.

-Stella Pang · Corporate Affairs Director

Awards

Inventor named in Coupang Patent Filing - Certificate of Excellence 2024
Best Chrome Extension of the year 2021
EOS Hackathon “Best UX 2018”
Ceba Virtual Assistant “Most Innovative Channel Experience of the Year”
GovHack 2015 “The UX Spirit of GovHack”
CAN Award 2013 “DDM Productivity”
CAN Award 2012 “DUF Project”

Connect

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” –Leonardo da Vinci