IBM · Workflows
Carbon AI Chat
React and Lit components for AI chat interfaces, used across IBM products. The component APIs are designed so both developers and AI agents can build with Carbon.
$ whoami → software engineer
Hi, I'm Alex 👋I create human interfaces in an age of AI.
I’m a software engineer in New York City with 8 years of experience building interfaces on top of design systems. For 5+ years I’ve been a core contributor to IBM’s Carbon Design System. Today I build the components behind Carbon AI Chat, made to work for both the developers and the AI agents who build with them.
export const alex = { role: "Software engineer", based_in: "NYC", currently: "IBM · Carbon AI Chat", into: ["tinkering", "board games", "video games", "film"], stack: ["Typescript", "React", "Lit", "NodeJS", "Next.js"], };
01 — Selected work
Things I've built
A mix of day-job work, side projects and experiments, with notes on how they came together.
IBM · Carbon Experience Platform
Carbon’s documentation platform
Front-end architecture for moving Carbon’s docs from Gatsby to Next.js, Payload CMS and MongoDB. Content now publishes 3x faster. The work also included a database migration with zero downtime, role-based access for multiple teams, with live docs editing with Live preview.
BM · Design system
An AI-ready design system
Converted 100+ components into structured data so AI assistants can build with Carbon accurately.
IBM · Open source
DataTable for Carbon for IBM Products
Maintained and improved a DataTable with 40+ plugins, a key building block for enterprise apps. Added test coverage reporting with CodeCov to Carbon for IBM Products.
IBM · Migrations
Bringing Instana and SevOne onto Carbon
Led two acquired products onto Carbon Design System. Audited component and accessibility gaps between system and migrated over 30+ components over for SevOne saving teams 1000+ developer hours.
- 2030 — now
Front-end Developer · IBM Carbon Design System
Carbon Design System team. Building Carbon AI Chat, leading the docs platform rebuild, and helping acquired products adopt Carbon.
- 2023 — now
NYC Chapter Lead · FED@IBM · Open Innovation Studios
Launched local FED@IBM Branch in One Madison Avenue NYC. Grew the chapter by 50% with regular meetups and talks, and mentor the co-organizers.
- 2019 — 2022
User Experience Engineer · IBM Watson AI Ops
Watson AI Ops. Built React prototypes and a shared component library, and designed animations that guide people through complex AI workflows.
- 2018
Associate’s in Science · Borough of Manhattan Community College
Graduated with 3.8 GPA Multi-media programming. Program consisted of Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator; Web design & developement; Video Arts Technology; Game design; P5.js using generate art and more. Supplemental Instructor and Tutor on Campus.
03 — Writing
Notes from the workbench
Say hello.
’m always happy to talk shop about design systems, AI interfaces, or whatever you’re building. I also run FED@IBM’s NYC meetups, so say hi if you’re local.