# Aslan French

> Aslan French is an Austin-based design technologist and researcher working across civic technology, public-sector software, design systems, service design, frontend implementation, writing, and experimental interfaces.

Aslan trained as a traditional studio artist before moving into technology. His early experiments with neural networks as an image-making medium led him toward code, creative computation, and the practical work of building digital systems.

His professional practice crosses strategy and implementation: stakeholder facilitation, user research, UI and visual design, prototyping, frontend development, service design, organizational governance, and the design-system work that connects them. Much of the portfolio concerns civic technology and complex public-interest systems, where making an organization legible can be as important as making an interface usable.

The case studies document specific professional engagements and provide the strongest account of Aslan's roles, methods, and organizational contexts. The writing archive follows longer-running inquiries into design, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, generative art, and emerging technology; older essays reflect the technologies and arguments of their moment and may not represent his current position.

For the most current overview, begin with About and Now. Page titles, descriptions, and links below are generated during static publishing from the same rendered public route inventory used by the sitemap.

## Explore

- [Design Technologist & Researcher](https://www.aslanfrench.work/): Selected professional case studies, recent writing, side projects, testimonials, and contact information.
- [About](https://www.aslanfrench.work/about): About Aslan French, a design technologist and researcher working across frontend systems, publishing, and experimental interfaces.
- [Now](https://www.aslanfrench.work/now): What Aslan French is focused on right now — a short, current statement of work and direction.
- [Side Projects](https://www.aslanfrench.work/side-projects): Experiments, prototypes, and smaller builds.
- [Writing](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing): Essays and project notes on design systems, creative coding, artificial intelligence, generative art, virtual reality, and emerging technology.

## Case studies

- [Design System Operations at USCIS](https://www.aslanfrench.work/case-studies/design-system-operations-at-uscis): This case study documents a multi-year effort to reconcile three independently evolving appointment-scheduling systems at USCIS. The work is presented using a slide-based synthesis paired with written commentary.
- [Design Operations at Travis County](https://www.aslanfrench.work/case-studies/design-operations-at-travis-county): UX operations and coded prototypes aligning two county departments around one shared application.
- [Website Redesign for Job Corps](https://www.aslanfrench.work/case-studies/website-redesign-for-job-corps): A research-led public-service redesign connecting information architecture, visual identity, and code.
- [Branding for Deep Dimension VR](https://www.aslanfrench.work/case-studies/branding-for-deep-dimension-vr): A modular identity system for an Austin virtual-reality company, built through atomic design principles.
- [Design Operations for Lodestone Social](https://www.aslanfrench.work/case-studies/design-operations-for-lodestone-social): A reusable design system and automated workflow for faster, more consistent client customization.

## Writing

- [Design Principles for Enzo](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing/design-principles-for-enzo-a4f9af10cd03): In my last post, I introduced Enzo, a programming language I designed and implemented as both a learning tool and a piece of creative expression. It’s an art project, not a commercial product, a sketch of my personal…
- [A UX designer designs a programming language](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing/a-ux-designer-designs-a-programming-language-ff7c7cf44dd4): Hi, I’m a UX Designer and I made my own programming language. Here’s why and how: Around 2018–2020 I was taking programming courses online. I’d get frustrated, confused, or find a particular way of doing things ugly. I needed…
- [Why Design Systems are not component libraries](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing/why-design-systems-are-not-component-libraries-1e44ee417e58): “You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means” — Inigo Montoya User experience terminology is often learned on the job. You’re not going to win any friends at a party correcting people calling…
- [Maps of the World in Its Becoming: Visual Essay](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing/maps-of-the-world-in-its-becoming-visual-essay-3b0f5b2faf4d): From a recent group show I was in: “Once there were brook trout in the streams in the mountains. You could see them standing in the amber current where the white edges of their fins wimpled softly in the…
- [Idolatry Machine](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing/idolatry-machine-9fa4e2c1ea6f): I recently premiered an image collage and supporting series at an art exhibit and thought it would be good to do a write up about it. Idolatry Machine Eidos, Greek root word for image, idea, ideal, and idol. Idolatry…
- [How Artists Can Set Up Their Own Neural Network — part 4 —](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing/how-artists-can-set-up-their-own-neural-network-part-4-901ef71078bb): How Artists Can Set Up Their Own Neural Network — part 4 — This post was originally published in 2018/2019 on my old website. I have pared down my personal website a bunch, and now am using Medium to do all…
- [code as pure art](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing/code-as-pure-art-c791371096af): I think of art as skill within a medium that is achieved through practiced engagement. Artfulness can be applied to a wide variety of things. https://classic.esquire.com/article/1950/10/1/the-art-of-knife-throwing The art of knife throwing. The art of business dealing. The art of…
- [What is Latent Space, for artists?](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing/what-is-latent-space-for-artists-e7d16d39db8d): I’m a traditionally trained studio artist and design technologist who has been experimenting with neural networks as an artistic medium since 2015. I’ve written about my process in the past and often with a direct focus on explaining…
- [An AI Art Ethos](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing/an-ai-art-ethos-114c507d3b13): As someone who uses “artificial intelligence” techniques in my creative work, I feel the need to write out a document that clearly defines my ethos when it comes to creating art using “AI”. (note the majority of this article…
- [Cryptoart is a scam: here’s why](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing/cryptoart-is-a-scam-heres-why-9e5a777cbca6): Edit: skip to the end to see a more concise argument The subject of cryptoart has recently come up again amongst my group of friends and I wanted to write out my thoughts on it. Disclaimer: I’m just an idiot…
- [How Artists Can Set Up Their Own Neural Network — Part 3 — Image Generation](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing/how-artists-can-set-up-their-own-neural-network-part-3-image-generation-2e7679f6959c): Alright, so we’ve installed linux and the neural network now it’s time to actually run it! First though I want to apologize for the delay in getting these last two parts of the tutorial series out. As I…
- [Skonk Works](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing/skonk-works-e879e84fec25): Skonk Works Whew… it’s been a while huh? Sorry about that. There’s a number of things that have kept me from keeping up with this web log, most importantly completing my neural network tutorial series.
- [Tutorial for Artists on how to use a Neural Network — Part 2](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing/tutorial-for-artists-on-how-to-use-a-neural-network-part-2-4e94e1d2cbe9): Tutorial for Artists on how to use a Neural Network — Part 2 Originally published at www.jackalope.tech on April 30, 2018. Okay so we’ve installed the Ubuntu partition last week, and now we’re going to
- [How Artists can set up their own Neural Network — Part 1 — Installation](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing/how-artists-can-set-up-their-own-neural-network-part-1-installation-5dddac1ca331): Originally published at Jackalope.tech (follow the link to subscribe for more) This article is meant to help artists, designers, and other non-technical* people set up a neural network on their computer. Here’s an article where I introduce the…
- [A Brief Review of Quill VR](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing/a-brief-review-of-quill-vr-fcb876b2a7df): A Brief Review of Quill VR So I finally tried Quill VR for Oculus (though I actually tested it using my HTC Vive using the ReVive project). I’ve written previously about my experiences using Oculus
- [Quick Review of Google Blocks](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing/quick-review-of-google-blocks-c04cbbb53fa4): Google just came out with a new virtual reality modeling app called Blocks. It’s significant in that it is the first traditional box modeling style application made from the ground up for VR. As I previously wrote an…
- [How Artists Can Use Neural Networks to Make Art](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing/how-artists-can-use-neural-networks-to-make-art-714cdab53953): How Artists Can Use Neural Networks to Make Art This is the first in (hopefully) a series of articles explaining how artists can use neural networks like DeepStyle to make art. Let’s start with the
- [What I’ve learned sculpting in virtual reality — Oculus Medium](https://www.aslanfrench.work/writing/what-ive-learned-sculpting-in-virtual-reality-oculus-medium-15ba6b16d93a): What I’ve learned sculpting in virtual reality — Oculus Medium UPDATE EDIT: With the interest given to this humble article, I have finally gotten around to writing some follow up articles on 3D modeling and