[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":58},["ShallowReactive",2],{"footer-settings":3,"now-page-source":22},{"heading":4,"body":5,"links":6,"note":21},"Bottom line, still up front.","A small footer for global links, contact paths, and project context.",[7,10,13,16,19],{"label":8,"url":9},"About","http:\u002F\u002Fmy-website.localhost\u002Fabout#now",{"label":11,"url":12},"Case Studies","http:\u002F\u002Fmy-website.localhost\u002F#selected-work",{"label":14,"url":15},"Side Projects","http:\u002F\u002Fmy-website.localhost\u002Fside-projects",{"label":17,"url":18},"Writing","http:\u002F\u002Fmy-website.localhost\u002Fwriting",{"label":20,"url":9},"Now","",{"id":23,"databaseId":24,"slug":25,"uri":26,"title":8,"displayHeading":27,"displayDescription":28,"seoDescription":21,"nowContent":29,"blocks":30},"cG9zdDoyMjk=",229,"about","\u002Fabout\u002F","I make things carefully, and ask why.","Who is Aslan French? This page will explain that. He's a design technologist and researcher living in Austin, Texas.","\u003Cp class=\"\" data-v-fabb861f=\"\">Updated June 2026 from Austin, Texas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"\" data-v-fabb861f=\"\">I’m preparing to start the MSIS program at UT Austin this fall. My attention is mostly on civic technology, public-interest systems, service design, and how AI tools can help people make sense of complex work without flattening it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"\" data-v-fabb861f=\"\">Right now I’m rebuilding this website and portfolio, organizing Open Austin work, and developing a few essays around technology, design, aesthetics, and institutional life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"\" data-v-fabb861f=\"\">I’m especially interested in public-sector design systems, civic tech infrastructure, AI-assisted knowledge work, agentic service design workflows, and the messy practical work of making organizations more legible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"\" data-v-fabb861f=\"\">I’m selectively open to conversations around internships, campus work, civic tech, public-interest technology, and thoughtful collaboration in Austin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp class=\"\" data-v-fabb861f=\"\">This section is written in the spirit of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnownownow.com\u002Fabout\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnownownow.com\u002Fabout\">Derek Sivers’ \u002Fnow page idea\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",[31,37,42,46,50,54],{"name":32,"clientId":33,"parentClientId":34,"renderedHtml":35,"attributes":36},"core\u002Fparagraph","6a8e6cce8d305",null,"\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I’m Aslan French, a design technologist and researcher living in Austin, Texas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{},{"name":38,"clientId":39,"parentClientId":34,"renderedHtml":40,"attributes":41},"core\u002Fimage","6a8e6cce8d502","\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\">\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aslanfrench.work\u002Fmedia\u002F2026\u002F08\u002FChatGPT-Image-Aug-5-2026-04_49_42-PM-819x1024.png\" alt=\"portrait of Aslan French\" class=\"wp-image-972\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.799785205194129;width:318px;height:auto\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>",{},{"name":32,"clientId":43,"parentClientId":34,"renderedHtml":44,"attributes":45},"6a8e6cce8d506","\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I trained as a traditional studio artist, then ended up in tech. Around 2015, I got interested in neural networks (now called AI) as a medium for making images and taught myself enough Linux and terminal stuff to run models locally. I'd been using computers creatively for years, an OG Macromedia Flash kiddie, and self taught digital painter, but this is when I started learning how to engage with code directly. \u003C\u002Fp>\n",{},{"name":32,"clientId":47,"parentClientId":34,"renderedHtml":48,"attributes":49},"6a8e6cce8d507","\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Professionally, I have worked across UX, design systems, civic technology, public-sector software, research, writing, and front-end implementation. I am highly technical, but I do not really think of myself as an engineer. I think of myself more as a builder. I make things. I own the full stack from stakeholder facilitation, user research, UI and visual design, frontend implementation and prototyping, service design and strategy, and governance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{},{"name":32,"clientId":51,"parentClientId":34,"renderedHtml":52,"attributes":53},"6a8e6cce8d508","\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Check out my \u003Ca href=\"\u002F\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"4\">case studies\u003C\u002Fa>, read some of my \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fwriting\u002F\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"231\">writing\u003C\u002Fa>, or look through \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fside-projects\u002F\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"233\">my side projects\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{},{"name":32,"clientId":55,"parentClientId":34,"renderedHtml":56,"attributes":57},"6a8e6cce8d509","\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can reach me at \u003Ca href=\"mailto:howdy@aslanfrench.work\">howdy@aslanfrench.work\u003C\u002Fa>, or schedule a chat at \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fschedule.aslanfrench.work\">schedule.aslanfrench.work\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{},1787718861261]