Lift your data visualisation game.

For design consultancy: xavier@jtg.design.

Much software today are built for one-hit wonders just in time. Endless dashboards. Thousands of configurations. Once the teams built it, they leave, and no one is left to maintain it, and thus the cycle repeats.

This ecosystem sucks. Instead, I want to design timeless solutions. You are invited to embark on this journey with me to reduce wasted time building throw-away software. Let's aim for software that lasts longer than your next smartphone.

Sustainable software by design

Software should first and foremost empower the people, and add to the environment. We must recognise that software is not a solution, but an enhancement tool that helps us reach our goals.

Example project data visualisation transit

Software sustainability is about designing systems to last. It's about choosing stable platforms and common standards. It's about documenting workflows and rationales in plain sight. If you're in a position to do so, it's also about choosing to tackle problems that require a long-term plan to solve.

Sustainable software treats people's precious time and attention with respect. It monitors its own performance, regulates small, known problems, and calls for human intervention only when necessary. This behaviour is not learned by default, but must be by design. Crafting software with good manners takes a lot of time.

Multidisciplinary by nature

I specialise in the design of near-real-time, geospatial and temporal data visualisations with five years of software engineering, plus five years of visual and interaction design. My past projects include water health monitoring, transport investment, air pollution awareness, and grain yield forecast.

Xavier Ho at Melbourne City Lab Design Sprint in 2016

My full-time academic position with Monash Art, Design, and Architecture is to teach interaction design from first principles. Prior to Monash, I worked for CSIRO as a senior software engineer, and I obtained my PhD in design with the University of Sydney. I actively conduct research with data visualisation with my colleagues.

Design consultancy available

I can bring your team up to speed, and work with you to design a data visualisation tool that suits your needs. My craft is built on strong engineering and design principles.

My clients are open-minded about bringing in design research and practical engineering disciplines, and have an appreciation for data work. If you'd like to chat about what we can do together, get in touch with me.

Public appearances

I like to talk about data visualisation, software sustainability, and programming as a creative pursuit. Depending on the nature of the event, I may charge a speaker fee.