About
Hello, I’m Alexander, a product designer, founder, and urban studies graduate based in New York. I design tools that help people discover places and turn their ideas into travel plans.
I’m building Urban Manual, a curated travel companion across web and iOS. I shape the collection, product direction, and interface design, using AI tools to help turn design decisions into working software.
My background in urban studies informs how I organize information and think about the connection between digital tools and the places people experience.
Work Experience
Founder at Urban Manual
A curated collection of places, with discovery and planning tools designed to help people decide where to go. Human judgment selects the collection; personalization helps people explore within it.
- Define product direction and design the flows for discovering places, reviewing details, saving ideas, and planning trips.
- Use Claude Code and Codex to implement and iterate on interfaces, reviewing the results and directing corrections to layout, interaction, and behavior.
- Connect editorial curation with a consistent experience across web and iOS.
Urban ManualProduct design case study →Selected Research
Houston–Canal Low Traffic Neighborhood Study
My senior thesis at The New School: comparing pedestrian demand, crash exposure, and transit access to propose a phased neighborhood street intervention.
Houston–CanalResearch case study and full thesis →Education
BA in Urban Studies at The New School
Graduated May 2026 · New York, NY
Parsons coursework: Typography and Digital Product UX.
Senior thesis: Houston–Canal pedestrianization study.