Joel Lithgow

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am writing to express my interest in the Software Engineer, UX position at Google DeepMind. The description of this role—building experimental front-ends for early-stage AI research with significant focus on prompt engineering—describes exactly how I work today. I've spent the past year deeply immersed in AI-driven development, and I'm ready to apply that experience to pushing the boundaries of user interaction at the forefront of AI innovation.

Prompt engineering is central to my daily practice. I use Claude Code to build WebGL shaders, orchestrate complex multi-step development workflows, and ship prototypes rapidly. I've developed intuition for how to structure prompts, when to provide context versus let the model infer, and how to iterate on AI-driven solutions. This isn't adjacent experience—it's the core skill this role requires.

My career has progressed from QA Specialist to Interaction Designer to UX Designer/Developer at California College of the Arts. That trajectory gave me something valuable for this role: I understand human-centered design because I've practiced it, and I can implement it because I write production code. When the job description says 'bringing a human-centered approach to brilliant research and technology,' I recognize that as my exact skill set.

I thrive on ambiguous technical challenges. The description says 'much of our work is with early-stage, loosely-defined technologies and product areas'—that's where I do my best work. My WebGL shader playground emerged from open-ended exploration. My most impactful projects at CCA came from challenging briefs and proposing better approaches. I'm comfortable setting vision in undefined spaces.

I also bring strong fundamentals in accessibility and inclusive design. At CCA, I led systemic WCAG improvements, establishing color contrast standards that scaled across all digital properties. When building experimental interfaces, I keep accessibility as a foundation rather than an afterthought. This matters especially for AI interfaces, where trust and clarity are essential.

I'm based in Oakland and would work from the San Francisco office. The opportunity to join DeepMind's UX team—inspiring and accelerating people-centric futures for emerging AI technologies—is exactly the kind of meaningful, challenging work I'm seeking.

Thank you for considering my application. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience in prompt engineering, front-end development, and human-centered design could contribute to Google DeepMind's UX team.