Joel Lithgow

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am writing to express my interest in the UX Engineer position on Chrome Desktop. The opportunity to contribute to a browser used by billions—and specifically to the omnibox that helps users find information with minimal effort—is exactly the kind of impactful work I'm seeking.

I bring seven years of experience at California College of the Arts, where I progressed from QA Specialist to Interaction Designer to UX Designer/Developer. This progression has given me something that directly serves this role: I understand the full journey from user research to production code. I can take a designer's wireframe and translate it into a well-structured, responsive interface because I've sat in both seats.

Accessibility is central to how I work, not an afterthought. At CCA, I led a systemic accessibility improvement when I identified that our brand's teal link color failed WCAG contrast requirements. I worked cross-functionally to establish new guidelines that reserved navy for text and links while using teal only for accent graphics. This change improved accessibility across all digital properties. I'm comfortable meeting high accessibility standards because I've advocated for them.

My testing background is particularly relevant. Having started my career in QA, I understand how to build interfaces that work reliably across browsers and devices. I recently implemented Playwright-based automation for complex workflows, demonstrating both my technical capabilities and my systematic approach to quality. Chrome's emphasis on cross-platform consistency aligns with how I already think about development.

While I'm most experienced with TypeScript and modern web frameworks, I'm genuinely excited to learn Chrome's tech stack—C++, WebUI, and Lit. My progression from QA to design to development shows I can ramp up quickly on new technologies. I approach unfamiliar codebases methodically, drawing on my QA mindset to understand systems before modifying them.

I'm currently based in Oakland but would relocate to Los Angeles for this position. The opportunity to work on Chrome—a product I use daily and care about—is worth the move.

Thank you for considering my application. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience bridging design and engineering, particularly my focus on accessibility and quality, could contribute to Chrome Desktop.