About

Hello, I'm Ashley Kang! I use design, code, and research to explore questions about how to make the secure thing easier to do.

I have experience as a security engineer, consultant, and researcher practicing web development, UI/UX design, product security, application security, malware analysis, cyber threat intelligence, and web and mobile application penetration testing. In 2022, I received my M.S. in Computer Science. A fun fact is that I designed my own undergraduate degree!

These days, I'm:

• Working as a security engineer on a platform security team

If you're interested in cybersecurity but aren't sure where to start, here's a blog post I wrote! The point is that there is no single path into cybersecurity, which makes the hacker community so special.

Elsewhere:

• Mailbox
• LinkedIn

Credits: Designed and developed by yours truly, layout help from SuperHi, typeset with Fugaz One and Work Sans from Google Fonts, compressed with Squoosh and Optimizilla

p5.js Showcase

Purpose: How might we showcase a p5.js project to increase access to the open source JavaScript library and inspire others to contribute to the Processing community in many different ways?

Solution: p5js.org/showcase — A Google Summer of Code 2019 project to create a new 6-part section on the p5.js documentation website that showcases creative and inclusive uses of p5.js and encourages project nominations; officially released in February 2020 with p5.js version 1.0 and expanded in summer 2020

Contribution:

• Researched community showcase examples and 60+ creators working with p5.js, organized research into types of p5.js contributions, and established a form-based process for creators to nominate a project of their own or by others
• Designed wireframes, created a prototype, and implemented using HTML, CSS, and templating and internationalization with Node.js, Grunt, Handlebars, YAML, and Assemble
• Curated 6 projects and interviewed their creators about their process of using p5.js to explore art and design concepts and mediums, p5.js libraries and other technologies, or ways of learning and teaching
• Advocated for an accessibility review leading to a site-wide audit by accessibility specialists Sina Bahram and Claire Kearney-Volpe and refactored code with mentor Kate Hollenbach and p5.js creator Lauren McCarthy
• Featured in Processing's p5.js version 1.0 release, blog, contributor documentation, p5.js 1.0 Contributors Zine, p5.js 1.0 Release Party, and 20th Anniversary Community Catalog

Image: An early iteration of the p5.js Showcase homepage, featuring the headline "Showcase" and an introduction to the project

CLEAN Carwash LA

Purpose: How might we update the CLEAN Carwash LA website to better present who they are as an organization today and support their fundraising efforts?

Solution: cleancarwash.org — A complete website redesign for CLEAN Carwash LA (Color Coded’s first community partner) to strengthen reach to 20+ car washes across LA, 5 foundation funders, and community donors

Contribution:

• Co-led with Color Coded's internal team a kick-off workshop to ideate the website redesign with CLEAN's staff and subsequent sessions to develop the website style guide, content strategy, and documentation
• Led the redesign of the 3-part About Us section and implemented using HTML, CSS, and CMS (Squarespace)
• Co-facilitated a website maintenance training to support CLEAN's strategy around their main fundraising event

Image: An early prototype of the new CLEAN Carwash website's "About" section using a CMS (WordPress), featuring a header image of CLEAN's community, their mission statement, and information about how to support their mission

Locales

Purpose: How might we connect conscious consumers in Los Angeles with small local businesses (like freelancers and co-ops) that don’t necessarily have an online presence?

Solution: locales.la — A digital platform that highlights small businesses and encourages locals to recommend a business to be featured (Color Coded's first internal project); launched in November 2016 and revisiting in summer 2020

Contribution:

• Advocated for accessibility, internationalization, style guide, and intentional form design in the internal team's process
• Began implementing a bilingual (English/Spanish) "Recommend a Business" form in React

Image: Whiteboard wireframes of the form to "Recommend a Business" for Locales, featuring desktop and mobile views

Etc.

Currently:

• Learning to stay present

Someday:

• Inbox zero