John Hong
San Francisco, CA

I’m a product designer working at the intersection of hardware and software. Whether it’s a machine interface, mobile/web app, or a physical product, I design experiences that put people at the center of innovation.

My background spans physical and digital domains, enabling me to conceive and execute holistic solutions across mediums. I hold a BS in Product Design (HCI focus) and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford, where I specialized in physical product design and manufacturing.

Currently, I’m a Product Design Engineer at Sanas.AI, designing the future of interlingual communication.


About Me

Professional Work

Projects
· Physical Design & Manufacturing
· Digital UX Design (Web, Mobile, VR/AR)
· Jewelry Design
Quintessence

Jan — Mar 2024
10 weeks Building my own espresso machine had been a long-time goal ever since I got into specialty coffee, so I used the opportunity of an independent study to finally bring that vision to life.

The process was demanding. I dove deep into research on brewing 9-bar espresso, studied how commercial machines are built, and explored a range of design approaches. After several iterations and pivots, I settled on a direction that leveraged generative design in Fusion 360 to model a portafilter capable of withstanding the calculated forces of a 9-bar shot, with a safety factor of 2.5.

I designed the setup to fit seamlessly into a Dake arbor press, realizing I could repurpose the lab’s press to generate the necessary pressure. I printed the portafilter using SLA with Formlabs’ Tough2000 resin, machined the piston interface on a manual lathe for food safety, and repurposed an off-the-shelf polycarbonate brew chamber from Superkop. To complete the system, I FDM-printed custom PLA accessories—a dosing funnel, WDT tool, distributor, and tamper.


Early Prototyping

CAD & Simulation

Fabrication & Further Prototyping

Mid-Point Prototype

Final Product & Demo Video