Life & Work with Dylan Kerr of Mesa, AZ

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dylan Kerr.

Hi Dylan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Mesa, Arizona, and I was always that kid who was constantly drawing and making things. When I graduated high school, I stumbled upon Industrial Design and it just clicked- I knew that’s what I wanted to study. So I headed to Arizona State University and fell in love with the whole process of designing products.

The thing about Industrial Design is that it touches everything- sketching, prototyping, user research, manufacturing. It requires so many different skills that the more I learned, the more career paths opened up in front of me. I’ve always been someone who follows my curiosity, and I’m really lucky that my family and friends have always encouraged me to chase whatever I’m passionate about.

Then COVID hit while I was in grad school, and honestly, it changed everything. Some friends introduced me to virtual reality development, and I went down this whole technical rabbit hole- coding, game development, VR-specific UX design. The timing was kind of perfect, actually. The entire world was suddenly forced online, and here I was learning how to build these immersive 3D spaces where people could connect.

After finishing school, I scored a brief internship with Marshall Space Flight Center working on VR interactions, which was incredible. Then I spent the last three years at BSI Group, where I helped build out their Innovation department and figure out how emerging tech could help companies be safer and more trustworthy.

And then… middle of December 2024, right before the holidays, I got blindsided with a layoff. No warning, nothing. It’s been happening everywhere- companies reorganizing, pouring everything into AI, cutting costs. It was honestly devastating and completely disorienting at first.

But losing my job also gave me this unexpected gift of time to really think about what I wanted next. Throughout 2025, I applied to hundreds of jobs, but I also used that time to grow. I earned certifications through Google’s UX Design course and IBM’s Data Science program. I finally completed some personal projects that had been procrastinated. I redesigned my portfolio- probably too many times, if I’m being honest.

I picked up freelance work and ended up helping over five startups with branding and interface design just to keep things going financially. And in the middle of all that uncertainty, I leaned into something I’ve always loved- making handmade pasta. I set this goal for myself to design my own unique pasta shape, which sounds kind of random but it was this creative outlet that kept me grounded.

Which brings us to now. I landed a new job, which is amazing, but I also started something I never expected- my own artisan pasta company called Ossi Pasta. I design and create these one-of-a-kind pasta shapes and sell them at farmers markets. It’s been this wild journey from getting laid off to finding myself in a place where I’m doing work I love and running a creative business on the side. Sometimes the most unexpected turns end up taking you exactly where you need to be.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Has it been a smooth road? Honestly, sometimes yes, sometimes no. But calling it a “road” even feels wrong- we’re not even on solid ground here! It’s more like the ocean. Constant waves, ups and downs. Sometimes the water gets calm and still, and you start to feel a little too comfortable… which usually means there’s a storm brewing somewhere on the horizon. You just have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

I’ve always chosen to pursue things that I genuinely feel made for, things I actually enjoy. I hardly ever let an opportunity pass me by when it shows up. But being so design-focused in my career has given me both incredible highs and some real lows. On a slow day, I catch myself wondering if I should’ve picked something with more direct, visible impact- like working in medicine, or becoming an engineer, or even a therapist.

Design can be slow. It requires so much patience, empathy, and attention to detail- all to contribute to an experience that someone has that you’ll most likely never see and certainly won’t feel firsthand. But honestly? I think that’s the exciting part that keeps me hooked. We all walk through life asking ourselves, “Why is it this way? Shouldn’t it be that way instead?” That’s exactly the kind of question I’m trying to answer. That curiosity, that constant drive to make things better, even in small invisible ways- that’s what keeps me going, even when the water gets choppy.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I typically describe myself as a Creative Technologist and Product Designer. There are so many evolving terms out there for people who create and design products- both physical and digital- but at the end of the day, I just consider myself a Designer.

My skillset is pretty broad, but I specialize in user experience (UX) design. That means creating virtual environments for games, building intuitive interfaces for apps and websites, and taking really complex information and turning it into stories that people can actually understand and connect with.

Funny enough, the thing people ask me to help with the most? Logos. I’ve created logos and brands for countless businesses- big and small- and even just for friends. Fitness studios, tech startups, local election campaigns, research labs… you name it. People understand what I do to varying degrees (and honestly, I don’t blame them- there’s a lot going on at once), but creating nice-looking graphics seems to be what sticks in their minds the most.

Here’s the thing though- the work I’m most proud of changes all the time. It’s usually whatever I’m currently excited about, and right now, that’s absolutely my pasta business.

Back in 2016, I decided to try making homemade pasta with my mom, just as a fun thing to do together. We both said it felt like the adult version of playing with Play-Doh- something she used to make for me when I was a kid. Over time, it became the homemade dish I’m genuinely proud of. I’ve been making pasta for nearly 10 years now. It’s always been this special thing I’d cook for occasions or make with people I care about.

I follow a lot of designers on social media who take part in this community challenge called “Render Weekly.” Last year, one of their prompts was to design a new pasta shape. I had already decided I wanted to make pasta more in 2025 as an “off-screen” activity, but this challenge completely opened my eyes to the possibility of actually creating my own unique shape in real life.

Throughout this year, I’ve made dozens of pasta dishes- always trying different traditional shapes and learning about their historical significance. Each shape has its own story, its own region it comes from- not to mention a certain resourcefulness associated with its form. Using everything I learned from making all those classic shapes, I came up with my very first original noodle design. I spent months conceptualizing it, getting the dough just right, creating a custom tool to cut it out, and developing all the branding and packaging.

Which brings us to today- I officially opened Ossi Pasta as my small, experimental pasta company! I’ve been dreaming about using this as an outlet to connect with my community here in Arizona, and maybe even branching into designing kitchen products down the line. It’s this perfect blend of everything I love- design, craft, food, and people. And honestly? That’s what sets me apart. I don’t just design on a screen. I bring ideas to life in whatever medium makes sense, whether that’s pixels or pasta.

How do you think about happiness?
Music makes me happy. I love discovering new songs and diving into the stories behind them- who produced it, who played on the track, how it all came together. There’s always something special about the process behind it.

Comedy makes me happy too. I think it helps me feel grounded, especially in a world where everyone’s so divisive and indignant online. Comedy is this admirable art form that opens the door to conversations we’d otherwise never have. It disarms people. It makes hard things easier to talk about.

Creatively, what really makes me happy is seeing progress on a project- big or small. When you get to scratch something off your list, stand back, and just look at what you’ve made? That’s the best feeling. But I equally love those moments when I’m coming up with fresh ideas and getting completely lost in the process of working on something that genuinely excites me. That flow state where time disappears and you’re just creating- that’s where I’m happiest.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dylanjkerr.com
• Instagram: @ossipasta (pasta) @_dylan_kerr_ (personal) @dylanjkerrdesign (design)
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-j-kerr/