Work · Kasey Klimes

Our environments shape us.
We are the first species on earth with the power to shape our environment.
So, what do we want to become?

Kasey Klimes · Systems Designer · Brooklyn

Founder of Primitive

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Primitive

Decision infrastructure for coordinated intelligence

2025–Present

Rhizome R&D

My product strategy consultancy focused on team alignment and collective decision-making.

2021–2025 • Brooklyn, NY

Design Research for Complex Systems

My graduate course for product design students at Harbour Space in Barcelona.

2022–2024 • Barcelona, Spain

Whole Earth AI

Project-based learning tool exploring LLM user experiences and Montessori methods in software

2024

Sidewalk Labs

I consult with lots of product teams, but this was one of my favorite collaborations.

2022–2023 • New York, NY

Library of Economic Possibility

A knowledge-base for the evolution of economic thinking

2023

Google Maps Live View

Lead UX research for world-scale augmented reality

2017–2021 • San Francisco, CA

Audio AR

Experimental feature for Google

2019 • San Francisco, CA

People Data

A platform for the synthesis and visualization of public life data from over 70 cities

2013–2017 • Copenhagen, Denmark

Urban Design at UC Berkeley

I earned my Master's degree in City Planning at UC Berkeley's College of Environmental Design, with an emphasis on urban design.

2014–2016 • Berkeley, CA

A Quantitative History of Human Scale Neighborhoods in America

Interactive visualization accompanying my UC Berkeley masters thesis

2016 • UC Berkeley

South Berkeley Specific Plan

A proposal for transforming excess vehicular space into human-scaled development

2015 • UC Berkeley

Con Datos

Talk at Latin American Open Data Conference

August 1, 2014 • Mexico City

I-980: Freeway to Neighborhood

Graduate urban design project proposing removal of an underutilized freeway

2014 • Oakland, CA

East Midtown Public Realm Vision Plan

Public space improvement strategy for pedestrian experience amid increased urban density

2014 • New York City

Goodbye Neighbor

A Historical Portrait of Sprawl in 51 US Cities

2014

Older, Smaller, Better

Report chapter examining how building scale influences urban vitality

2014 • San Francisco, CA

Washington University Mobility Study

GPS tracing survey and mobility research for campus infrastructure planning

2014 • St. Louis, MO

Moscow: Towards a Great City for People

Public Space/Public Life Report

2012–2013 • Moscow, Russia

This Land

A platform for interfacing with vacancy.

2012 • St. Louis, MO

Our environments shape us.We are the first species on earth with the power to shape our environment.So, what do we want to become?