Senior UX Writer at Gympass

Meet Jeff Shibasaki

I create soul-satisfying digital experiences that align user needs with business goals. I work closely with product designers to write clear, concise, and useful UI text and marketing copy that guides users at each step, so interfaces feel simple and compelling.
I’m a writer who can also research and design. In fact, the Interaction Design Foundation listed my UX portfolio as one of the most inspirational portfolios in 2023 and the UX Design Institute ranked it as one of the best in the world.
Adult ESL courses, Advertisements, Assessments, Blogs, Creative Nonfiction, Culture Books, Marketing Emails, Proposals, Presentations, Surveys, Short Fiction, Transactional Emails, Travel Stories, User Interface Text, User Personas, Website Copy
Adult ESL Courses, Digital Products, Marketing Emails, Pamphlets, Presentations, Social Ads, Websites
Lead by example. I have a high level of interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills since my career has been centered around working abroad or working remotely with colleagues who live abroad.
My performance feedback often includes adjectives like strategic, A-player, and role model. Peers also tell me that my outstanding organizational skills would make Marie Kondo proud.

“From concept to finished product, you’ll find a professionalism that fits the core of your product and the essence of your company.”

— Christopher D. (Client Review)

Immersed in User Experience

I graduated from Eastern Michigan University with an honors degree in literature and am a certified CELTA teacher from the University of Cambridge. I’ve also completed certification courses in digital accessibility, UX writing and UX design.

See Resume

International Background

Teaching English to the Urak Lawoi (sea gypsies) on Thailand’s Koh Lipe Island.

Honest and Empathetic

I’ve helped everyone from sea gypsies on a remote Thai island to government agencies and multinational businesses in Japan effectively communicate cross-culturally. Some of these organizations include the following:

Bank of Japan, Bosch, Deloitte, EY, Hino Motors, Hitachi Auto, Idemitsu, Koch Asia-Pacific, Konica Minolta, Marubeni, Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (Japan), Ministry of Defense (Japan), Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry (Japan), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan), Ministry of Interior (Thailand), Mizuho DLFT, Tiffany & Co., The Norin Chukin Bank, The Walt Disney Company (Japan), Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department

Cycling across Northern Thailand to Myanmar.

Flexible and Adaptable

I spent 12 years exploring Asia by ship, ferry, boat, canoe, train, subway, bus, car, motorbike, tuk-tuk, bicycle and on foot. No planes!

From crossing the DMZ into North Korea to cycling across Northern Thailand, South Korea and Japan –– my experiences have taught me that the world is the best classroom to understand how others live, work and think.

Illustrating how to communicate with gestures in my book, Japanese Gestures.

Creative and Collaborative

I’ve self-published 3 eBooks that address common cross-cultural misunderstandings and ambiguities by describing what to do or avoid in South Korea and Japan.

My first two eBooks, Korean Gestures and Japanese Gestures, helped visitors identify and use gestures in South Korea and Japan.

My third eBook, Japan 47, helped visitors get the facts, stats, tips and resources for traveling across Japan’s forty-seven prefectures.