Ceramics + UX
My path has always moved between craft, design, and service. I studied ceramics and studio art at UNM, earning my BFA, and later completed my Master’s in Information & Communication Technology at the University of Denver with a focus on UX. At the same time, I’ve worked in restaurants for over twenty years, learning how to read people, anticipate needs, and create experiences that feel thoughtful and intuitive. Those lessons move through everything I make, on the wheel, on the web, and anywhere my work lands in between.
- Michael Lahargoue
Mixed Media Artist & Studio Potter
UX Design & Web Development
Sommelier & Hospitality Professional
About me
Art, and especially ceramics, which has always been my favorite medium, taught me patience, discipline, and the value of material honesty. UX taught me structure and intentional decision-making. Hospitality taught me empathy by showing me how to create environments where people feel seen, welcomed, and taken care of. Together, these three worlds form the backbone of my creative practice. I’ve spent most of my life moving between creative work and service work, and I don’t see them as separate worlds. Both require attention, intuition, and care.
I grew up in New Mexico, surrounded by makers, cooks, and people who valued stories, and that sense of culture still runs through the work I make today. I’m based in Denver now, balancing ceramics, digital design, and a long career in hospitality.
Contact ME
Interested in working together? Fill out some info, and I might get back to you. I probably will, maybe not. Seems like a crazy risk. Try it, see what happens. It is all a simulation anyway.
I mean what happens if you press the secret button
yeah…. that button, the one that says “Secret Button”. Don’t press it.