Michael Allen Nesmith

Deaf Creative Director. Wearables reviewer. 10 years at Amazon’s Brand Innovation Lab. Built one of the first subtitle apps for Google Glass in 2013. Founder, Non-Breaking Space, LLC.

: I’m Deaf. That’s not a footnote in my work — it’s the starting point. In 2013 I built one of the first subtitle apps for Google Glass because I needed it. That edge-case solution shaped how wearables approach real-time text today. I spent the next decade as a Creative Director at Amazon’s Brand Innovation Lab, where I founded the company’s first in-house ASL interpreting agency. It’s still running. Now I run Non-Breaking Space, LLC, an independent practice focused on AR, smart wearables, and accessibility strategy. I make Proof Cases, a video review series that tests wearables from a Deaf user’s seat. Every episode asks the same question: does this product actually work for someone who can’t hear? I’ve given a TED talk on inclusive design. I’ve been covered by Forbes, Campaign US, and the Puget Sound Business Journal. I’m CPACC certified. I’m based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The through-line in everything I do: the best solutions start at the edges. Design for the person the product wasn’t built for, and you usually end up with something better for everyone.