About Me

 

Hi, my name is Evan Kenji Sasaki, but everyone calls me Kenji. I’m a Japanese-American writer and designer originally from the SF Bay Area. I now live in New York City.

I’ve worked in the tech industry for more than a decade. In my free time, I enjoy writing comedy screenplays. I’ve made the semifinals of the Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship three times, and once interviewed to write for a major late night TV show.

My other hobbies include making music, taking photos, and sewing.

 

Kenji Sasaki

AWARDS        

Semifinalist, Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship; Los Angeles, California – 2019
Screenwriting competition held by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
• Semifinalists represent the top 2 percent of 6,915 submissions

Semifinalist, Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship; Los Angeles, California – 2018

Second Round, Austin Film Festival Screenwriting Competition; Austin, Texas – 2018

Semifinalist, Universal Writing Program; Los Angeles, California – 2018

Finalist, NBC Late Night Writers Workshop; New York, New York – 2018

Semifinalist, Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship; Los Angeles, California – 2016

Finalist, NBC Late Night Writers Workshop; New York, New York – 2016

EXPERIENCE

Meta • Sr. Content Designer (UX Writer) • 2020-Present
Facebook • Stories Growth • Aug 2021-Present
• Architected global content and design standards for story midcards, scaling it from a new, unproven feature to driving ~1 in 10 stories shared on Facebook. Adopting these standards led to 17.4% more clicks while significantly reducing design time org-wide. Approvals that took weeks now take days.
• Led content design for advanced midcards, an org-priority sharing suggestion feature. Pivoted the product from potential cancellation to reaching 188% of its metrics goal.
• Created an AI-powered emoji search tool, based on the company’s first complete emoji glossary, which I also created. Automated content compliance and increased design efficiency for the broader team.
• Developed foundational AI prompts for generating suggested media captions. Managed the feature from engineering to public testing with zero reports of offensive output. Prompt is now in use in multiple products.
• Accelerated org-wide AI adoption by publishing resources that translated technical instructions into easy-to-follow guidance. Demonstrated how to fix bugs in code by yourself using VS Code and Claude.
• Mentored 8+ content designers and cross-functional (XFN) partners, guiding multiple contractors through successful FTE conversions and onboarding.

Oculus VR • Horizon Worlds • May 2020 - Aug 2021
• Owned content design execution for the entire app in the months leading up to its launch to 300k users.
• Created the app’s first notification, settings, and achievement system content standards. ·      
• Used storytelling to boost the tutorial completion rate to 98%.

Malwarebytes • Senior Copywriter / UX Writer • 2018 to 2020
• Directed content strategy on their first iOS app, which maintained a 4.6/5 on the App Store. ·      
• Led content design for complete redesigns of the company’s flagship Windows and Android security products. 
• Wrote copy for an email campaign that improved product engagement by 24% in one quarter.

Freelance Copywriter / UX Writer, Mountain View, CA • 2011-2018
Worked with companies to improve conversions, signup flows, and engagement
• Propeller Health: Improved main landing page conversions by 25.2% 
• Propeller Health: Used UX copy improvements to bring 96.0% more visitors to the signup page
• Kurbo Health: Rewrote in-app notifications to appeal to a new audience

Content Strategist / Copyeditor, iCharts; Mountain View, CA • 2016-2017
Worked with Marketing VP to develop and publish marketing content
• Ghostwrote thought leadership articles for the executive team, including the CEO
• Created content for print media, web publications, and co-branded partner promotions

Copywriter, Tegile (Acquired by Western Digital); Newark, CA • 2015-2016
Created copy for email campaigns, product literature, and UX
• Wrote a sales letter that has been used to secure $750K deals
• Contributed to a 51% increase in site traffic vs. the previous year

Writer / Editor, TIBCO Software; Palo Alto, CA • 2012-2015
Wrote, edited, and managed content as part of the creative services department
• Generated a 20% increase in conference attendance as part of a rebrand
• Managed web, print, and email marketing projects from writing to publication

Copywriter, CBS Interactive; San Francisco, CA • 2011-2012
Wrote ~2,500 words of copy per day for email marketing campaigns
• Collaborated with journalists, editors, and sales on a weekly newsletter

Development Intern, Dimension Films; Los Angeles, CA • 2009
Reviewed multiple scripts per day, identified winning projects

Development Intern, The Mark Gordon Company; Santa Monica, CA • 2008
Provided script coverage for television, film, and new media

EDUCATION        

UCLA; Los Angeles, California – B.A. in English, 2009

UCSC Extension; Santa Clara, California – Classes in Marketing, 2010

De Anza College; Cupertino, California – Classes in Filmmaking and Editing, 2010

SKILLS            

Writing•  Editing•  Design•  Screenwriting •  Music•  Comedy   •  Video Production
Photoshop•  Illustrator•  Word•  Excel•  Powerpoint•  Logic Pro X•  Final Cut