About Me

Hi, I'm Ian Cleary, an RF Engineer, designer and manufacturer based in Phoenix. For the past twelve years, I've been immersed in the world of radio frequency (RF) communications, focusing on building products that are not just functional, but cost effective and manufacturable. My path started at the University of Michigan, where I earned a degree in Electrical Engineering. It was there I discovered my interest in space at the Michigan Exploratory Lab (MXL) while doing an indendent study on a 1U cubesat. Since then, I've honed my skills, strengthened my principles, and continued to drive forward.

My Design Philosophy

My design philosophy is rooted in empathy and problem-solving. I believe great design starts with understanding the 'why' – what came before you that lead to current design, what were the motivations for creating it, and what were the pain points that were meant to be solved. I use research, iterative prototyping (often with testing in the lab), to ensure the solutions I build are truly effective. I strive to make decisions using my principles, and to be accurate before being right or wrong. my focus is always on learning quickly and driving to push the design forward.

What Drives Me

What keeps me excited about this work is the constant learning and the challenge of translating complex ideas into simple, elegant solutions. There's nothing more rewarding than seeing a design come to life during initial bring up and knowing all the work that went in the success or failure of that moment. Taking those results and continuing on truly is enjoyable and makes me continue to love problem solving in this field.

Beyond the Screen

When I'm not designing or coding, you might find me exploring Phoenix's restaurants, hiking nearby trails, or occasionally contributing to open-source projects. Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to browse my projects or get in touch if you'd like to collaborate!