About Me
I’m Ben. I work in privacy, I build things, and I have a fairly elastic definition of what counts as an interesting project.
Outside of work
Music and video games have been two of my longer-running interests. My ear candy runs from ABBA (obsessed) to Arch Enemy, All Time Low to First Aid Kit, with My Chemical Romance and Iron & Wine making frequent appearances. Genre consistency is definitely not my strongest quality. With games, I’ve spent time across PC gaming and retro handhelds. I particularly love survival horror games; chaos is where I thrive.
Other interests have taken me through guitar (acoustic, electric, and… banjo!), woodworking, houseplants, and motorcycling. Some have stayed with me; others have had their turn. There’s usually something else I’d like to learn, try, or understand a little better. That curiosity is the thread I’d draw through this site. P.S. I have a vending Bending Machine that doubles as a portfolio. A conventional resume would certainly have involved fewer moving parts.
My work
Professionally, privacy is my focus. I’m interested in how an idea becomes something someone can actually use: a tool to complete a task, a guide to work through a decision, or an explanation that makes a difficult subject easier to follow. The work here lets you explore those attempts and the choices behind them.
I also want to leave room for projects whose appeal is simply that I wanted to try making them. Together, they give you a fuller picture of what catches my attention and what I do with it.
If something here catches your attention, or if you just want to argue, I’d be glad to hear from you. Say hello@ben-tan.com.