I run Sonnenberg Design, a boutique agency specializing in AI automation, web design, and custom application development. My work sits at the intersection of design thinking and technical execution. I build things that look sharp and actually work.
Today, most of my time goes into designing intelligent workflows with n8n and AI, building custom web applications, and helping businesses automate the processes that slow them down. I hold a Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW) certificate and an Associate Degree in General Art.
Music, Cameras, and the Road to Tech
Before I was building websites, I was playing bass in a band on Atlantic Records.
Growing up in Southern California, Sky Valley to Orange County in the ’70s and ’80s, I fell in with musicians early. At Woodbridge High School, I formed friendships that shaped the next decade of my life. In the 1990s, I played bass in Smile (Atlantic/Headhunter Records), a grunge and psychedelic rock band that landed radio play on KROQ and 91X and toured with Everclear, Silverchair, and Deftones. Our track “Staring at the Sun” from Maquee and “Instant Brain Damage” from Girl Crushes Boy (produced by Mark Trombino of Blink-182 and Jimmy Eat World fame) still hold up.
Before Smile, there was Headfirst, a metal-edge hardcore band that toured the U.S. and pressed a handful of vinyl records. I also played with my family in Daughter Eve and later The Hollybells in the 2010s. These days, I produce solo music under the project name: ToyTrax – DIY experimental song creations.
The music world led me to video production. I was the cameraman behind events and DVD releases in the Southern California rave and electronic music scene, including projects tied to DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist. That camera work turned into editing, editing turned into web design, and web design turned into a 25-year career building digital things for a living.
The throughline from bass guitar to n8n workflows is shorter than you’d think: I’ve always been wired to build systems, whether that’s a song arrangement, a video edit, or an automation pipeline.
Let’s connect
Got a project in mind, or just want to talk shop? Email me at Sonnenberg Design to say “howdy” or to work with me.