ux architectI noticed my interest in design during my childhood when I kept building cityscapes between tree roots using sticks and stones or tree barks. At campgrounds I would mix in champagne bottle caps I'd pick up after adult campers and use them as a protest to clean up after themselves. They would typically represent umbrellas at the beach, protecting us from the Sun, using the irony of heatwaves being one of the first signs of global warming affecting our environment and health. From then on, design has become a significant way of living. I became interested in art history and its movements, as well as architecture.
Traveling has played an essential part in my journey and brought a lot of inspiration to my work. It allowed me to gain an appreciation for numerous cultures and work with diverse personas. A trip is only complete with spending quality time with locals and learning about their lives. Local people are crucial during the discovery phase of the design process and the foundation in driving the efforts to identify and solve the right problems in their ecosystem. I often prefer traveling solo and volunteering abroad because new experiences give me a bit of cognizance of people from different backgrounds. Design is about studying the world and ethnography is an important aspect of the design cycle for fluid, integrated experiences. Getting to know the lives outside of our own can be liberating.
I get excited about telling and listening to stories. Listening to stories lets me identify the uniqueness of each person and how I can make my designs intuitive by comprehending their psyche. A big part of being a UX designer is understanding that everyone has a story to tell and is worth hearing. Listening makes one ask the right questions that can lead to new opportunities and new ideas. I believe that humanity-centered design gained more recognition over the last few decades because designers and tech enthusiasts have become increasingly aware of the importance of user involvement throughout the product design process.
When I found the opportunity to combine design and psychology as a focus for my career, I immediately took it and never looked back. After completing my B.A. in Design with a Minor in Mass Media at UNC Charlotte I wanted to expand my technical skills. When I became more knowledgeable about how websites are built and gained experience in building them from scratch, I began paying more attention to cognitive science and psychology and took classes in both Business IT and Human-Computer Interaction at DePaul University to obtain my Master’s of Science degree. I have collaborated with developers, project managers, marketers, and clients for the past 10 years. I held roles ranging from front-end developer to web designer, visual designer, service designer, UX/UI designer, UX researcher, and UX strategist.
I like design because when it comes to making a positive impact on the world, connecting with others, and innovating, the possibilities are endless. I am drawn to using design to help give people a voice. Over the years I've developed an appreciation for the scientific approach to the design process that involves user research. A critical aspect of user research that makes it incredibly rewarding to me is that designers are humanity-focused. We don't just learn about systems that solve global issues; we look to the people on the ground, who drive their communities, and who know and live within their cultures. We study them and their habitat to change their lives for the better by democratizing design and giving them the power to become a necessary part of the problem-solving process within their communities. What makes designers unique is that they are people of action, empathy, creativity, and synthesis.
I am continuing to enjoy the notion of learning new things every day and the versatility of being a user advocate while holding diverse roles that constitute the world of user experience. I recently completed M.S. in Business Information Technology at Depaul University. I have also taken courses in Human-Computer Interaction to prepare me for new adventures in the realm of innovation. I chose to complete my capstone project within the Human-Computer Interaction program, building a prototype and UX process/execution plan for another cause I feel strongly about - a technical solution to help users live and track an environmentally friendly lifestyle. I learned a great deal about using design and technology to connect with users and change their world for the better. My solutions result from a combination of creative and analytical expertise, cognitive science, accessibility, usability evaluations, and the implementation of human-centric methodologies.
