Here's how I became a user-obsessed designer:
I learned about human experiences
Even before finally beginning my design career over a decade ago, I was steeped in the world of customer experiences.
As an optical sales associate during college and an Enterprise Rent-A-Car management trainee right after college (I had to get scrappy to pay the bills), I watched, listened, and empathized with customers every day.
Whether it was a pair of bifocal glasses that was giving a grandparent severe nausea or a busy sales rep who needed the right size rental car to get to business meetings while their vehicle was in the shop; I excelled in listening, observing, and then acting to create a solution to the problem.
I began to focus on user-centered design
User experience seemed a natural focus once my design career was underway. I became obsessed with how my designs might affect the people using them.
Throughout the last decade, I have studied, learned, grown, tried, failed, tried again, and finally succeeded, many times as I have become a holistic, human-focused experience designer.
My Education
Undergraduate
With an undergraduate degree in Graphic Design from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, I have a strong base in design.
Graduate Course Work
I later spent three years doing master's level coursework in counseling psychology through Colorado Christian University. That education has not only honed my communication and listening skills — the study of human minds has also strengthened my ability to lead teams to find unique solutions to user needs.
Key Tools and Skills
Adobe Creative Suite
Sketch
Zeplin
Figma
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Excellent verbal and written communication skills
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Collaboration
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Mentorship
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Community Building
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User Advocacy
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ERG Leadership and Facilitation
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Product Design
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User Interface Design
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User Research
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Prototyping
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Product Strategy
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Design Thinking
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Workshop Facilitation
Thank you to the following photographers for sharing their amazing work on Unslpash:
Sahand Hoseini, Daniel Frank, Susan Wilkinson, XPS