As I grow my craft in both visual and interactive design, my knowledge and passion for connecting with people provides the foundation for designing delightful experiences!

When not studying and creating for Bootcamp, I’m enjoying my family and the beautiful trees & trails of the Pacific Northwest.

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TRADITION KEEPER
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SISTER & FRIEND
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ETERNAL OPTIMIST
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USER RESEARCH

Curiosity is my guide as I seek to empathize with the user. Proto-personas, interviews, affinity diagrams and an empathy map are a few of the tools that provide structure and insight. Approaching a project with an open mind allows me to learn how to design with the most impact.

QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS

People can tell if you genuinely care and listen to what they’re sharing. If they feel they safe, they will share more deeply. As a people person, this is a fulfilling part of the process for me.

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USER EMPATHY

Truly understanding the user is the key to creating a design that will delight. When interviewing a foster parent for our nonprofit redesign, I learned that having a support system and mentor will make or break you. Because of that insight, we designed “Support” front and center on the homepage.

FAVORITE TOOLS

  • Figma - This is my primary design tool. I know how to use overlays and plugins. The plugin I use the most is Contrast to check for accessibility. Creating lo, mid and high fidelity prototypes and testing them in Figma is an effective way to get user feedback.
  • Miro - Brainstorming at the beginning of a project in Miro is fun and easy! It’s also my favorite tool to use to create an Affinity Diagram, Empathy Map and Feature Priorization Matrix.
  • Trello - Tracking a project is simple with Trello. It’s intuitive to use with the drag-and-drop Kaban-style task management. I can quickly check the status of each task and know what to prioritize to stay on schedule.
  • Visual Studio Code - Coding is not about computers, it’s about helping people by solving problems. To be able to imagine something, start working on it, and see it take form very quickly, feels like a modern superpower!
  • GitHub - Seamless collaboration is easy with Github. I especially like the version control system to see who made changes and when they made them.
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READING

Curiosity and learning go hand-in-hand which is probably why I’m always reading a book. My favorite genres include historical fiction, psychology and UX/UI of course!

GARDENING

Several years ago we bought a field, built a house, and planted a garden from scratch. A patch of dirt is a wonderful canvas. It was so rewarding to design the layout and color scheme, dig in and plant, get dirty and weed, watch things grow and bloom, make adjustments, create beauty and share our harvest with family and friends.

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OUTDOORS

Spending time outside is good for my soul! Hiking, camping, biking, traveling, and running my first 5K this past summer are all ways I enjoy staying healthy inside and out.

GIVING BACK

Art was always my favorite subject; so it’s a lot of fun to be an Art Discovery volunteer at the local elementary school. Kids have so much creative talent when given the opportunity to express it!

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