Interaction designer finishing an M.Des at ArtCenter.
I got here by way of international business, four years of project coordination at an architecture and engineering firm, and a stubborn interest in why people do what they do.
I studied international business and cultures at Tennessee Tech, with minors in Spanish and religious studies. I've always been fascinated by how people see the world differently, and how the systems around us either support them or let them down.
After graduating, I spent four years as a project coordinator at an architecture and engineering firm, where I watched design decisions ripple through real projects and real people's lives. Somewhere along the way I realized I wanted to be the one designing the systems, not just carrying them out.
Now I'm finishing my M.Des in Interaction Design at ArtCenter. I think in systems, I care about the details, and I'm looking for my first in-house role as a product designer.
Before I design a screen I want to know what the business needs, what the user is actually doing at that moment, and what happens downstream when they get it wrong. Strategy and craft aren't separate jobs to me. The system is the material.
Four years translating between architects, engineers, and clients taught me that most projects don't fail on the work, they fail on the handoff. I can talk to anyone in the room, and I like being the one who gets the group to agree on what we're actually solving.
A good idea in a sloppy artifact is just an opinion. I sweat the type, the copy, the empty state, and the second click, because that's the level where people decide whether to trust the thing.
I'm AI native. I learned to design before these tools were any good, and I've spent graduate school watching them develop exponentially. Having done it both ways, I know when to trust myself and when the model is wrong. I don't fear it and I don't hand it the wheel. I love how quickly I can get an idea in front of someone now, and the decisions are still mine to make and to answer for.
These tools are very fast at producing and not fast at all at knowing why. If I haven't done the work to understand the problem and the person on the other end of it, all the speed does is get me to the wrong answer sooner.
I reach for it when it's the right instrument for the thing in front of me, not because it happens to be on the desk. Using it for its own sake gets you volume. Using it because it's the right move gets you a better answer sooner, and knowing which one you're doing is most of the skill.
Disclosure matters to me. If a model helped me get somewhere, I'll tell you where, and I can walk you through what was mine and what wasn't. That isn't a confession. It's how the work stays legible to the people who have to trust it, and the norms for saying it out loud are still being written.
Type, copy, spacing, the empty state, the second click. That's the layer where someone decides whether to trust a thing, and it's the layer I want my own hands on. I'll take help getting to a draft. I won't take it on the finish.
I'm someone who loves adventure and play in equal measure. I surf (poorly but enthusiastically), climb, run, and I'm currently deep in a tennis obsession. I'm always ready to pick up whatever hobby catches my eye next.
When I'm not designing, you'll probably find me with a matcha in hand and a book I can't put down. If you have a recommendation, seriously, send it my way.
I believe the best work comes from people who love the little things in life. I'm always down for a new challenge, a new city, a new conversation. Let's go.
Client work across web and mobile, from research through prototyping and usability testing.
M.Des in Interaction Design. Systems design, service design, futures thinking, design research.
Schedules, document control, and keeping architects and engineers in sync. Four years watching design decisions turn into buildings, budgets, and people's Tuesdays.
Client portfolios, contracts, and document review. The detour, and the first time I saw how much of a business runs on process.
B.S. International Business and Cultures. Minors in Spanish and religious studies.
I'm looking for my first in-house product design role somewhere that cares about doing good work. If that sounds like your team, I'd love to chat.
[email protected]