Systems Thinking

I’m an intuitive thinker: the more I learn about a subject, the more clearly I can connect the downstream effects of a decision. The more knowledge I gain, the deeper my value is as a systems thinker. I have a proven record of identifying issues in product ideas and suggesting adjustments before design work starts. I look for cohesiveness, fit into existing infrastructure, and user needs to establish how a design will impact the broader platform.

User Research

I learned research techniques in my quantitative and qualitative data classes in college. Learning to set up a research plan, conduct an interview, and analyze the results. I’m very curious about the world, so it came naturally to me. I doubled down on these skills at my bootcamp at New York Code+Design Academy, which was very focused on user interviews and usability testing. Taking ideas from problem statements through testing high-fidelity prototypes repeatedly. I have continued to bring these skills into my roles and advocated for validating work with users as often as possible.

Visual & Interaction Design

My visual design journey started when I was 15 years old. Completing every Photoshop tutorial I could find online, and designed logos and assets for friends’ social media profiles (pre-Facebook). When Sketch was introduced, I continued my journey, taking classes online to design interfaces. And after making the transition into Product Design full time I have continued to hone my skills for the last 8 years.

Product Strategy

My background spans from Marketing to Project Management to Product Management to Product Design. In my time working, I have co-founded a start-up, and worked in small companies, mid-size companies, and large conglomorates. The experience spans marketing site builds, political apps, enterprise content management systems, public company data platforms, and analysis of private markets. My broad set of experience gives me a unique strategic view, and the ability to develop successful products from nothing but problem statements.

Coding

I have always had an interest in code. I have, on my own time, taken multiple online classes spanning from HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Node.js, Express.js, MongoDB, jQuery, Angular, and React. You can find some of my work on GitHub. While I wouldn’t hire myself as a developer, these skills have let me get a deep insight into how developers work and factor that into my design. In addition, I’m very comfortable getting technical and discussing tradeoffs when implementing designs.