I’m a UX designer with a background in government and customer relations.

My UX journey started back in 2021 when a friend of a friend mentioned a UX bootcamp they were in. I was immediately intrigued by the concept since I’ve been frustrated by digital products and have offered suggestions to sites and apps I frequent. The more I learned about UX the more I felt it spoke to not only my interests, but my innate and learned skills developed during my time as a bartender and disability claims examiner.

As a bartender I’ve learned how to de-escalate tense situations and redirect conversation to stay on task. I became adept at reading body language and facial expressions, which allowed me to navigate complaints and pinpoint misunderstandings. After I was promoted to shift lead, I would act in a supporting role, assessing people’s style of work, needs, strengths and weaknesses to keep the bar running smoothly. These skills have already proven invaluable during my user interviews and usability testing. 

Working as a disability claims examiner taught me about accessibility and how many different ways a task might be difficult for those with disabilities, in addition to an appreciation for complexities and nuances of different lived experiences. I’ve always been a bit of a stickler for clear communication, so I tend to ask probing and reworded questions to get to the root of problems when it becomes obvious not everyone is on the same page. 

Whenever I can, I push for solving the problem rather than just mitigating the symptoms. Which is why I’d like to continue to use my skills to make accessible, user-friendly experiences that alleviate anxiety surrounding important and necessary processes of being a human in the world today. 

I’m passionate about becoming a UX designer who makes digital experiences easily navigable by blending empathy, creativity, diligence, and clear communication to narrow in on pain points and eliminating them in the pursuit of efficient, approachable systems.