Music.

Music has always been an important part of my life. It started with playing the viola as a child, then later shifted to producing sample-based music.

Most recently, I was tasked with producing a track that was featured in Showtime’s ‘Work In Progress’. I’ll always have a love and passion for music, & will always produce music in some capacity.

Please check out a couple tracks I made in my spare time!

FAQs

What does design mean to you?

Design isn't just about making things look pretty; it's like a secret agent for change, swooping in to solve real-life problems with a purpose. It's this awesome blend of putting yourself in someone else's shoes and letting your imagination run wild to come up with solutions that really hit the mark.

I truly believe that good design has this sneaky superpower of quietly making life better for people, even when they don't realize it. It's all about tweaking and refining, making things smoother and more enjoyable for everyone involved.

Being all in on design, both in my personal projects and my day job, has really honed my skills. The future of design is like this thrilling adventure that keeps me on my toes, always looking for new ways to push the envelope and grow as a designer.

What’s an interesting project you’ve worked on?

I had the pleasure of working with a team of educators to create a website that enables them to provide resources to their colleagues, in order to teach young people how to read.

The project became somewhat of a passion project because I learned so much about students’ reading needs, realizing how much of a positive impact this project could have on both student and teacher needs, and I have educators in my family, so I feel like I knew how to handle their expectations.

Are there any design books that excite you?

Absolutely! A few books that have helped me understand user experience design are:

The Creative Act: A Way of Being - A great read by Rick Rubin, about the creative process. This is an awesome book for connecting with the creative side in all of us. It’s basically an existential inquiry into the nature of art and being part of the human race.

Design That Scales - Creating A Sustainable Design System Practice - A book by Dan Mall, for anyone looking to establish a design system within their organization or workflow. His approach is pragmatic, and this book eases us into the process without being overwhelming.

Lean UX: Designing Great Products with Agile Teams - This was one of my first reads when I entered the field of user experience. This book is a great read, preparing students and professionals by thoroughly explaining what it takes to excel at UX Design, as well as giving you the tools and confidence to start practicing right away.

100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People - This book is great because it combines design and psychology, taking a deep-dive to help designers understand what makes people tick.

The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide - I grabbed this title after I found out I would be the sole UX designer within the creative team, in my last role. This read provides approaches that take less time but have immense impact. Basically, you receive a lot of tools and insight for doing more with less.

What is your design process?

There are many design methodologies out there, but sometimes we can't stick to just one, like the waterfall method, all the way through. So, when I'm tackling a project, I've got this three-step process that acts as a flexible guide, no matter which methodology I'm using.

First up, I dive into understanding what the stakeholders want and what the problem really is. Then, I get into brainstorming mode, coming up with all sorts of ideas that could fix the issue. And lastly, I'm there to support the development team, making sure everything runs smoothly and the project gets delivered on schedule.

What tools do you use?

Figma is my primary tool for wireframing, prototyping, and visual design. It allows for rapid iteration, and in one place I’m able to create uniform wireframes, templated design guidelines, vector graphics and animations. It’s extremely intuitive, the controls are simple to remember, and everyone else is integrating with it. Within Figma, I use Figjam for brainstorming sessions, and it’s usually my go-to for working on information architecture ideas.

However, before I jump into a digital space, I enjoy jotting ideas down in a notebook, whether it's sketching out rough wireframes or flashes of inspiration, the simplicity of pen and paper tool allows ideas to flow freely without the constraints of pixels and interfaces.

The Adobe Creative Suite is still part of my workflow on occasion, especially if I’m working on a personal project - think digital collage, hi-fidelity photo editing, poster creation, or any other print project.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I enjoy taking road trips without a specific destination in mind, spending time with my cats and dog, and I’m a big fan of true crimes podcasts and documentaries. During my teen years, I raced mountain bikes, but now I can be found jamming through the streets on my fixed gear - think: cardio and chaos.

Photography and music has always been important to me, so I like to have a point and shoot camera on me at all times, and when at home, I love making sample-based music.

Also, I don’t profess to be an amazing cook by any means, but within the past couple of years I’ve found myself becoming more and more comfortable in a kitchen, either seasoning protein or trying an awesome recipe. Oh and yea, I do have somewhat of an addiction to a few cooking shows!