About Me
Hello!
I have been a User Experience designer for 2.5 years, but that is not where I expected life to take me. It took me 12 years to realize this was my passion.
I have worn many hats throughout the years. I started my professional life in the health care industry (BS from Michigan State in Health Studies and BS in Psychology). I pivoted industries into Business IT at Oakland University with a BS in Management Information Systems. While I didn’t realize what UX was until recently, it was what I've always wanted to do: Helping improve the experiences people have with various technologies. My background in both business and psychology have helped me immensely.
I joined Ford Motor Company in 2016 because of the culture, passion for innovation, and the way they take care of the employees and customers. Ford provides the opportunities of a mega-company, but still feels like a close-knit family.
Outside of work, I'm a health and fitness fanatic and even do health coaching on the side (because I don't have enough going on in my life). I love boating, traveling, and I have an obsession with musical theater. I'm the biggest "Friends" fan you'll find and my guilty pleasure is date night watching The Bachelor/Bachelorette with my husband.
I graduate with my Master’s in User Experience Design from Kent State University in May 2021.
I’m a Michigan native; a wife; and a proud mom of a beautiful 3.5 year-old little girl!
Thanks for stopping by!
My Process
LUMEN Model
All projects while completing my Master’s have adhered to this model. This process is very similar to the traditional design thinking methodology. When presented with a project:
I first focus on gathering data and information about the users, clients, organizational culture, common tasks, and work environments.
Next I seek to understand the context in which the project will be undertaken in order to frame the problem and provide the most meaningful experience for the specific target audience.
I combine this informatiton with the specific buusiness requirements to create a design solution. I tend to first start with wireframes/low fidelity ue designs to ensure that my understanding of the requirements are accurate and the design will accomplish to goals of the user. Preliminary testing is done at this stage if time and resources permit.
Frequent evaluation of the designs as I move to higher fidelity mock-ups is crucial.
The most important part of this model is consistent communication with the product owner/manager.
“Usability plays a much wider role in our lives than most people realize. It’s not just about using a website, a piece of software, or the latest technology. Usability is about setting up a tent, relighting a furnace to heat a home, trying to figure out a tax form, or driving an unfamiliar rental car.”