My journey into UX all started with a Gameboy.

Even as a child, I knew there was something special about its design. The portability, the vibrant colors, the 8-bit Nintendo jingle that you heard when you turned it on–it all came together to become one of my fondest childhood memories.

All because its design spoke to me.

My journey began as I originally studied to become an animator. As a fan of cartoons and visual storytelling, it seemed to be my calling. But as I was learning to draw keyframes and create storyboards, I came to realize that what truly fascinated me was learning about my audience and crafting something that connected with them as strongly as my old Gameboy had done. My brief stint as a graphic design intern and my subsequent learning of visual marketing cemented it.

I wanted to build experiences.

And thus, my journey took me down the path of UX design. I enrolled into General Assembly and took part in their User Experience Design Immersive bootcamp. A rigorous ten weeks ensued in which my mind awakened to every principle of UX design–user research, brainstorming ideas, personas, wireframing, usability testing, prototyping, constant reiterating and solving problems.

And so a design thinker was born.

It was here where I mastered the art of visual storytelling. As my previous experience has afforded me the ability to visually communicate ideas, it has helped immensely in fine-tuning my unique design approach. By focusing on the stories of the users, I am able to formulate accessible design solutions that I can present to any audience, be it customers, the design team, or business stakeholders. If nothing else, my 20+ years as a designer has taught me that there’s always a story to tell.

I just provide the opportunity to share it.

In my free time, I can usually be found drawing in my sketchbook, trying out new restaurants, and eagerly awaiting the next superhero film by Marvel Studios.