I’ve been a world traveler since I was six.  Living abroad as a child instilled a sense of adventure and a love for exploring exotic locations. The excitement that hits as the plane leaps off the ground excites me now as much as it did when I was six.  Imagining the possibilities and explorations that are just around the corner is intoxicating.

I find creating a user experience and product to be a lot like traveling to a place I’ve never been.  There’s the pre-trip research and planning.  Googling places to visit, reading blogs about the unique things to see, reading books on the history of the place, and talking to friends who have been there.  This becomes the plan for what I’m going to see and just as importantly, decide what to skip.  Then I arrive and things usually don’t go according to the plan.  It could be something simple – the museum is closed the only day I’m in town.  Sometimes it’s more complicated, a broken water pipe that flooded my hotel which is now closed for three weeks for repairs.   I adapt.  Have cappuccino in the coffee shop next door to the new hotel and discover the best bombolone.

My first experience in UX and product design was as the CFO of a start-up, where I designed the web portal and data visualizations comparing activity on their corporate devices and networks to the terms of their software license agreements. Watching customers use our product and seeing the impact it had on solving their problems was an amazing experience.

To continue my journey in UX, I attended BDW’s graduate program with a focus on integrating design, technology, and entrepreneurism to create innovative products and experiences.  

As a UX designer, I strive to make simple and engaging online products and mobile apps, creating a moment of delight for the user.