I don’t really see myself as just a “UI/UX designer.” What I do and how I think about design goes beyond that box. I’m a creative, an experienced crafter, a problem solver, a human-centered thinker, a listener, a usability advocate, a researcher, and so many more adjectives.

What excites me is the thought behind the things we use every day. Not just apps and websites, but even the interfaces people don’t usually think about, like a car’s dashboard screen. It’s those small details that pull me in, because design at its best makes everyday moments smoother without drawing attention to itself.

I’ve been designing for about five years now. I started out as a computer science major with a focus on game design, but one UX class flipped everything. I realized I was in the right store, just the wrong aisle. That switch to UX led me to jobs, freelance gigs, and eventually a master’s in HCI. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you never really “arrive” as a designer; there’s always more to explore.