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In the end, my journey as a designer is all about finding the balance between creativity and strategy, passion and precision. I’m driven by the challenge of solving real problems in ways that make life easier and more enjoyable for users. I approach every project with the same enthusiasm I bring to my personal interests—whether that’s a dive into a new design tool or geeking out over a Stargate deep cut. My goal is to create intuitive, human-centered experiences that delight users and deliver results. If you’re looking for someone who brings both creativity and determination to the table, let’s connect and see how we can create something great together.
in a loving relationship with someone I care about deeply, and most of my weekends are spent at her house. Though I probably take in a little too much caffeine I try to maintain a healthy lifestyle, focusing on quality food and regular exercise. I have a bike I love and a rowing machine I’m not as fond of, and on the right day you might catch me on my rollerblades. Given time I love to cook (you have to try my red sauce for pasta. My mother’s recipe). I live for intelligent discussion and always try to find time to appreciate the little things that come my way.
Most of my friends and colleagues would describe me as affable and pleasant to be around. I’m a true nerd in the classic sense—Star Trek, Dungeons & Dragons, and awkward when it comes to dating (if you didn’t get 'trash canned' in high school, can you even call yourself a nerd?). While I can’t speak for everyone, it seems my coworkers enjoy working with me and appreciate the help I provide. I maintain a positive, upbeat attitude, even in the face of adversity, and have been told that I bring a positive energy to teams and projects I’m part of. I have a dry, somewhat ridiculous sense of humor and I love to laugh. In personal relationships I’m observant and tend to remember the smallest details (though I’m terrible with names). I’m
The 'Judging' aspect shows up in my design work as a strong aversion to poor UX and subpar products—something that borders on the visceral. Nothing frustrates me more than a poorly optimized app or website, and my fingers literally itch to fix them.
My Myers-Briggs type is ENTJ—Extraverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Judging—and when I first took the test I was a little shocked by how accurate the assessment was. While known as 'the Commander,' I don’t have a need to be in charge, but the part that resonates with me is the drive for greatness. I thrive on challenges, large or small, and I firmly believe that with the right time and resources, I can achieve any goal. I think both strategically and tactically, and when all else fails, I’ll push a project to success through sheer willpower and stubbornness. I will never let a project fail by giving up.
As for my personality, if you’ve read this far it’s probably clear that I’m not overburdened with modesty. While I don’t fully subscribe to horoscopes I am a Leo, and I exhibit many of the traits associated with the sign - one of which is a healthy disregard for false modesty and a willingness to acknowledge a job well done. Leos are passionate in all pursuits and dive headfirst into any project. We tend to be social, value loyalty, and love working as part of a team. We like being the center of attention and getting credit for being right (which, admittedly, can come off as arrogance). However, we’re also quick to step aside and give others the spotlight when it's deserved, and we’re not afraid to admit when we’re wrong. I embody these traits and, on a personal note, take great joy in seeing my friends and colleagues succeed. I’ll always do what I can to help make that happen
Finally (at least as far as my design process goes), I see my problem-solving process as very linear. However, from the outside, it often seems to veer off in unexpected directions - generally with very favorable results. I’m well-read and have a wealth of experience outside of design, which serves me incredibly well in UX and product design. I always keep the business case in mind and focus on the broader product goal, rather than just the immediate task. No one has ever accused me of tunnel vision in my design process.
I’m not afraid of doing things the hard way, either. As the quote on my homepage says, 'It’s a very fine line between clever and stupid.' It’s easy to outsmart yourself into a corner but the real difference between the hard way and the easy way is that the hard way always works. In the design process, the hard way should be in the design, not the solution. If streamlining a project calls for more interviews, research, or dozens - sometimes hundreds - of ideations or prototypes that’s what I’ll do. It might not be the most efficient timeline and efficiency is always the goal, but sometimes you have to shovel extra manure to get the most beautiful flower.
By typical standards I'm considered intelligent (though we can debate the nature of true intelligence anytime) and creative. But my creativity goes beyond choosing the right color to illustrate a flower. Above all, I see myself as a creative problem solver. I get a thrill from discovering a new process or finding a solution to a problem, and I’m always looking to streamline steps. Efficiency is central to everything I do. If I can reduce a task in one of my UX designs by even a single click, thus saving two seconds, I consider it a win. If your product has 100,000 daily users that two-second savings adds up to nearly 60 human hours saved each day - and that’s how I think about efficiency in design.
While I have a flair for style, color, and composition every skill I have in business, design, art, and life has come from hard work and countless missteps. I learned to draw by copying illustrations from comic books. I learned to paint through long hours in the studio. I mastered Photoshop and Illustrator by creating over 7,000 t-shirt graphics. When I first started with Figma it was a frustrating challenge, but now I can make it sing. I learn the hard way, but once I've got it, I can take it farther than someone with 'natural' talent ever could.
First of all, let me say that I am a person of few natural talents. This may come as a surprise on a site designed to showcase my abilities as a UX designer and creative, but it's true. However, the key word here is 'natural.' Natural talent often becomes a crutch—a limit for those who rely on it. A naturally gifted painter will reach the ceiling of their talent and... stay there. They never had to learn how to push beyond it. My only 'natural' ability is kinesthetic learning—though one could argue that's a skill I developed over time. I was a mediocre student until I got to college, where I truly began to learn.
The question that has haunted rock stars and sophomore philosophy students alike - 'Who am I?' - is timeless. Most design portfolios answer this with familiar phrases: passionate, creative, design-driven, and user-focused. They promise user experiences so captivating that they verge on the ecstatic. You'll find a similar message on my homepage, and while I genuinely stand by those words, they alone don't set me apart from the countless portfolios you've seen. More importantly, they don't tell the full story.
Who am I?
About Me