Background and Extracurriculars

I am a user experience designer in Baltimore, Maryland, trained first in print design and having made a career in UX.

I began doing freelance graphic design while I was still a PhD student at the University of Maryland…When I realized how much more fun I was having designing posters than doing my actual classwork, my fate was sealed. I’ve continued occasional freelance work, have spent time as an in-house designer at a university and an economic development nonprofit in DC, and am currently a UX designer working on student-facing interfaces at Johns Hopkins. I enjoy both the creative process of conventional design work and the technical problem-solving process of prototyping my designs… as well as conducting and consolidating user research. In fact, there’s very little about UX design that I don’t love!

In regular life, I enjoy Golden Age hip-hop, bluegrass festivals, cycling, travel, writing, documentaries, and ogling all types of art (fun fact: the world’s largest collection of Matisses is right here in Baltimore!). Back in college I studied Latin American history and can still talk enough about it that most people stop paying attention.

 Skills + Experience

  • Design, construction and maintenance of both fixed and responsive websites, applications, and web templates, including wireframing and prototyping using HTML5, CSS3/Sass/LESS, Illustrator and Photoshop, Figma, Sketch, Axure, and Visual Studio Code

  • User experience design research via surveys, card sorting exercises, How Might We discoveries, focus group leadership, and via usertesting.com; design sharing during research using interactive prototypes as well as Invision and Figma mockups; distilling research into documentation, highlight reels and presentations

  • Compliance with web accessibility standards (508 and WCAG 2.0/2.1 AA), including testing with JAWS, NVDA, ChromeVox and VoiceOver

  • Fluent in the Adobe Creative Suite/Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office and Google suites

  • Experience with Agile development methodologies (scrum, kanban and SAFe)

  • Design and layout of printed materials, including posters, catalogs, brochures, newsletters and direct mail pieces

  • Interaction with print vendors to obtain quotes, review proofs, attend press checks and accept delivery of finished products

  • Ability to manage multiple projects under deadline with little supervision

  • Excellent attention to detail

  • Strong professional writing and research skills

  • Event planning and preparation

  • Maintenance of branding standards with respect to client’s vision across a variety of media

  • Congenial attitude; willingness to work with stakeholders through multiple revisions and multiple layers of approval

  • Positive relationships with developers/engineers, business stakeholders, and product management

Work History

July 2022-Present: User Experience Designer
Technology Innovation Center at Johns Hopkins University; Baltimore, MD

September 2013-July 2022: Senior User Experience Designer
Pearson Virtual Schools (formerly Connections Education); Columbia, MD

2016-Present: Board Liaison (Marketing/Newsletter)
JAMSQUAD Cycling; Bel Air, MD; volunteer position

September 2012-September 2013: Graphic Designer
Washington, DC Economic Partnership; Washington, DC

April 2006-Present: Freelance Graphic Designer
Selected Clients: International Consortium of Coaching in Organizations; the Department of History, University of Maryland at College Park; Johns Hopkins University Marketing & Creative Services (prior to hiring); Delegate Maggie McIntosh

July 2011-August 2012: Web Designer
Johns Hopkins University Digital Strategy; Baltimore, Maryland

May 2008-July 2011: Graphic/Web Designer
Johns Hopkins University Marketing & Creative Services; Baltimore, Maryland

Education

May 2009: M.A. in Publications Design, University of Baltimore; Baltimore, Maryland

  • Courses taken include Portfolio Development (capstone course); Seminar in Publications Design (capstone course); Advanced Graphic Design; Typographic Form and Function; Design Principles and Strategies; Words and Images: Creative Integration; Poster Design.

  • GPA: 4.0

May 2002: B.A. in History, University of Maryland; College Park, Maryland

  • Major in Latin American History; Certificate in Latin American Studies

  • GPA: 3.5

Professional Development / Awards

  • Conferences Attended:

    • Forge Conference, Philadelphia 2015

    • The Web Conference at Penn State, 2014

    • Bmore Responsive, 2014

    • An Event Apart, Washington, DC 2014 and Atlanta 2012: Conference “for people who make websites”

  • Recipient, 2009 Ampersand Award for exceptional achievement in writing and design; University of Baltimore School of Communications Design

References available upon request