In the beginning, for me, it was always about using the written word to tell stories. When you break down UX design, the words on screen are absolutely paramount in creating an effective user experience. Choosing the right words in the right place is critical to communicating a message to users. If it is not immediately clear what service a website or app provides, your potential users are already lost and lacking incentive to search for it.

My background in journalistic reporting and marketing copywriting prepared me with an invaluable skillset and ability to listen, empathize and engage with other humans to fully understand their specific story or problem, then be able to explain it to others. UX design, at its core, is about connecting with users to understand their wants, needs, and challenges in order to conscientiously design solutions to problems. That spirit of journalistic investigation and curiosity has been an incredible asset for me throughout my UX journey.

Human rights ambassador

This feature story assignment was a profile of a woman who helped found a human rights commission at a local university. I spent several hours at her home interviewing her about her passions and her lifetime breadth of work in addition to conducting my own research into her background history. I then synthesized all of this information into a feature narrative to tell her story.

Weaving a story

Talking to, empathizing with and understanding people is one of my biggest passions and part of why I enjoyed interviewing and reporting so much. There is so much to be learned by listening to and observing other people to gain insight into their behavior and motives.

female-owned business

I met with and interviewed a local small business owner and learned what prompted her to open a women’s clothing store, Textiles, after graduating from college. Although her store was well known in the downtown business district, I found that not many knew her own story and motivation to offer products impossible to find in other local stores.

telling a life’s story

I find interviewing people to be incredibly enjoyable and enriching. The fun is in learning about a person’s unique journey and compiling all of the most pertinent details in a way that can be easily understood by readers. Writing and studying human stories will always be one of my favorite parts of my work.

connecting with the reader

I love the ability to connect with readers (or users) by writing in a conversational, user-friendly voice. Communicating with your audience in a way that makes a story relatable and helps them feel a connection with the subject is gratifying and makes the world feel a little bit smaller and friendlier.