Let’s see if I can turn this page into a mini interview. I’ve been thinking about doing this for so long. I failed on brevity but if you want to know about me, I’m definitely coming through in the words.
Tell me about yourself.
I’m a hybrid designer/developer with a passion for creating products and improving user experiences. My professional journey reflects a dynamic career path driven by curiosity and a love for collaborative work.
Starting in computer support, I quickly learned the nuances of technical communication and corporate language. My early career included roles as a project manager and trainer in the yearbook publishing industry, where I became an expert in creative software, even authoring technical manuals and creating video tutorials before YouTube’s era.
My professional evolution took me through web design, front-end development, and ultimately to User Experience design – a field that perfectly matches my strengths. I thrive in interactive environments, preferring collaborative problem-solving over isolated work. Unlike many developers who need deep focus, I’m energized by understanding complex systems and designing solutions that serve diverse user needs.
What sets me apart is my ability to connect with colleagues, derive energy from teamwork, and think holistically about product development. I’m not just interested in building one thing, but in understanding how processes can be scaled and improved for both new and experienced users.My approach is fundamentally people-centric: I believe in creating experiences that are intuitive, efficient, and meaningful across different user personas and system interactions.
What are your greatest strengths?
My greatest strengths include:
- Anticipating unspoken needs in projects
- Quickly identifying potential pitfalls and alternative scenarios
- Asking important questions about functionality
- Developing system-breaking scenarios efficiently
- Estimating task complexity accurately
- Understanding development challenges, even outside my expertise
- Leveraging adjacent knowledge from close work with developers
- Adaptability with design software
- Rapidly learning new 2D vector, UI, and prototyping tools
- Applying trainer experience to quickly master new software
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Building trust and rapport quickly with colleagues
- Serving as a confidant and supportive team member
- Connecting with diverse personalities and learning from everyone
This combination of technical insight, adaptability, and people skills allows me to contribute uniquely to projects and team dynamics.
Name a time when things didn’t go your way and what you did about it.
During my college video project, I learned a critical lesson about collaboration and flexibility. As the project lead, I was deeply invested in our script and vision. When we lost a key filming location, I became completely derailed. Instead of adapting, I shut down, losing my enthusiasm and effectively abandoning my team.My rigidity cost us the project. I was so attached to my specific idea that I couldn’t see alternative solutions. My teammates ultimately tried to salvage the project without me, an experience that left me deeply regretful.
The key insights I gained were:
- Collaboration requires adaptability
- No single idea is so precious it can’t be reimagined
- Team success matters more than individual vision
Years later, I recognize my script was built around a Macguffin – a plot device with little inherent meaning. Had I been more flexible, we could have easily pivoted and completed the project successfully.
This experience fundamentally changed how I approach teamwork, teaching me to be less myopic and more open to collective problem-solving.
Why do you want to work here?
I want to work somewhere I’m needed and that I can contribute with significance. My work improves the more I actually participate. So my vision of a better workplace is where I’m making you better and you make me better.
What is your process for UX?
Here’s a condensed version of my UX process:
- Approach with humility and openness
- Understand system functionality and user roles
- Identify user pain points and personas
- Question existing processes
- Draft designs considering:
- User flow and error handling
- Permissions and accessibility
- Standard and innovative solutions
- Evaluate with stakeholders
- Plan and conduct user testing
- Analyze feedback and plan improvements
- Deliver designs to development team
- Stay involved during development
- Monitor post-release analytics
- Gather support feedback
- Plan for future iterations
Key principles:
- Embrace complexity and context-switching
- Prioritize user needs over personal preferences
- Consider diverse user abilities and experiences
- Maintain stakeholder communication throughout
- Measure success through analytics and user feedback
- Take ownership of the product lifecycle
What tools do you use?
In my work I need a good notebook. (More on that later on.) But software I like having a diagramming tool like Draw.io or Freeplane. And in designing screens I like Figma, or Affinity Designer, Sketch or Adobe XD. For prototyping HTML, I very much like working with Pinegrow and then editing with say VS Code Editor Notepad++. Not to forget, critical to my work are the browser developer tools.
I like Illustrator & Photoshop but I’m actually trying to move away from Adobe subscriptions in personal work just as a challenge. For what I do, it’s not something I want to tie myself to on a monthly recurring basis. But the bottom line is I use what I need to use to collaborate and deliver. If that requires using Adobe or Figma, then I’m going to do that and adapt. I like Jira for documentation of work tasks. And I’m OK but not fantastic at Git & BitBucket.
Some of the most fun work I do, I might be working in Clip Studio Paint, AfterEffects and 3D work in Blender. Working in 3D even to just block out a design idea that will be done in 2D just because it helps me with perspective and composition. I do a lot of screenshot work using Greenshot, and file renaming in Ant Renamer. And I enjoy using GIMP and Inkscape for some technical work and recreational image editing.
What is your favorite website or app for UX?
The one I point out to people is the catalog site for McMaster Carr. Perhaps most people haven’t heard of it, but it’s place to shop for all sorts of mechanical fasteners and construction parts. Whereas the design might look a bit dated, the speed of indexing and product loading, I’ve never seen something this efficient. I thought I was the only one talking about it for years and then another guy made a video pointing out all the performance tweaks.
Outside of work what are your hobbies?
Here’s a condensed version of your interests and hobbies:
- DIY maker projects
- CAD design and building
- Shop projects prop-making
- Furniture Design
- Ideation on all sorts of business initiatives
- Outdoor activities
- Bicycling (mostly BMX)
- Mowing acres of fields avoiding ground hornets
- Community involvement
- Local athletic association participation
- Assistant soccer coaching
- Tech meetups
Where do you see yourself in a few years?
I’m passionate about building things and team dynamics. My professional journey is becoming less about individual technical skills and more about team potential. There is a massive gap in the IT world of bringing up new talent via apprenticeships. You almost never see it, whereas in other technical fields, apprenticeships are the norm. About time we change that.
My key motivations:
- Promoting and celebrating team members’ work
- Understanding how to motivate people
- Developing leadership skills that tap into individuals’ intrinsic drive
Career Trajectory:
- Committed to UX design and product development
- Aiming for leadership roles that leverages and maximizes a team’s unique energy
- Maintaining a hybrid skill set to stay connected to the work
- Not pursuing deep coding/development paths, but
- Remaining adaptable to future skill opportunities