I am Ellie, UX Designer, Marketer, and Chinese Language Learner.

My interest in design began with articles about lobsters. As an intern at Seafood Business and WorkBoat magazine (yes, these are Maine-based), I spent all my summers throughout high school entering articles and photographs into our websites through our content management system. This was my first introduction to information architecture, html & css, and SEO, and planted the seed for later exploration of these topics.

Since first being introduced the world of web design in high school, I’ve had several experiences that really set the stage for my love of UX design:

Journalism

With a background in journalism, I've always been captivated by stories. As a journalism major, and an intern at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette I learned to conduct research, ask compelling questions, and construct narratives from the view of the interviewee. The love of this investigative process is part of what led me to UX design. Most people spend a huge portion of their lives on their computers and mobile devices. I want to understand how users interact with web apps and what leads them to make decisions.

Marketing

In addition to a background in journalism, I also have experience in marketing. I currently work as a Marketing Assistant for a company that provides holistic consultations for wellness businesses. We always look at the whole picture since a successful web presence is more than just a pretty design, or creating ads to drive traffic. 

It was in marketing that I learned the importance of crafting user personas for your target audience and understanding not only how they will interact with your product or service, but what motivates them to do so in the first place. This is another area that has cross over with good UX design. I find marketing to be extremely rewarding because you’re constantly asking yourself — How can I provide the most value? How can I get the biggest ROI for my client? These are the types of questions that really drive me in my work, which is why I see myself working in a sphere where UX and marketing combine.

English Tutor in Boston Chinatown

This experience relates less directly to UX than some of the others, but it's something I'm really passionate about. After studying abroad in China, I feel extremely grateful for the people that made me feel welcome, and tirelessly helped me learn the language. This is why I volunteer every week to teach English to immigrants at the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center - to help them learn English and to help them establish a sense of belonging and confidence. I would love to be able to combine this passion with my UX design work.

Plans for the Future

To learn more about UX, I enrolled in a design program at Bloc, where I've learned to research, design, and build for modern web applications. Under the guidance of my mentor, Joey Kirk, I've spent time problem solving, refactoring code, and constantly refining my designs through critique. I'm looking forward to applying what I've learned to future projects. As a life-long-learner, I also look forward to continuing my education.