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Hi! I'm Alex, a UX&Product Designer with a background in teaching.
I've taught in public schools, Montessori preschools, prisons, developing nations, college writing centers, and everywhere in between.
Throughout those experiences, I've developed a deep understanding of how to design impactful experiences for all types of people.
see my journey below!
my first student
my first student
waking up
Fluffy was not the best of students, nor was I the best of teachers.
My classroom was my basement, equipped with with an old blackboard and broken pieces of chalk.
I'm not sure if Fluffy ever got anything out of her lessons on arithmetic and dinosaurs, but I do know that it left with me with an undying passion for creating experiences.
To this day, I reflect on the power of human-centered experiences and what makes them so magical that a small Canadian boy wants to impart them on his non-human cat.
And how can we, as designers, instill that magic in all people even as they get older?
waking up
INCARCERATED
behind bars
Many years later, I found myself sitting in my college dorm looking at a magnet that my aunt bought me. "Go out into the world and do well. But more importantly, go out into the world and do good."
It was the first day of Accounting 101, and it would be my last. I went to Wake Forest for its business school, so that I could do well in life -- but doing well was only half of success.
From there, the halls of the business school soon morphed into classrooms of laughter and learning. I found success in building experiences for people... but I also found good in it.
behind bars
terima kasih
"Design for the user." "Keep it student-centered."
I had been a kindergartner, so I knew how to create an experience for kindergartners. I had been a high-schooler, so I knew how to create an experience for high-schoolers.
I had not been a maximum-security inmate.
We sponsored plays, poetry slams, dance classes, and writing workshops. No matter how many times I planned an experience for these student-inmates, it went very differently than imagined... but also so much more beautifully. The play turned into a discussion on the justice system; poetry slams became overcome with raw emotion and vulnerability; writing workshops turned into conversations about how to start a student's documentary career.
It took me going behind bars to realize that design isn't about building the prison; it's about unlocking the cell.
terima kasih
the wolf pack
"Terima kasih" is an expression of gratitude in Malay.
When I first pursued a Fulbright grant in Malaysia, I sought a challenge that would push me personally and professionally.
When I was first dropped off in the village that would be my home for the next year, I thought to myself, "No no no, not that kind of challenge!"
Up to this point, I'd pushed myself to teach in every environment imaginable. I'm sure that helped, but it didn't feel like it in the moment.
Suddenly, I had to design learning experiences with none of the tools I was used to. English proficiency was too low for that to be a communication tool, there was no technology in the school, and my rural environment limited what I could buy for teaching tools.
This is where I truly learned what design was all about. Technology, resources, even language: these were crutches.
To communicate with none of these things was the greatest lesson.
Terima kasih, Malaysia.
the wolf pack
My four years at Eastlake have been invaluable. I've devoted thousands upon thousands of hours lesson planning, instructing, understanding kids and their brains, and ultimately learning what works and what doesn't. I've had the freedom to experiment with pedagogy and the resources to utilize tech to deepen student learning and engagement. I had the chance to develop curriculum for both the district and my own course, work across multiple disciplines and teams, advocate for students with 504s, and learn the daily complexities, challenges, and joys of being in the classroom.
It's been an honor, but I am ready for my next challenge. I want to use my skill set and what I've learned to build better experiences for all people.
fun
facts
I have citizenship from three different countries!
I've been vegetarian
for the past 14 years!
I have a dog named Goose!
At one point, I memorized every nation's flag!
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