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Hi there! I’m Kirsten, a UX/UI designer and researcher, career-changer, and lifelong learner based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Guided by empathy and critical thinking, I use my design and project management skills to create joyful digital products for mission-driven organizations.
I’m an adventurous and curious person by nature. Throughout my upbringing, I’d spend hours playing with film cameras, learning how to use my mom’s old sewing machine, and walking the neighborhood dogs. When it came to college, I decided to move to California’s central coast and earned a degree in business and economics from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. For the past decade, I’ve supported project managers in the construction and active transportation realms.
When I learned about the user experience design field I was blown away that a career combining creativity, empathy, analysis, strategy, and the magic of tech existed. A few months later I decided to take the leap toward a career change focused on design by completing a rigorous 500+ hour UX/UI design course while also working full-time at a mission-driven active transportation firm.
My experiences as a Project Coordinator and Toastmaster demonstrate my ability to assist 10+ project managers with tight deadlines, maintain contract budgets worth over $100,000, communicate effectively with key stakeholders throughout the life of dozens of projects, and practice empathy when interacting with local communities. Now, I’m inspired to share my design skills with mission-driven firms and organizations.
Fueled by over a decade of combined business and design experience, I help organizations design delightful online experiences in earnest. My goals are to bring both a strategic and creative eye to my work (aka I want users to feel heard and for the organization to meet its goals), and to continue learning from my colleagues every day.
When I’m not designing products, you’ll find me eating dessert, chasing sunsets with my dog, or snuggling up with a book.
