design systems & a11y specialist, design professor
Joined before July 2023
I have worked as a designer and engineer for over nine years, across many different industries including government, radio, SaaS platforms, and ecommerce. Over the course of my career I have worked within a variety of different constraints and evolving technology to ensure component based deign systems are designed for our end user needs, but also the design, engineering, and other stakeholders that interface with them every day and user them to complete their work. Since the start of my career, I have had a focus on inclusive design and accessibility compliance. I believe resources such as the WCAG and Section 508 are important, but also as designers, we can go further to deliver an equitable experience to all our users.
I have been a remote worker for most of my career. I like to ensure I stay engaged by helping to build out social structure at the places I work, as big as hosting a company wide talent show over Zoom or as small as doing a "being human" prompt at the start of a meeting to help me get to know my team better.
Supporting emerging designers is very important to me, and in 2020 I joined SUNY New Paltz's graphic design department as a professor, teaching a web development course. I also have planned and run the AIGA Upstate NY Portfolio Reviews across the state since 2018. Many folks also know me from my time as an co-organizer of the Hudson Valley Tech meetup and AIGA Upstate NY.