1. "So Long, King Bowser!" — Super Mario, 1996
2. "You're a big brother now!" — Dad, 1998
3. "Sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something" — Jake the Dog, Adventure Time
4. "You have to be twice as good" — Mom, all the time
5. "Vulnerability is the birthplace of creativity and change" — Brene Brown
"So Long, King Bowser!"
– Super Mario, 1996
My nick-name in my family is Bowser because of my love of picking the King of Koopas in every game. My actual reason for picking him is because I empathized a lot with him – he wasn't such a bad guy, he just wanted some love and just didn't understand how to go about it. I believe that video games gave me a weird obsession with understanding how the world and it's inhabitants work – or something like that.
“Sucking at something is the
first step to being sorta good at something.”
– Jake the Dog, 2010
I have been inspired by films, books, and cartoons plenty times throughout my life. To me, they are tiny windows into understanding my own reality a little more and more. I always have something new that I'm raving about.
Things I'm currently talking about:
"You're a big brother now!"
- Dad, circa 1998
I am the eldest out of 6 boys. Being the oldest taught me how to adapt to care for people and their unique needs and how to throw a good punch or two...
"You have to be twice as good..."
– Mom, 2010
Professional Lineage
May 2019 - August 2019
UX Design Intern @ Google
January 2019 - August 2019
Web Assistant @ VCU
May 2017 - May 2018
Web Developer @ ITFederal
April 2016 - May 2018
Event Planner @ GMU
"There will be mountains you won't move
Still I'll always be there for you"
- Godspeed by Frank Ocean
I keep music in my ear at all times. As a hobby I make an insane amount of playlists. I guess you can call me a musichead *cringe*
Listen to my current playlists below
"...You know, vampires have no reflections in a mirror? There’s this idea that monsters don’t have reflections in a mirror. And what I’ve always thought isn’t that monsters don’t have reflections in a mirror. It’s that if you want to make a human being into a monster, deny them, at the cultural level, any reflection of themselves. And growing up, I felt like a monster in some ways. I didn’t see myself reflected at all."
– Junot Diaz
Look at this gem! Long, but extremely important. This is my mantra as a designer. it is important for me to be able to use my knowledge, expertise, and craft to create opportunities for all types of people to feel seen by their world. Because of this, my approach to design is adaptable but always contains research, iterative design, testing, and reflecting.
Some Selected Projects
"Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change"
- Brené Brown
ideation
iteration
feedback
reflection
immersion
laughter
Components of my Design Process
My approach to design is based in my roots as a military child. Having to move constantly taught me the valuable lesson of using my vulnerability as a tool to embrace the unknown.
I keep my design process as adaptable as possible, and reconfigure it to match any team, assignment, or problem. Though you can always count on laughter being in the mix, other components always show up to the party too.
"WHO ARE WE...PAC"
- Me
Performing with my team @ LipSync
I believe that I am only as strong as the people I have beside me. That is why collaboration and teamwork is a virtue that I hold near to me.
My philosophy on collaboration is that everyone has a valuable place and our goal as teammates is to amplify each others abilities to deliver something truly special. My second piece is that everyone is human and should be treated as such – with unwavering compassion.