ABOUT

Learning about the world of UX was like unwrapping the perfect gift.

One that wasn’t even on my wish list.

I like discovering new things. I enjoy asking questions and finding answers. I relish learning about new things. I delight in a challenge.

But not when it comes to products. Unless that product is a 5,000-piece puzzle, I prefer to quickly solve the problem at hand. I like a useful - and enjoyable - experience.

Fast-forward a few years. I graduated college, worked at a few companies (including my own startup), and even went back to business school before hearing the term ‘UX’. But I was elated to discover an entire field dedicated to improving how people interact with products and services. I might have been a little late to the party, but I was ecstatic to arrive. The people at this soirée were concerned with topics that were important to me, including:

Respect for the user - and the recognition that all users are not the same

The value of clarity and consistency
Reverence for research
A disdain for Comic Sans 🙃
Pretty sure this isn’t limited to people in UX.

With this new awareness, I was motivated to explore the areas that contribute to a successful user experience. As I discovered Don Norman, Jesse James Garrett, and Steve Krug, I felt like I found ‘my people’.

I switched into learning mode. I read books and articles, listened to podcasts, and took online courses and certification programs. And while I loved educating myself, I realized I was becoming more of a generalist than a specialist in any one area. It was time to focus my efforts.

In a fortuitous turn of events, I attended a user research webinar led by Bobbie Wood, and was introduced to UX writing. I saw the work of the UX Writer as the glue that fuses the human connection between the user and the product. I jumped into learning: I immersed myself in the UX Content Collective’s certification course, signed up for the Daily UX Writing Challenge, dug into Kinneret Yifrah’s book on microcopy, and took Yuval Ketscher’s UX Writing Essentials course. (I am now completing the certification course through UX Writing Hub.)

I quickly became enamored with the role UX writing plays in the larger design process, and the collaboration required to build a product that users will enjoy.

I’ll never stop learning - whether it’s related to this field or how to properly hang heavy items on a wall. But I also love doing the work and making a difference.

And, of course, you can’t keep me away from a bad pun.