©freepik
©ITA
I am a UX/UI designer with a background in social and interdisciplinary research. I am an allrounder, easily excitable about anything involving people or new technologies and capable of swiftly picking up new concepts and skills.
I spent my formative childhood years in The Netherlands, Oman and the US, and have been based in the wonderful city of Vienna in Austria since 2007. I have always felt at home in spaces where different cultures, worldviews and experiences come together and I greatly enjoy communicating and collaborating with people from different disciplines and backgrounds.
My university education began with a bachelor degree in prehistoric archaeology (BA) and a masters degree in biological anthropology (MSc) at the University of Vienna, driven by my interest in human societies and how we interact with our world. I also visited university classes in computer science, curious to learn more about programming and the logics behind the technologies which shape so much of our environment today.
I was fortunate to work in a great variety of multidisciplinary projects as a Junior Researcher at the Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW). My ability to quickly adopt new subjects and tasks and work harmoniously and efficiently within any team allowed me to experience different specialty fields, methods and team constellations. I gained my first experiences as a project manager and strengthened my skills in data collection, evaluation and analysis, interdisciplinary exchange and cooperation, the organization and implementation of workshops (online and offline) and the presentation of project results. I discovered I am skilled at maintaining a good overview of projects, identifying priorities and making sure no balls are dropped so established timelines can be met.
Driven by a desire to work in a more creatively expressive field, I learned UI and UX design by completing a hands-on training program from CareerFoundry over ten months and subsequently completing my first professionial webdesign project in WordPress with Elementor. I thoroughly enjoy guiding an iterative process through a balance of structure and openness and managing the crossroads where communication and collaboration between different disciplines and stakeholders takes place. It is deeply satisfying to create something which is not only beautiful, but also pragmatic and easy to use.
Information Architecture
Similar to a blueprint, the information architecture is an essential part of every website or app, defining paths users can take and establishing hierarchy, navigation and interactions. An example can be found in my case study ESG Website Redesign.
Competitor Analysis
Doing research on competitor sites and apps helps you gain an understanding of the ecosystem your product is in. The goal is to define your niche within this environment. An example can be found in my case study Better Batter.
MVP Iterations
The Minimum Viable Product (MVP) describes the minimum required features for a first iteration of your product to be launched. An example can be found in my case study Better Batter.
User-Centered Design
In order to create a product based on user needs, abilities and requirements, the design process must be iterative and include user feedback loops. All of my case studies include feedback loops of users.
User Research
There are several established methods to systematically investigate users, addressing questions such as “who are my users?” and “what do my users need?”. Methods include interviews, surveys, focus groups, A/B testing to name a few. An example can be found in my case study Better Batter.
User Personas
User personas represent your users and should be based on existing data (e.g. from user interviews). They include information such as habits, attitudes, pain points and prefered devices. An example can be found in my case study Better Batter
User Flows
To map user paths for the completion of tasks, user flows are created. They serve as an important basis for the creation of the first low-fidelity screens and will often be refered to during the course of a project. An example can be found in my case study NHM Tours
Transdisciplinary Work
A transdisciplinary mode of working requires the problem-solving process to be a collaborative effort between different disciplines, going beyond multidisciplinary cooperation. It will typically involve the generation of theoretical and conceptual, sometimes even methodological innovations. The Pop-Up Housing project I worked on is a great example.
Surveys
With the use of surveys you can gather data by asking people questions relating to your research interest. Surveys can be conducted online, by telephone or in person and can be combined with other methods like focus groups or interviews. I conducted surveys within the E-DEM project.
Interviews
Typically an interview will take place with one or two people to gain a more in-depth understanding of their expertise or experience. Interviews can be unstructured, semi-structured or structured and take place online, by telephone or in person. I conducted interviews within the SmartCare, Covpol, E-DEM and Pop-Up Housing projects.
Workshops
There are various different workshop formats, ranging from lectures to discussions and collaborative sessions. Depending on the goal of the workshop, different methods will be employed. I organized and implemented various workshops within NanoTrust, Pop-Up Housing, SafeNanoKap, Trans-PED and SafeLiBatt.
Low-Fi Wireframes
Low-fidelity wireframes serve as a skeleton of your individual screens, documenting the rough placement of your elements, providing insight into hierarchy and types of content (images, text, interactive elements). An example can be found in my case study Better Batter
Visual Hierarchy
A consistent visual hierarchy allows users to understand and navigate the page more easily. Visual hierarchy is created e.g. through the use of element size, color, proximity, alignment, repetition or texture.
High-Fi Wireframes
High fidelity wireframes are realistic representations of what the final product will look like, typically including typography and the correct texts, the color design, the correct images, icons and interactive elements like buttons. An example can be found in my case study Better Batter.
Responsive Design
It is vital that websites be responsive these days, as users will access them through a number of different devices, such as desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile phones. An example can be found in my case study ESG Web-Redesign.
Typography
A good typography will be legible, readable and an appealing representation of the values to be communicated (e.g. casual and friendly or elegant and reliable). An example can be found in my case study ESG Web-Redesign.
Color Design
Similar to typography, the color design must effectively communicate the desired values while remaining easy to identify. A consistent color design aids the user in navigating the page intuitively. An example can be found in my case study NHM Tours.
Iterative Prototyping
The iterative prototyping process involves testing the prototypes during different stages of the development process to incorporate user feedback and improve the design. An example can be found in my case study Better Batter.
Prototyping Animation
Prototyping animations can be a useful aid in communicating your vision and testing if the animation and motion designs resonate with your users. An example can be found in my case study NHM Tours.
Mockups
At the end of the UI design process you will have visualizations of pages or screens which demonstrate how the final product will look. An example can be found in my case study NHM Tours.
• versatility
• flexibility
• attentiveness
• detail-orientation
• creativity
• pragmaticism
• critical thinking
• problem-solving
• communication & teamwork
• conflict management
• organization
• time management
Among the tools I use are Figma, Adobe XD, WordPress, Elementor, Microsoft Office 365, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, GitHub, Balsamiq, Marvel App, Lyssna and Miro.
I have basic skills in HTML and CSS.
