As a native New Yorker, I spent a lot of time people watching. I was deeply interested in why people do what they do. I started my journey in the field of architecture because I was always curious about how space impacted people’s lives. I was particularly intrigued by the notion of placing architecture at the intersection of social, political, and cultural practices. I viewed space as the story between these intersecting narratives.
After working in the field of architecture and project management, I realized I’m into people-oriented processes. User Experience Design provides an opportunity to leverage my design background and knack for storytelling to enhance how people interact with space, products, and services. I want to explore how the story framework can be used to solve design problems and bridge the gap between the user and business objectives.
As a Kenyan-American, I am particularly interested in the progression of user experience and design thinking in Africa. My project, Local 254, presented an opportunity to design a platform for creative entrepreneurs via a marketplace app where Kenyan designers can promote and sell their products and consumers can shop for goods and support local entrepreneurship.