Master of Science in Information, Design & Strategy, Northwestern University
I am currently a master of science student in IDS at Northwestern University. I have completed 90% of my coursework and am expected to graduate in March 2026. I have specialized my coursework in the UI/UX concentration and have a particular interest in usability research. I am hoping to find an opportunity that allows me to apply my skills in user design and user research in analyzing marketing and digital solutions.
In this article for my information architecture class, I explore the unique design, user experience, and psychological mechanics that make TikTok one of the most engaging social media platforms. I break down the app's algorithm, interface, and content flow to show how TikTok captures attention and encourages user interaction, offering insights into what communicators and creators can learn from its design.
The Anatomy of TikTok
The Reddit Design System
In my course on system design and operations, my group spent the quarter analyzing and making recommendations for Reddit. Together, we created a functioning design system, including foundations and some components. This provided an opportunity to strengthen my Figma skills and collaborate with a group of emerging designers around a challenging topic.
With a group of researchers, I set out to investigate the behaviors of food explorers, individuals who seek out new restaurants and cuisines. By defining the scope of our research and developing contextual inquiries, interviews, and surveys, we gathered data on individuals and their behaviors around finding new restaurants, making plans to dine at them, and how they interact with them online. We organized our data into powerful insights and recommendations and presented our research to fellow user researchers.
User Research: Restaurant Behaviors of Food Explorers
Prototype for affordable, accessible housing awareness
The first class I completed was an introductory user design class in which we created a digital solution to address a socially motivated issue. The issue we addressed was the lack of affordable and accessible public housing. Through an iterative user design process, my group built a desktop game prototype that allows users to navigate a home while facing challenges due to limited accessibility features. The game highlights important considerations for complying with accessibility standards inside the home and makes the user more aware of an issue that may not pertain to them. The game models an educational lesson and provides valuable information about accessibility as the user progresses through the home.