I'm a multi-disciplinary designer specializing in UX, visual design, and research. I'm driven by storytelling and energized by creation. I draw inspiration from my days as a digital illustrator and ornithologist (yes, I studied birds – talk to me about how birds shaped my visual thinking and design process! ).
The artist in me crafts stories that resonate, and the biologist in me creates things that help us understand the world we live in.
Let's rewind the clock. My journey into visual thinking started when my dad brought home a book on birds. This was my most formative experience, and it shaped me into the designer I am today 🐥
Birds aside, I'm a storyteller at heart. The capstone for this was Neopets, a virtual pet site – it inspired twelve-year old me to create graphics, backstories for my pets, and custom pages with CSS and HTML. Birds influenced my visual thinking, and Neopets taught me the art of storytelling and how to express myself in a creative space.
I carried these skills with me into the world of Biology, where I learned that discovery never truly ends and that helping people understand the world we live in is one of the most powerful stories we can tell. I learned the value — and importance — of customer experience during my time at Liberty Mutual. Now, I bring together my passion for storytelling, limitless discovery, and visual thinking to design thoughtful, seamless, and simple solutions.
Previously, I designed at Wordbud, an adaptive language-learning startup. My work started with the creation of the company's branding, and now includes its first mobile app and design systems. Most recently, I was a product designer for Bestow, where I focused on direct-to-customer design solutions, experimentation, conversion optimization, and user-faced testing. Currently, I'm a product designer working on growing the mobile app experience at the New York Times.
When I'm not designing, you can find me chatting on Discord, illustrating, writing original stories, or gaming.
Say hello at nolashi.ux@gmail.com — I'd love to hear about projects you're working on, your media and game recommendations, or your favorite memes. It's nice to meet you!
