Chad, being Chad.
A Willingness to Embrace Change and Learn
After a decade in project management, art direction, and photography, a corporate layoff pushed me to pause and rethink my career path and life choices, leading me to explore new horizons. Diverse communities have always shaped my experience—I spent years learning, living, and working in a predominantly Black and Latinx communities. So when the chance to live in Mexico came up, I embraced it. For nine months, I immersed myself in the culture, gained residency, and lived in a bilingual household, all of which gave me a fresh outlook on the world. In some ways, I got back to my roots, reconnecting with myself and gaining a new perspective on life. That experience deepened my appreciation for the U.S. and the unique opportunities it offers to learn and challenge ourselves, inspiring me to return. Since returning in June, I’ve enrolled in Prime Academy’s UX design program in Minneapolis. This 14-week, full-time program offers an immersive dive into modern UX, covering everything from design principles and methods to diversity, inclusion, and real-world client work.
A History of User-Centered Design
Creativity has always been a natural part of my life, starting with sketching and drawing back in elementary school. Over the years, I’ve looked for ways to channel my ideas as both an inventor and a product designer. One of my proudest projects was developing a utility device for a retail space—designed to improve safety and save employees time. At the time, I wasn’t fully aware of universal design principles, yet I intuitively used affordance to guide the design. Throughout the process, I conducted field studies and gathered qualitative data through naturalistic observations, translating insights into low-fidelity sketches and eventually a working prototype. I iterated through user testing, refining the design until it was intuitive enough for anyone to use. This work was both energizing and deeply fulfilling, especially as I saw the impact on accessibility and streamlined processes. I called it '“El Brazo”.
Affordance [in my own words]: It’s about making the purpose of a thing obvious.
Committed to Personal Growth
In 2019, I started my therapeutic journey of discovery, and I’ve been obsessed with the topic of psychology ever since. Learning about human behavior through my own self-awareness, reflections, and practice has helped me evolve into a state of consciousness that I’m proud to have reached. I’ve learned skills and tools to communicate better, understand behavior, and connect with people in deeper, more meaningful ways, and I bring that knowledge to my UX research and design practice.
Hobbies and Pastimes
When I’m not traveling or spending time with family and friends, you’ll often find me indulging in my favorite hobby: motorcycling. I first became interested in motorcycling in 2017 when I joined some friends on a dirt biking trip to MOAB, and I got hooked. I acquired my own motorcycle in 2018, and I’ve been riding ever since. It’s my favorite way to enjoy the outdoors and explore new sights, and I love the amazing community that comes with it. I also enjoy listening to Spotify (everyday), trips to the movies, and relaxing nature walks..
