The Backstory
My first memory of user experience before I knew it was user experience was when I was 16 years old. I was learning how to drive my dad’s truck and It deeply bothered me that the steering wheel was blocking the digital clock display. Checking the time while driving inevitably came with a small swerve because my whole view of the road disappeared as my head and shoulders dipped to peek around the back of the steering wheel. For most of my life, I’ve observed these small but potentially impactful moments of friction in the world and I’ve always wanted to re-imagine those experiences, however photography found me first at 13 years old.
Observation is what drew me to photography. My photography practice involves seeing past the surfaces of the people and landscapes that surround me and learning about their intertwined stories to create new perspective. I approach my UX work with the same values, using human-centered design processes and research to understand the heart and the people my work encompasses.
When I’m not behind my computer or camera, I’m adventuring with my dog, Sydney or cooking up a new recipe in the kitchen.
The Official Story
Alyssa McDonald is a UX/UI designer with over five years of experience leading and working with diverse creative teams. She is a Digital Media and Design MFA candidate at the University of Connecticut and has a Photography BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She uses storytelling, human-centered design processes and research to understand the heart of the people and places her work encompasses. Her facilitation of user research within the breast cancer community revealed stories that guided the design of her master’s thesis project, Haven, a peer to peer support mobile application for people with breast conditions and cancer. She worked in the art industry for several years as a studio director before working as a Research Assistant for Greenhouse Studios and a UX/UI designer for the Digital Experience Lab at UConn.
