Are you human? What other passions do you have?

I’m passionate about accessible and inclusive design. For me, this means that good design should strive to be inclusive of geo/economically disadvantaged people, people of color, disabled people, older people, LGBTQ people, etc.

Why did you “switch” from architecture to UX/product?

I wouldn’t call it a switch. Rather, it was more of a growth of me as a designer. I became an architectural designer to serve the public and facilitate opportunities, which is the very same reason I went into UX/product.

Additionally, I believe that the greatest potential impact towards positive change these days has to do with technological processes and the intent of the people behind it.

Why architecture?

My formative years were spent mostly in Los Angeles, CA. It’s no secret that LA, pronounced "el-lay", is a very car-centric city. I remember spending my years either indoors or in some sort of vehicle. Every neighborhood I lived in could've benefitted from some thoughtful planning that considered the human scale. As a kid, I had a sense that some things could get better, but couldn’t quite put into words what those things could be.

At Berkeley, I would study how city planning reflect politics, but also how politics inluence the city. An introductory course to architecture helped me think about a designer's role; that it's essentially about a conversation between you and everyone else. A lightbulb went off.

My calling was to become a designer. Besides, all those years of playing with legos, drawing my own comics, and participating in journalism didn’t quite add up to the pre-dental track I started. If you're interested, you can check out my graduate work here.