The Face behind the Screen

A look into who I am, what brought me here today, and what I am working towards.

Lauren: the Origin Story

For as long as I can remember, I have been a creator.

At 13 I learned to knit, a hobby that has stuck with me since then. I love the process of watching something grow, how every decision impacts the final output. I find immense joy in learning new techniques to make my next project even better than the last. I have researched fibers, patterns, methods and more, all to create a better product, usually to meet a need I see for a friend or loved one. I love reconciling beauty and function.

This scarf and cap are two of my most recent knitted projects.

When I was a sophomore in high school I began working for my school’s newspaper, the Pony Express, as a layout editor. I remember the excitement I felt when I held that first issue in my hands, the thrill of creating something for others from scratch. I also recall how moments later I sat in the publications room with the other editors and poured over the pages, searching for typos or errors that went unnoticed. As I sat there nitpicking the design, my curiosity rose and I sought to find ways to improve the next issue. In this time I realized that everything is always a work in progress, and the best way to improve is to recognize your mistakes and seek out better solutions.

Some may have called me a perfectionist, but I now know that I was performing heuristic reviews on my own work, laying the foundation for my future. (Humble brag: that passion for improvement landed me two years as Editor-in-Chief of the Pony Express, as well as attending multiple publications conferences and establishing a great love for InDesign.)

Here I am (left) with my co-editor-in-chief, Jade, my senior year of high school. I was obviously very cool back then.

As I moved past the arena of high school publications and was faced with the daunting task of choosing a college major, I felt at a loss. I knew that I wanted to create. I knew I wanted to feel the same way I did when I held that first issue of the Pony Express or do when I see someone I love wear a sweater I knit just for them. I just didn’t know what could give me that feeling.

It took me much longer than I would like to admit to find the thing that would give me that joy- but I am happy to announce that I have found it in UX design! I love taking an idea and finding ways to make it better. I love watching a project develop and transform, as it gets closer to meeting the needs of the users. And I love working with people who share and understand that zeal for improvement, rather than writing it off as “perfectionism”.

A Work in Progress

Now that I have found a career path that I truly love, I am giving it my all to get to where I want to be (and then I’ll keep going because, you guessed it, we’re all just works in progress). I am currently attending Utah Valley University. Below are a few of the incredible opportunities I look forward to in the coming year:

• A trip to Seattle with a few members of the UVU UX club to meet and work with UX Designers from Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks & more.
• Volunteering and attending the UX Front Conference in Salt Lake City.
• Volunteering and attending the UX STRAT Conference in Amsterdam.

Everything I aspire to goes toward one goal: to create things that are not just beautiful, but functional and useful. Whether that be a hand-knit sweater, a website, an interactive experience, or myriad other projects, it’s all about the process.