I’m a UX designer focused on creating inclusive digital experiences.
Case Studies
Whimsy is a platform for parents to buy and sell gently used children’s clothing, toys and gear.
This case study demonstrates my thought process for accessibility, designing, prototyping, user flow, and creating a design system and style guide.
The Budget Forward app is a holistic approach to budgeting.
This case study demonstrates my thought process for accessibility, user research, information architecture, wireframes, prototyping and editing based on user feedback.
Resume
Work Experience
Kansas City Magazine — Illustrator
April 2018 - March 2022
Illustrated feature stories and monthly
contributor portraits
Willamette Week — Illustrator
June 2017 - November 2018
Illustrated covers and feature stories
RCL Benziger — Illustrator
May 2016 - August 2016
Illustrated pages for Be My Disciples textbook
DuoPress — Illustrator
March 2014 - January 2015
Illustrated the biography Julia Child: An Extraordinary Life in Words and Pictures
Seattle Publishing — Graphic Design Intern
January 2013- April 2013
Created digital illustrations and designed books and catalogs
Education
Google UX Design Certificate
February 2024 - August 2024
Created responsive websites and apps in Figma. Identified user needs; conducted UX research; built wireframes, mockups, low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototypes.
BFA in Illustration, Minor in Graphic Design
Savannah College of Art And Design, 3.78 GPA
Member of SCAD Illustration Club, participated
in the Lacoste Exhibition, May 2009
Accolades
Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles
Swains Gallery, exhibited in 2019 and 2015
Creative Quarterly
Winner in issue 41, runner up in issues 39, 40, and 42
Bainbridge Island Art Walk
Solo exhibit, October, 2015
3x3 International Illustration Show
Two Honorable Mentions in issue No.12, 2015
Applied Arts Magazine
Young Blood Awards
Two winning entries and nominated for
Best in Show, 2014
Research
Usability study
Qualitative research
Quantitative research
Interviewing
Competitive audit
Empathy maps
User journeys
UX
Accessibility
Typography
Responsive design
User flow
Storyboarding
Wireframing
Information architecture
Design systems
Style guides
Software
Figma
Sketch
Adobe CS
HTML
CSS
Google Workspace
Microsoft Office
A little about me
With a background in illustration and graphic design, I have over a decade of experience hand-lettering, designing, and illustrating books, magazines, and newspapers. Now, I am excited to begin a new chapter in my career as a UX Designer. I bring accessibility, empathy and storytelling into all my projects to create human-centered digital experiences.
I am an enthusiastic gardener, and I love to read, knit, and hike. Over the past seven years, I have renovated my 1920s cottage in Portland, Oregon. The house looks great, and, like any fixer-upper, it still needs work! Choosing a favorite book is really hard, but I would have to say The Bone Clocks, by David Mitchell, is at the very top of the list. Fun Fact: I climbed Mount Meru in Tanzania when I was eight.
Joanna Gorham
Watercolor on paper, 2019