About Me

Hello! I’m Jess, an Industrial and UX designer from Brisbane, Australia.

I am passionate about designing products that improve users’ wellbeing by combining my knowledge of design and behavioural science. I have worked on a variety of projects, including sports equipment, transport vehicles, apps, websites, appliances and medical devices.

After taking design and manual technology classes in high school, I discovered the enjoyment of prototyping and making things. This led me to pursue Industrial Design at university, where I fell in love with working out how users (of both the human and animal kind) behave and why, and designing products to suit their needs.

5 years, 10 semesters, 1 exchange, 1 honours degree with 2 minors, countless new connections and a lifetime of unforgettable experiences later… I graduated with First Class Honours from QUT’s Bachelor of Design, majoring in Industrial Design and with minors in Behavioural Science and Equine Science!

Post-graduating, I have earned a Certified SolidWorks Associate (CSWA) accreditation, delved into several online courses with the Interaction Design Foundation, tutored design at QUT, and have honed my skills through a UX/UI internship.

Now I am looking for the next opportunity, and I am open to Industrial or UX design work and research positions.

Interested in collaborating? I’d love to hear from you.

Skills

Technical Knowledge:

Industrial Design
UX Design
User-centered design principles: Design Thinking and Double Diamond methodology
Behavioural science
Research
Prototyping
User testing
Project management

Design Tools:

CAD: Solidworks
Adobe Suite: Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Premier Pro, Lightroom
Laser cutting
3D Printing
Figma

Soft Skills:

Curiosity
Adaptability
Resilience
Empathy
Problem solving and opportunity finding
Attention to detail
Leadership
Teamwork and collaboration
Time management & organisation
Initiative
Continuous learner
Communication: excellent verbal and written skills

Experience

University Tutor: Sessional Academic

QUT (Queensland University of Technology) | Feb 2022 – Present

“Introducing Design Fabrication”

Introduced students to design fabrication and the key concepts, skills and methods that are fundamental to prototyping and fabricating physical objects from design ideas. Methods introduced included paper, cardboard, foam, cloth, wood, 3D printing and laser cutting.
Guided over 500 students through the design process and ensured thorough understanding of assessments and material utilisation.
Leveraged my academic background in Industrial Design to simplify design concepts for students, resulting in enhanced student and project outcomes.

“Impact Lab 2: People”

Guided over 500 students through the process of researching and understanding their users and emphasised the centrality of people in design.
Engaged with community, government and industry partners, to offer students a transdisciplinary, participatory-design based experience of designing for social impact and change.

UX/UI Junior Designer: Internship

LUEXA Pty Ltd | Aug 2022 – Jun 2023

Led the UX/UI redesign for two existing websites and conceptualised the design of a brand-new site, integrating extensive user research and aesthetic considerations.
Utilised comprehensive research and tools to ensure alignment of both user and business goals, including user research, competitor analysis, trend research, surveys, personas, value proposition canvases and aim canvases.
Utilised tools such as Figma in an iterative manner, to craft wireframes, mockups and high-fidelity prototypes.
Engaged in a collaborative design process, participating in decision-making sessions and synthesising feedback from senior designers into the project to achieve optimal user experience and client satisfaction.
Consistently received positive feedback from clients, with designs being praised for their user-centered focus, and for professional presentations.
Demonstrated skill growth over the course of the internship: cultivating advanced UX and research abilities, and acquiring foundational UI skills under professional guidance.

Global Ambassador

QUT (Queensland University of Technology) | Jul 2020 – Nov 2020

Initiated and oversaw the design and development of the inaugural edition of the QUT Global Trotters magazine.
Led a team of 5 student ambassadors in sourcing and writing content for the magazine.
Authored a blog post which featured on the QUT Gone Global website.
Produced a video testimonial summarising my international student experience.

Vacation Research Experience Scheme: Assistant Researcher

QUT (Queensland University of Technology) | Nov 2018 – Feb 2019

Comprehensively analysed an existing mental wellbeing app design, to establish a base line and determine areas for improvement.
Conducted primary and secondary research, including existing product comparison, trending styles and focus groups to ensure justified design decisions.
Planned and facilitated a focus group, capturing invaluable feedback that directly influenced the app’s redesign.

There is an expression that goes ‘the best designs are those you don’t notice’ and I partially agree with this, as yes it means they work well and of course you notice the products that don’t work…

However, I think the best designs are those that you DO notice, for their greatness. The designs that make you go ‘WOW, where has this been all my life?!’ – those are the best designs.

I am all for the challenge of designing those.

Outside of Design...

When I’m not designing you will find me out with my horse, Milton. We have been buddies for over 10 years now and have tried a bit of everything: from pony club to competitions, dressage, jumping and working equitation, to beach and trail rides. Right now we are just enjoying life and going on little adventures togethers.

I also enjoy reading, with “Black Beauty” by Anna Sewell an all time favourite; and also can’t go wrong with a good series either, any Doctor Who, Agents of Shield or Warehouse 13 fans out there?