person standing on urban corner underneath elevated train tracks

My story.

About Me

I wouldn't blame anyone for thinking my career trajectory has been a bit all over the place. I studied music in college and architecture in grad school; I've worked in non-profits and on Wall Street; I've been surrounded by scientists at some times and artists at others.

person standing on urban corner underneath elevated train tracks

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

ANd now here we are

My past couldn't have lead to the present moment any better if I tried.

person walking on reflective sculpture
looking up at tree canopy

Meeting + working with all kinds of people from world-famous architects to Nobel prize-winning scientists has given me a more nuanced understanding of people's thinking and behavior, and has continuously stoked my curiosity. Plus I've picked up practical skills from project management to communication.

→ 5 yrs
Over five years designing digital experiences for complex financial products
+ 15 yrs
More than fifteen years of design experience across a wide variety of disciplines
& more
Additional experience in management, research, writing & more
closeup of tree roots
Connections give depth to my experience design. For example studying music for many years gave me a bone-deep understanding of patterns, structure, rhythm, and harmony that fueled my love of architecture which, in turn, colors my understanding of digital design and gives it a resonance it wouldn't otherwise have.

In the beginning I dismissed 'design thinking' as just a fad.

Once I learned more about it, I came to understand design thinking as one framework for communicating the always complicated and frequently messy process of design to people not so familiar — and maybe a little uncomfortable— with it. And it reminded me of the day way back in fourth grade when I first learned about the scientific method, which continues to inform my design practice: a constant movement from hypothesis to testing to learning to new hypothesis. These kind of connections are what fuel me.
avocado sliced in half

Unlock your site’s full potential.

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Here are the features you’ll want.

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Never Stop Learning

Keep going + growing.

I learned a bit of scripting early on and then taught it to others not as a string of codes to memorize, but as a way to approach interacting with a computer. That's the way I see learning: getting new tools for my kit, new moves for my playbook, new approaches to problems. Now as I lead a team of designers, I work to pass that approach on to them.

Onwards + Upwards

One question remains:
where will I go next?

Let's collaborate.
lychee fruit
Kirsten Hively