I graduated with a Master's in User Experience from the University of Michigan. My core design values incorporate honesty, empathy, logic and reasoning and I do what I do to contribute to making things better for the world. As a big advocate for mental health, I want to make counseling available to all people, especially those in developing countries.
Here's me
something I created
(first snowman)
something else I created
me (a florida girl) for the first time in the snow
I envision myself in the future working on a big r&d project that benefits not only the users we currently focus on but also those we currently overlook.
I aspire to be a part of something that continues to benefit people for generations to come.
Vision
With my background in Cognitive Psychology, I have expertise in planning and conducting user research, employing various methods such as interviews, surveys, and usability testing, quantitative data analysis through tools like Qualtrics and SPSS. I have strong analytical and critical thinking skills for synthesizing research findings and deriving actionable insights.
User eXperience Research
Through my experiences and education, I have proficiency expertise in creating wireframes and prototypes using tools like Figma or Adobe XD, in user research methods, such as interviews and usability testing, a solid understanding of interaction design principles, and effective communication skills to convey design concepts and insights to diverse stakeholders.
User eXperience Design
With 3 years of experience as a Project Manager I have developed excellent communication and interpersonal skills for effective team collaboration and stakeholder engagement, strong organizational and time management abilities especially for project planning, resource allocation, and meeting deadlines. I also have proficiency in project management tools and methodologies.
Project Management
The first question anyone asks me after they learn that I have a Psych degree is if I can read their minds.. so I'm just going with it.
Mind Reading
Skill Stacks.
You don't have to just take my word for it though
A few words from some people that know me
"Zaahra was a graduate student instructor for my course for two semesters in a row, and I was so happy to have her back the second time! In this role, she independently taught 75 undergraduate students each week. Zaahra is bright, motivated, a great team player, and incredibly dependable. She offered extra support multiple times throughout the semester when my workload was particularly heavy, despite her own schedule being incredibly hectic. She is caring and supportive of her students, and is dedicated to helping them learn and engage with course material.
Liz Buvinger, Professor at The University of Michigan
"I met Zaahra at the FAU Career Fair - I knew by her demeanor, sincerity and resume that she would be a great fit for us. Zaahra hit the ground running. She quickly became a very valuable asset with her will to be a self-initiator and to find ways to help without much direction. Zaahra was the glue that held our team and creative community together, her positivity never faded. She has a knack to be profoundly reliable, consistent, diligent, intelligent, analytical, empathetic and hands down one of the hardest workers we had in the role."
Amber Tollefson, Founder of The Flamingo House
"I had the pleasure of mentoring Zaahra in the summer of 2022 during her UX Research internship in the UX group that supports the Lowe’s supply chain. In the short time she had she quickly learned the subject matter underlying her project and did a great job planning, conducting, analyzing and reporting on 1-on-1 in depth interviews with key people to learn how they perform their work using multiple unintegrated systems."
Mark Pappalardo, Principal UX Researcher at Fidelity Investements
Or you can connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram or Dribbble.