Explorations
I navigate ambiguity by researching user needs, clarifying business goals, and making informed best guesses to shape an initial product direction.
I translate ideas into wireframes that I test with users and refine with stakeholders—rapidly iterating until the concept is clear, aligned, and ready for broader review and often used as a tool for our sales team to pitch to potential advertisers. I start in CoPilot to refine design prompts then feed this into Figma Make to start the iteration process.
Pets Tributes is an exploration focused on giving pet lovers a warm, meaningful space to honor their beloved companions on the USA TODAY Pets hub. The goal was to create a simple, heartfelt way for users to share memories, photos, and stories—something that naturally sparks connection and community. By celebrating a cherished family pet, each tribute becomes a share-worthy moment, inviting friends and family to join in and helping the Pets hub grow organically through authentic, personal engagement.
I mocked up a visual design, shared back with stakeholders for input, and created quick tests to determine if there is an appetite among consumers for this product.
With the initial direction well received by users and approved by stakeholders, we are refining and pushing forward, and sharing with our ad sales team to float with potential partners.
For Classifieds Reimagined the goal was to streamline and simplify the user experience — without doing a full rebuild. We focused on refining the interface to make it cleaner, more intuitive, and easier to navigate. The aim was to reduce clutter, clarify key actions like posting ads or browsing listings, and make the whole site feel more welcoming and usable — all while working within the existing platform.
Parts of this exploration were incorporated into the current flow; the rest we will hold on to until resources become available.
UI partner: Yajaira Lockhart