About Me

Designer, storyteller, lifelong learner.

I'm Rachel — a Seattle-based UX/UI designer with 5+ years of experience building thoughtful, human-centered products. From growing up in Germany to studying industrial design to landing in UX — every chapter has shaped how I approach problems: with empathy, curiosity, and care.

The Early Years

Growing Up in Germany

I spent my childhood in Germany, entering the country without knowing a single word of the language. Art quickly emerged as my favorite subject, serving not only as a creative outlet but also as a way of connecting with others. Visual storytelling became an essential part of my life, including at home where I loved making comic books and collaborating on fantasy lands with my siblings. While challenging at first, life in Germany gave me a lasting love of travel, cultural curiosity, and an appreciation for design inspiration found in unexpected places.

Art as a bridge — creating connection across language barriers
Deep appreciation for cultural diversity and exploration
Early foundation in visual storytelling

2016–2019

Industrial Design Foundations

In 2019, I graduated with double honors from Cedarville University with a degree in Industrial & Innovative Design. It was here that I learned to use design thinking as a framework for tackling all kinds of challenges — from automotive design to landscape architecture and everything in between. I learned to think systemically, prototype quickly, and always start with the problem rather than the solution. This foundation would prove to be invaluable when I later made the transition into UX.

Design thinking as a problem-solving framework
Hands-on experience across industrial, graphic, and spatial design
GPA 3.86 — graduated with double honors

2019–2020

Architecture & the Power of Purpose

After graduation, I joined AmeriCorps and served as a design intern with 100 Fold Studio, a non-profit architecture firm focused on humanitarian work. Every project forced me to think about real constraints — budget, environment, community impact. I learned to design for people whose circumstances were vastly different from my own, and I discovered something important: my strongest skill was not just making things look beautiful, but deeply understanding the needs behind a design brief.

Human-centered design in high-stakes, real-world contexts
Sustainability and mission-driven design thinking
Quick adaptation to new software and architectural practices

2020–2021

Discovering UX

When the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill, it also gave me the opportunity to rethink where I wanted to grow. I enrolled in DesignLab's UX Academy bootcamp, and quickly realized I had found the right fit. With each project, my confidence grew, confirming that UX was the career I wanted to pursue wholeheartedly. The transition felt less like starting over and more like building on everything I'd learned before. My industrial design background taught me to lead with research and iteration, while architecture gave me an appreciation for designing within complex systems and for the people who use them. Together, those experiences made UX feel less like a pivot and more like the natural next chapter.

Completed DesignLab's 9-month UX Academy bootcamp
Synthesized industrial design + architectural thinking into UX practice

2021–2026

Netchex & Growing Into the Craft

After completing my UX program, I landed my first full-time role as a Junior Product Designer at Netchex. Over the next four years I was promoted to Associate Product Designer, received Employee of the Month recognition, and contributed to some of the company's most impactful products. Along the way, life had a few side quests too: I moved back to the Pacific Northwest, adopted a dwarf hamster, and married my wonderful husband.

Led Onboarding & Workflows — Projected driver of 15–20% of 2026 revenue
Promoted from Junior to Associate Product Designer
Expanded the design system with reusable components and documentation

2026–Present

What's Next

After leaving Netchex in February 2026, I'm now consulting with YWAM Publishing while actively looking for my next full-time opportunity. I'm seeking a role where I can make meaningful impact through thoughtful, research-driven design — ideally within a team that values collaboration, craft, and building things that genuinely help people. My story is still being written, and I'm excited about what comes next.

Currently consulting at YWAM Publishing on UX & digital strategy
Open to full-time product design or UX research roles
Completed Adobe-certified courses in graphic design and AI, strengthening skills in AI-assisted creative workflows

Resume

Download PDF View Online

Experience

Part-time UX & Marketing Consultant

YWAM Publishing

Mar. 2026 – Present

Lead product discovery and UX/UI design for a consumer-facing mobile app, validating concepts and iterating quickly from research to interactive experiences.
Conduct user research through heuristic evaluations, usability testing, stakeholder interviews, and competitive analysis, translating insights into product improvements across digital experiences.
Evaluate marketing operations, workflows, and digital touchpoints to identify opportunities for greater efficiency, consistency, and scalable growth across channels.

Product Designer

Netchex

Aug. 2021 – Feb. 2026

Led end-to-end product design for Onboarding & Workflows, transforming complex HR processes into intuitive, configurable workflows projected to drive 15–20% of 2026 company revenue; designed task automation, approvals, reusable patterns, and scalable workflow foundations.
Conducted customer interviews, usability testing, workflow analysis, and iterative research to identify friction points and validate solutions; translated findings into product opportunities and prioritized improvements.
Partnered closely with Product and Engineering from discovery through implementation, translating complex requirements into clear interaction patterns and production-ready designs while iterating based on technical constraints and user feedback.
Built scalable design foundations through Figma component libraries and Material UI, creating reusable patterns that improved consistency and supported the evolution of a complex enterprise product.
Used AI-powered tools throughout the design process for research synthesis, ideation, prototyping, and iterative development, accelerating exploration while maintaining human-centered product decisions.

Freelance UX/UI Designer

Grace Bomb Inc., 7GRID, and more

Oct. 2020 – Mar. 2025

Led the design of a new community app for Grace Bomb Inc. built to scale, regularly gathering user, stakeholder, and developer feedback and delivering value through phased releases.
Designed digital products, marketing materials, and websites for startups and nonprofits, translating business goals and user needs into cohesive, accessible experiences across web and mobile.

Architectural Design Intern

100 Fold Studio

Jun. 2019 – May 2020

Collaborated with architects to design sustainable structures for humanitarian organizations, translating community and stakeholder needs into functional spatial solutions that increased operational capacity and reduced environmental impact.
Contributed to conceptual design exploration, presented project concepts, and rapidly learned BIM software (Revit) within two weeks to produce detailed architectural drawings and documentation.

Education

UX Design Certification

DesignLab

B.A. in Industrial & Innovative Design

Cedarville University — GPA 3.86

Associates of Arts

Edmonds College — GPA 3.96

Certifications

Design Fundamentals with AI

Coursera with Adobe • 2026

Strategic UX Research Certification

Center Centre • 2023

Design Systems Certification

Dribbble • 2023

Figma Certification

SaaS Design • 2022

Skills

A toolkit built across disciplines — from research labs to design studios to architecture firms.

Research

User InterviewsContextual InquiriesEmpathy MappingUsability TestingAffinity MappingUser & Task FlowsHeuristic ReviewCompetitive AnalysisSurveysUser PersonasCustomer Journey MappingStakeholder InterviewsResearch Planning

Visual

Responsive Web DesigniOS & Android AppsDesign SystemsWireframesPrototypingFreehand SketchingBranding & Logo DesignStyle GuidesGraphic DesignPhoto EditingUAT TestingIconographyInteraction Design

Tools

FigmaAI-Assisted DesignAdobe FireflyAdobe IllustratorAdobe InDesignAdobe PhotoshopAdobe ExpressWebflowMiroInVisionProcreateHTML & CSSRevitSolidWorksSketchUpLog RocketCanvaAzure DevOpsFigJam

Beyond the Screen

🏛

Architecture

Beautiful spaces and structural elegance.

☕️

Coffee Shop Hopping

Finding the perfect corner with good light.

🎲

Board Games

Strategy, laughter, and friendly competition.

🌍

Learning Languages

Connecting with people across cultures.

🍰

Baking

Patience, precision, and sweet results.

💃

All Forms of Dance

Movement as expression and joy.

🗺

Traveling the World

Curiosity that takes you somewhere new.

& always discovering something new.