Hi there! 👋
About me
My name is Haley and here are a couple of fun facts about me:
🇫🇷 I grew up in France (speak fluently)
🎮 I enjoy playing open-world video games (my favorites include God of War: Ragnarök, the Fallout series, Tomb Raider series, Fallen Order/Survivor, and more…)
🍕 I can make a mean homemade Neapolitan-style pizza
What got me into UX?
Ever since I was young, I wanted to be a photographer. Fashion photography, specifically. It had this magical way of telling stories and expressing artistic vision. I spent all my time practicing with friends, taking online courses, YouTube tutorials, and following other self-taught photographers. Before long, people were paying me to do this and it was awesome!
Then, I started feeling a little off. I realized it felt like I was just selling clothes… pushing a lifestyle of consumerism I didn’t really care about and honestly, no one needed more clothes. It didn’t feel meaningful.
So, I pivoted. Maybe I could focus on editing or graphic design. I went back to school to get some direction, feeling a bit lost. And then… I kept seeing this term “UX design” mentioned. When I realized I could use design principles to actually help people, to make lives easier, or to even make content accessible, I was floored. I realized that THIS… this is what I was meant to do.
I changed my major, dove into UX and research, and never looked back. Instead of just making things ‘look pretty’, I could make them work better for real people. I was simplifying and improving experiences in ways that actually mattered. What started as a love for visual storytelling evolved into a passion for designing solutions that help everyone navigate the world better.
About my work
I am currently working at UBS as a Senior Product/UX Designer working on key AI-first internal mobility initiatives with Tech and HR. I also enjoy supporting smaller projects by offering guidance, user testing, and mentorship to help other teams grow. I’m passionate about teaching UX and accessibility best practices, designing for real impact, and creating experiences that empower people (not just “making things pretty”… while that is important, it’s often the systems that need fixing). Beyond work, I’m deeply interested in personal finance and accessibility in video games, which drives my love for consumer-focused products that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives (RIP Mint and yay for the Access Controller!).
About my education
I graduated summa cum laude with a Master’s in Graphic Information Technology from Arizona State University with a focus on User Experience Design and Research. I also have a Bachelor’s in Graphic Information Technology in the same field with a Minor in Film and Media Studies.
While I am no expert in the space, I have a deep passion for accessibility and try to ensure it is infused in all the work that I do. One of my favorite quotes from Elise Roy (taken from her TED talk) is about designing with an accessibility-first mindset.
“When we design for disability first, we often stumble upon solutions that are often better than those when we design for the norm.”
References:
Mastercard manager:
“Haley was one of the most important hires for me when I first joined Mastercard as our team was continuing to grow — we needed wins; we needed to build trust internally; we needed to move fast as we had an unprecedented shift in how we worked due to global uncertainty. From day one, Haley looked at every challenge through the lens of a designer, product builder, communicator and most of all, "what will serve our audience/users/employees/global teams best?". Her curiosity, command of multi-discipline functions and empathy for the overall art of UX is simply best-in-class. I've always said Haley — you're a natural. Natural leader, natural innovator and that spirt is something you just can't teach.”
Kimberly-Clark manager:
“Quick Learner, Proactive Go-Getter, Deep Understanding of User-Centric Design, Always Going Above & Beyond, Agile yet High Quality, and above all Taking Ownership of Whatever She works on…
That’s Haley!
Haley was truly a great asset to our UX Team and has contributed to achieving significant milestones of User-Centric Designs for the Consumer Sites Redesign projects and getting established the right foundation for the Design Systems.
I had not only thoroughly enjoyed working with Haley but was also greatly inspired by her enthusiasm and passion for UX.”
Starbucks manager:
”Haley has been a partner at Starbucks for just over 6 years and has held the title of Barista and Shift Supervisor during that time period. She has worked under my supervision for two years.
During that time period, Haley has been an exemplary leader, who takes pride and passion in all of her efforts. She has played a crucial role in the organization, training, coaching, communication, and daily operations of my store. She is an individual who is always forward-thinking and looking to improve and better the status quo. She brings immense value to the table through her professionalism and leadership qualities. On top of all that she is completely dependable and flexible to workplace demands.
She would be a great hire, and any company would benefit from having her on their team.”