Learn About Me - Khiara Zhang

Hello, my name is Khiara Zhang. I am a user experience designer who works tirelessly to understand and create designs that best serve a company’s users in order to build a bridge founded on trust and understanding between a business and the people they serve. I want to create designs that leave users with a positive emotional impact that fosters brand loyalty.

Why I Chose UX/ UI Design

I've always had a desire to make a positive difference in the world and I believe UX/ UI Design is a place where I can make a real difference
I like science, art, and helping people: UX/ UI Design is unique in that it has aspects of research, visual design, and psychology
I work best when my work aligns with my values and I believe the right UX/ UI Design position will give me this and allow me to excel

My Experience (Highlights)

Springboard Bootcamp (9 month program): UX/ UI Design Career Track
UX Research and UX/ UI Design: 3 school case studies; 4 internship case studies (2 website redesigns, 2 created from scratch)
Participated in a variety of design competitions and game jams
Created my own graphics and logos from scratch

Outside of Work

I can be found cuddling cats and advocating for protection of animals and their ecosystems. I also have many interests including: playing video games, watching anime, listening to kpop, fitness (swimming and pilates), drawing, and traveling.

My Resume

SKILLS

Sketching, Wireframing, Prototyping
User Research: Generative Research, Exploratory Research, Usability Testing
User Interface Design
Personas, Affinity Mapping, Journey Mapping
User Flows, Site Maps
Style Guides, Interaction Design, UX Writing, Atomic Design, Brand Guidelines
Responsive Design, Accessibility Guidelines

EDUCATION

UI/UX Design Career Track; Springboard (Remote) May 2022 - April 2023

700+ hours, UI/UX intensive with mentor oversight: completion of 4 in-depth portfolio projects including an Industry Design Project

Bachelor of Arts; University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) September 2016 - May 2020

Studies in Cinema and Media Culture

WORK EXPERIENCE

Lead UX/ UI Design Intern; Taomla July 2023 - October 2023

A Uzbekistan web and responsive app aimed at helping restaurants bring their menu online and attract new customers.

Lead a team of 4 UX/ UI Designers to design a product from concept to launch
Implemented both stakeholder feedback and insight from Uzbek users to push the high fidelity prototype to a solution that fit the unique needs of users in Uzbekistan better

UX/ UI Design Intern; Oraculi March 2023 - April 2023

A website for a local non-profit organization that helps kids in Rochester, MN to achieve their science fair dreams by partnering kids grades 3-12 with mentors to help them with their project.

Worked with the stakeholder to reduce project scope to a more impactful and targeted goal
Redesigned a website to address user pain points related to conflicting mental models and information architecture, so users could find the information they needed faster and easier
Designed a character mascot to help with Oraculi’s recruitment and social media promotions
Improved the trustworthiness of the website and overall design satisfaction by 100%

Production Assistant; KTTC NBC 10 June 2020 - April 2022

The top local TV and news station based in Rochester, MN; Former hub for KWWL, KTIV, and KBJR

Ran ad breaks for live events such as the SuperBowl in order to help the TV station and its partner stations secure revenue of up to $400,000 per event
Collaborated with six cross-functional teams to ensure quality of the broadcast and minimize technical and logistical issues to keep viewership and revenue streams for the news station high