My name is Natalie Zdan. I find simple solutions
to complex problems through research,
information architecture,
and
user testing.
tl;dr
I came to design with a background in sales, customer service, and teaching. I've always enjoyed helping people. That's why every iteration I create is based on findings from user research and testing. View My Resume
how it began
My path to UX began after studying Global Perspectives in college. Over the seven years following graduation, I held positions as a mattress sales associate, a relocation assistant, a quality assurance analyst, a customer service representative, and an English teacher in Korea. After returning from Korea in summer 2018, I was done with temporary jobs. I wanted to find a career I loved that I could see myself growing in over decades. Reflecting on the aspects I’d enjoyed about each position I’d held, I realized there were three things I really loved:
What i love
People
I've always been a very social person. I traveled and studied languages in an attempt to understand people. Then, through teaching young students English and later assisting customers with websites and software, I learned what a joy it is not just to understand people, but to use that understanding to help them solve their problems.
details
My favorite part of learning languages was always the minutiae of grammar rules. As a mattress sales associate, I loved learning about each layer in each mattress. And when I worked in QA, I enjoyed analyzing reports to find shortcomings of our database software that needed to be addressed. “That’s just the way it is,” is never a good enough answer for me; I want to know why things are the way they are.
efficiency
I had frustrations with software I utilized in every position, especially as a QA analyst and customer service rep. The in-house software at both organizations did not make it easy to accomplish the tasks that needed to be accomplished. I was always looking for faster, more logical solutions to make the program work for my purposes. Every unavailable hotkey, long mouse drag, or extra click made me question whether the software was designed with users in mind at all.
how it ended
When I learned about what UX design entailed, I knew I had found my calling. Designing
products
with the user first allows me to combine my love of people, details, and efficiency. My
design
process includes constant user testing, analyzing not just whether the user can accomplish
the
overall tasks, but each of the small steps it took them to get there.
I know what it’s like to feel limited by poor design and, therefore, enjoy every chance I
get
to make life a little easier for others by designing intuitive, efficient digital products.
If you’re looking to make user-friendly digital products, I’d love to be in touch.
Feel
free to
connect with me any time right here.