About
Name
Val
Location
Asheville, NC
Certificate
Google UX Design
Certified SAFe® 5 Practitioner
Specialties
UX/UI Design
Visual Design
User
Research
Branding
Front-end
Development
Name
Val
Location
Asheville, NC
Certificate
Google UX Design
Certified SAFe® 5 Practitioner
Specialties
UX/UI Design
Visual Design
User
Research
Branding
Front-end
Development
I’m a passionate UX designer driven to enhance the interaction between digital products and end-users.
My career began as a retail leader focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences. As technology evolved, so did my interests, leading me to dive into the digital user experience. Now, I work remotely in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where I channel my creativity to improve how humans engage with technology.
Beyond design, I'm a proud dog mom, amateur photographer, and entrepreneur. Even if it's not UX-related, I'd love to chat about dogs or photography!
Raised with this principle, I strive to be honest and choose what's right in every situation.
I seize every opportunity to learn and grow throughout my career.
I view my team’s challenges as my own and do whatever it takes to ensure our success.
Believe it or not, I set my sights on a career at just 12 years old. Having immigrated from Vietnam 2 years earlier, I was fueled with determination to make the most of my newly-found opportunity in the US. While I was quickly becoming fluent in English, this cool thing called “the internet” was emerging. I quickly seized the opportunity and spent hours on our fancy dial-up internet searching for a career that fit my skills.
After weeks of surfing around, I found career called a “Fashion Buyer”. Knowing I had an eye for style, a creative mindset, and good math skills, I thought this would be a perfect fit, so I laid out a plan for myself.
I researched electives and advanced placement courses that could give me a head start in college, but my home district's high school didn't offer these courses. So, as a bold, courageous, and persistent teenager, I pestered the school board to allow me to attend another school - and eventually, it worked!
My master plan was working like a charm. In high school, I excelled in my courses and became the President of the Fashion Club. In college, I majored in Fashion Merchandising with a minor in Business Marketing and interned at Bloomingdale’s. After graduation, I worked as a manager for well-known brands like Abercrombie & Fitch and Tommy Bahama. I climbed the ladder quickly, and I could see myself getting closer and closer to achieving my dream of working as a fashion buyer at a prestigious headquarters
As I progressed in my career, I also discovered more about myself beyond my professional aspirations. The career I had been working so hard towards required me to spend the majority of my time traveling, which meant I would not have time to enjoy everything I was working for. Although this realization initially brought fear and apprehension, I drew upon the bold and courageous spirit that defined me as a teenager and made the difficult decision to say goodbye to the fashion industry!
As I fearlessly embarked on a new journey, I recognized my passion for the tech industry and drew upon my previous experience managing retail stores, which gave me some exposure to data analytics. Thus, I began teaching myself SQL (Structured Query Language). Armed with this crucial skill, I landed a position at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation where I worked on enhancing data quality and providing informative insights to improve business processes. Although I found the work fulfilling, I realized that I yearned for a way to flex my creative muscles. Then it hit me - front-end development could provide the perfect blend of coding and creativity!
With that, I started learning HTML, CSS, Javascript, and Liquid by customizing a website for my online crafting business.To enhance my skills, I also created a portfolio website and worked on several freelance projects to improve my chances of getting noticed by potential employers. After numerous job applications, I received an email that began with the overused phrase, "You applied for our Front-End Developer position, but...". I felt discouraged, considering how frequently my applications were turned down due to my lack of experience. However, as I continued reading, the email asked if I would be open to another opportunity, namely a UX Designer role!
I now work in the realm of Human Centered Design as a UX Designer, and I am enamored with it! Before venturing into this field, I had no idea of the remarkable possibilities that UX Design presented, nor did I realize how perfectly suited it was for me.
In a nutshell...
I didn’t choose the design life,
the design life chose me
and I couldn’t be happier!
