FIGMA | MIRO | ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR | ADOBE PHOTOSHOP | HTML | CSS | USER-CENTERED DESIGN | INTERACTION DESIGN | WIREFRAMING & PROTOTYPING | COLOR THEORY & TYPOGRAPHY | DESIGN THINKING
Introduction
With a diverse background spanning industries such as research assistance for a Doctor specializing in electrical technologies and batteries, retail, personalized photo gifts in the printing business, and the automotive sector, I offer a broad and well-rounded foundation of practical insights. My academic journey began with architecture and interior design, followed by studies in photography and business (DipHE Level 5, Open University), exposing me to a variety of environments and business models.
This varied experience has shaped my vision and sparked a passion for bridging the gap between business thinking and design thinking. My goal is to create solutions that deliver meaningful benefits to both users/customers and businesses alike.
To refine my expertise, I completed an intensive UX/UI design course, paving the way for my current path. Today, I am dedicated to crafting user-centric designs that integrate flawlessly with strategic business goals.
Embarking on My Creative Path
Creative from the start, I studied Architecture and Interior Design in Riga after completing my secondary education. My training focused on technical drawing, freehand sketching, and hands-on exploration of watercolour techniques, nurturing my appreciation for tactile design processes.
Journey to the Heart of London
In 2008, I moved to London to study photography, immersing myself in analogue techniques, from crafting pinhole cameras to darkroom film development.
Venturing into Research
In 2010, I took on a voluntary assistant role under a Doctor specializing in Electrical Technologies, focusing on research for electric vehicles and batteries. I documented social environments, such as exhibitions and conferences, through photography. Additionally, I conducted historical research in various London libraries, including the British Library and The Institution of Engineering and Technology.
Expanding My Horizons
To fund my Higher Education in Business Management, I took on a variety of jobs. Working in a busy lab that provided both digital and analogue photo developing and printing, as well as personalised photo gifts, taught me a lot. I gained skills in printing photos on various surfaces and materials, including creating large-format posters. Beyond the technical side, it was a great experience in understanding how a franchise business operates. Over the past four years, I managed content and multimedia for local car dealership websites while also monitoring and analysing performance metrics for individual listings, optimising prices, and conducting website analytics.
The Path to UX/UI Design
I have always been fascinated by technology, especially its functionality and what determines its popularity or failure. One day, while working in a bustling photo lab in central London, a Japanese customer came in to print a photo collage and needed assistance navigating her phone to export the images properly. Despite not understanding a single word of Japanese, I managed to help her by relying on the icons and my memory of the button positions on the iPhone. The customer was extremely happy, and this experience stayed with me for years. It made me ponder what exactly made the navigation so intuitive, even without understanding the language. At that time, I was unaware of the existence of UX/UI design.
The second instance that made me think deeply and ultimately discover UX/UI design occurred during my most recent job. Over nearly four years, I photographed approximately 4,500 cars, focusing on capturing the interiors and their infotainment systems. During this time, I encountered thousands of infotainment systems from various car makes and years, ranging from quite old to brand new. I noticed significant differences in navigation and found that newer and updated systems weren’t always better. Some older versions were more intuitive than their newer counterparts.
Having interacted with a wide range of infotainment systems, some exceptionally intuitive, others less so, I became deeply intrigued by the principles that distinguish user-friendly design from confusing interfaces. This curiosity sparked a strong commitment to understanding the foundations of usability, leading me to Don Norman’s ‘The Design of Everyday Things’ and ultimately enrolling in the UX Design Institute course. These steps marked the formal beginning of my journey into UX/UI design.
Thank you for your interest in my journey.
Feel free to reach out if you have any UX/UI design concepts to discuss or are interested in collaborating with me. You’re welcome to get in touch by completing the form below or connecting with me directly on LinkedIn.