I am a designer who believes that good design starts with care. The kind that extends to people, places, artifacts, and the systems we move through, all connected on the shared ground of this planet.
I've built my career enveloped in the areas of UX, digital marketing, and creative direction. I love the process of creating beautiful interfaces with a goal of capturing ears and eyes through storytelling. However, what truly drives me, is impact. The kind that begs to solve questions; the kind that people solve every day and the kind that humanity have been asking for years.
Whether it’s in health, education, sustainability, or the arts, I’m drawn to work that empowers people and makes life a little more navigable. My design process centers around listening, translating complexity into clarity, and always asking: How does this serve real people?
I’m currently exploring new opportunities where thoughtful design can make a meaningful difference. This portfolio is a space for me to share my work, process, and purpose.
Behind every milestone is a lesson, a pivot, or a leap of faith. This timeline reflects those defining moments.
Cars.com acquired Dealer Inspire and I along with it was taken under their wing; One of their three big wings. Gaining first hand knowledge of the industry in a larger company such as Cars, was and always will be one of the most invaluable experiences to me. I've made some good friends here and I truly learned what a successful team on all sides and departments look like.
I was a fresh graduate ready to try the world. My parents retired and moved to Arizona leaving me the option to join them out of state or to find a living near the big city. I stood ground and took a job at a local insurance company. It didn't take me long to master soft skills in a customer service role where I was then promoted to help out the IT Department. The work difficult at times, but most rewarding.
I set myself a goal to make every moment count at University while I was there. I made friends, co-founded a student organization, worked a 2-7am shift with a full schedule just so that I could buy tickets to my friend's music shows, and always found a way to create and try new things. It paid off because trying new things lead me to my first web opportunity.
I had taken a few classes on Graphic and Web Design. Not only did I ace every small coding and photoshop assignment, I truly enjoyed every moment of learning about the tools and how it can be made to work for me. The immediate gratification of being able to put your ideas onto a screen solidified newer personal and professional goals.
I joined the art club in my high school, and out of all the extracurriculars I’ve been part of, it was the conversations and the way my peers saw the world through their visual skills that stood out to me the most.
I asked my cousin if he could sketch me something cool in my notebook. I liked what he drew but I wanted to make it better somehow, so I started to draw my own pictures.
"Heather has been an incredible asset to this team and we would love for her to come back and work for us again in the future!"
"Heather always asks the best questions! She's a hardworker and knows how to get sh*t done. She doesn't quit when the work gets hard and she's always the first to help out when a team member is stuck on a problem."
"I just want your team/developers to know what an excellent job they did with our website. Amazing teamwork and communication throughout!"