Hi there!
I'm Melanie.

I bet you're wondering…

I bet you're wondering…

I bet you're wondering

WHAT MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS TAUGHT ME ABOUT DESIGN

WHAT MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS TAUGHT ME ABOUT DESIGN

Jack sauntered into the classroom as usual- eyes down, hoodie engaged, grunts at the ready. "¿Tienes tu tarea?" Of course not. Then Matt dances into the room, hoodie also engaged (maybe that's just Middle School style), and plops himself in the back of the room while his stuff cascades over neighboring desks. He opens up his cuaderno and starts drawing intricate trestle bridges that weave between vocab lists and verb conjugation ejercicios. I saved myself the trouble of asking for his tarea.

Jack sauntered

into the classroom

as usual-

eyes down,

hoodie engaged,

grunts at the ready.

"¿Tienes tu tarea?

Of course not.

Then Matt dances into the room,

hoodie also engaged

(maybe that's just Middle School style),

and plops himself in the back of the room

while his stuff cascades over neighboring desks.

He opens up his

cuaderno

and starts drawing

intricate trestle bridges

that weave between

vocab lists and verb conjugation

ejercicios.

I saved myself the

trouble of asking for his

tarea.

I'd like to think that if you can engage a middle school boy, you'd make a great UX researcher. Throughout my three years teaching Middle School Spanish, I grew in compassion for their pain points. "Why do I have to learn this anyway?" Of course I knew that learning a foreign language expands their capacity for critical thinking and english language learning, but THAT rationale didn't always resonate with my user. Instead I leaned heavily into, "because it's fun." In class, I worked to delight my user- I mean- student. When we learned furniture, I had students design their dream home on the Sims then present it as interior designers making a pitch in Spanish. Jack loved the design part, but the pitch part was a bit of a stretch for him. For learning directions, we turned the classroom into a "the floor is lava" game. I came to realize that it's just not compassionate to a 12 year old to make them sit in their chair all day. I had to have compassion for my user's experience in order to improve upon it.

I'd like to think that if you can engage a middle school boy, you'd make a great UX researcher. Throughout my three years teaching Middle School Spanish, I grew in compassion for their pain points. "Why do I have to learn this anyway?" Of course I knew that learning a foreign language expands their capacity for critical thinking and english language learning, but THAT rationale didn't always resonate with my user. Instead I leaned heavily into, "because it's fun." In class, I worked to delight my user- I mean- student. When we learned furniture, I had students design their dream home on the Sims then present it as interior designers making a pitch in Spanish. Jack loved the design part, but the pitch part was a bit of a stretch for him. For learning directions, we turned the classroom into a "the floor is lava" game. I came to realize that it's just not compassionate to a 12 year old to make them sit in their chair all day. I had to have compassion for my user's experience in order to improve upon it.

I'd like to think that if you can engage a middle school boy, you'd make a great UX designer. Throughout my three years teaching Middle School Spanish, I grew in compassion for their pain points. "Why do I have to learn this anyway?" Of course I knew that learning a foreign language expands their capacity for critical thinking and english language learning, but THAT rationale didn't always resonate with my user. Instead I leaned heavily into, "because it's fun." In class, I worked to delight my user- I mean- student. When we learned furniture, I had students design their dream home on the Sims then present it as interior designers making a pitch in Spanish. Jack loved the design part, but the pitch part was a bit of a stretch for him. For learning directions, we turned the classroom into a "the floor is lava" game. I came to realize that it's just not compassionate to a 12 year old to make them sit in their chair all day. I had to have compassion for my user's experience in order to improve upon it.

During the pandemic, I moved from teaching to the non-profit world. I learned how to farm on a rooftop alongside activists who are dedicated to bringing healthy produce to the food deserts of St. Louis. Yet another lesson in compassion for the people of our city who were not given access to a basic human need. As I supported the organization in marketing, grant-writing, website management, I learned how the words we speak and they way we present those words can have a profound impact on people the people we serve. I replaced the term "food desert" with "food apartheid" to better reflect the not so random nature of food distribution across St. Louis. When our user felt heard on our website, they were more likely to engage with us. Compassion with the user led to more accessibility.

With 15 years in the professional field, I'm doing what I've never stopped doing- having compassion for someone's experience and creating a solution to meet them where they are. People who work with me describe me as reliable, up for anything, and as someone who can talk to anyone. Some of my side hustles include work as an illustrator, digital content creator, writer, Girl Scout leader, summer camp volunteer, and improv comedy enthusiast.

Jack sauntered into the classroom as usual- eyes down, hoodie engaged, grunts at the ready. "¿Tienes tu tarea?" Of course not. Then Matt dances into the room, hoodie also engaged (maybe that's just Middle School style), and plops himself in the back of the room while his stuff cascades over neighboring desks. He opens up his cuaderno and starts drawing intricate trestle bridges that weave between vocab lists and verb conjugation ejercicios. I saved myself the trouble of asking for his tarea.

What my peeps are saying:

What my peeps are saying:

Lisa Bertke

Manager Enterprise Content Management, Ameren

“Melanie did a fantastic job leading the website redesign project. She brought stakeholders along on the journey, communicating her process, gathering inputs and feedback along the way, and sharing the end results. She conducted thoughtful interviews with a diverse group of people in various roles from non-profit experts to casual browsers. This resulted in an informed approach to the new design. I appreciated Melanie’s thoughtfulness and drive for results during the project.”

Rebekah Charlston

Director of Creative Strategy

Storycraft Lab

"I've worked with Melanie in several capacities but most recently in designing collateral for and launching a small business. Melanie is extremely adaptable, takes feedback well, and quickly applies new skills, which makes her a fast learner and a valuable team member. Her collaborative spirit and positive attitude make her not only easy to work with and so much fun! She consistently brings fresh ideas, communicates effectively, and is eager to grow her expertise."

Katie Houck

Executive Director

Urban Harvest STL

"I had the pleasure of working with Melanie during her time at Urban Harvest STL, and I can confidently say she is an exceptional professional with an admirable drive to embrace challenges and continually expand her skill set.


Melanie's adaptability, enthusiasm for learning, and commitment to excellence make her an invaluable asset to any team. I highly recommend her to anyone seeking a professional who is both resourceful and driven to succeed."