Hello there!

I’m McKenna, nice to meet you :-)

With my background in conservation biology, I use my critical-thinking and analytical skills to search for the best solutions to the problems users face. In the sciences, data organization is critical to a successful project, and in UX Design, I feel that organization is just as important.

I have a love for herpetology- the study of reptiles and amphibians; prior to starting UX, I spent a over a year living in Chicago where I worked as a field technician on herptile conservation research projects, first for the Field Museum of Natural History, then the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. As much as I absolutely loved working independently with my little reptile and amphibian friends, I found myself missing connections with people and helping others.

Wanting to make a meaningful impact in other ways, I decided to move toward UX design. I moved back to North Dakota in the fall of 2023, where I started the DesignLab UX Academy and became a substitute teacher for middle and high school students, then a middle school English Learners (EL) paraprofessional. With my background and interest in education, especially education outside of the classroom, I find my interests sparked by the EdTech industry. In the future, I hope to make more scientific information accessible to the general public and help instill an interest in conservation in others through user-friendly tech interactions.