Hi, I’m Melissa.
Leader in Accessible Digital Product Design Systems
With over 20 years of experience in digital design focusing on accessibility, design systems, user interface design (UI), user experience design (UX), and collaborative teamwork, I help bridge the gap between marketing and technology teams to create efficient and effective digital products.
At the University of Illinois, I lead multiple cross-functional teams of designers, developers, UX, and content strategists to expand the Illinois web theme design system, shared component library, and CMS themes. One of my teams is the first Center of Expertise on campus.
As a member of the University of Illinois community that pioneers disability advocacy and equity, I have a passion and deep understanding of the importance of an accessibility-first mindset and leadership in this field.
Featured Products
A web theme containing reusable code and patterns for all campus websites to use for consistency, branding, and accessibility standardization.
A web tool that students and parents can explore the expanding variety of programs the College of ACES offers by filtering and sorting cards.
Rework of a small pixelated logo file into a system with new design files for multiple types of use.
Skills
- Accessibility and universal design
- UI/UX design
- Project management
- Responsive mobile design
- Creative problem solving
- WCAG accessibility
- Collaborative specialist
Software
- Project management: ClickUp, AirTable
- Design: Figma, Adobe (XD, Lightroom, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, InDesign, Acrobat)
- CMS: Drupal, WordPress
- Code: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, GitHub
- Google Analytics
- Communication: Microsoft Suite, Google Suite, Zoom, Slack