Hi, I’m Charissa Alethea. I craft digital products from conception and research to shippable designs.

UX Research

Start by gathering relevant context from the primary service/company, industry, and user groups.

Set the scope of the project by determining priorities and timeline through stakeholder conversations. Get excited about the problem space even if you have to fake it till you make it — talk to people who are passionate and you'll find their energy contagious.

Define what user groups are the primary focus and determine the most effective way to conduct user research. This could include surveys, interviews, user testing, heat mapping, sorting activities, and more.

Synthesize the gathered data into actionable insights. Create site maps and wireframes at the appropriate fidelity.

UI Design

Review wireframes to determine what next steps should be. This step ranges from jumping straight into high-fidelity screens (if there's an existing design system) to taking a few hundred steps back to reassess the client's digital brand presence.

In either case, this phase involves building pixel-perfect systems and screens with a consideration for hierarchy, usability, accessibility, and — obviously — beauty.

Art Direction

My philosophy on art direction is that it's all about clear vision and communication. (Also, don't get attached to your ego.)

Gather approachable inspiration with practical guidelines, but leave flexibility for the team to take ideas and run with them.

Know how to articulate what you're asking for and keep the team on track with a storyboard or moodboard (or whatever works for you), but get excited when your team's ideas are inevitably better than your own.