About Me
I went through college at the University of Texas in San Antonio knowing I wanted to work in a collaborative career. Research and design are my innate passions, and functionality and accessibility are my driving forces.
I consider myself an efficiency advocate with a balanced focus on the " big picture" and its supporting details. I take pride in finding user-centric design solutions that help businesses reach new heights.
Samaria's Projects
CV
Resumé
CV
Education
The University of Texas at San Antonio
Bachelor's in Business Administration - Management Science
2016 - 2020
Certification
Project Management Institute
Certified Associate in Project Management
2020 -2025
July 2022 - Present
UX and Brand Designer
Contra
- Supported 47 clients over 6 months with the use of Figma and Sketch to deliver user flows, wireframes, low/high-fidelity mockups, prototypes, and information architecture for web, mobile, and app interfaces
- Managed 75+ vendors & maintain and follow the consistent internal design in correspondence with Google Material Design and research principles regarding product design sprints
- Work with startup businesses to develop product strategy and establish branding visuals such as color theory for logos, layout, iconography, and typography to be used on emails, banners, and mockups
- Conducted surveys and interviews with 150+ customers to collect feedback and understand user requirements and digital specifications for 3 client studies
- Progress through projects alongside product designers, researchers, product managers, engineers, and stakeholders to incorporate accessibility standards on projects, increasing user flow completion by 25%
- Utilize Useberry to conduct and track user testing on designs and make iterative changes based on results and feedback
April 2021 - August 2022
Junior UX Architect
Blink UX
- Work alongside product managers to identify user needs and conduct research for 5 SaaS products in the B2B and B2C space
- Created low-fidelity wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes to communicate design ideas to cross-functional partners
- Work with developers to ensure that the design is technically feasible and can be implemented within the project timeline through A/B testing
- Performed QA with +15 clients and conduct user research to identify constraints and optimize the client portal usability
- Engage in conducting design reviews to ensure the design meets the project requirements and user needs
- Kept up with industry trends that aid me in improving my design skills and suggested innovative solutions to the team
Feb 2020 - March 2021
Project Manager
Partner Science and Engineering Inc.
- Compiled deliverables that meet client expectations and business requirements, providing leadership and execution for project parameters regarding the status of commercial properties
- Organized multiple users, responsive scenarios, and collaborative touchpoints to identify roadblocks and create optimal team workflows while maintaining high production standards
- Collaborated on the procurement process to increase scope prehension by 57% and led to +5M in additional revenue over 2 quarters
- Lowering discord by 11% by working iteratively, creating a constructive work environment by routinely collecting feedback from stakeholders and upper management
- Improved network latency by 48% through implementing a Utilization Report on new project engagement, including scheduling, project kick-offs, and performance tracking
Reddit redesign
Case study
In this case study, I looked at Reddit through a UX lens, spoke with users, and identified what could be improved to make the platform more user-friendly. I will be diving into my process, findings, and final results in this case study.
Project Length: 3 weeks
My Role: Ux designer, Researcher
Tools:
BACK HOME
Choosing My Thinking Cap
What I Knew:
Reddit was already an established platform with millions of users daily.
Double Diamond Design Method
What I Needed:
A design process that prompted me to ask the right question and stay open-minded.
Discover
I used this stage as an opportunity to go broad. I formed my initial hypothesis and looked to user research to test its validity.
I conducted this research through a Google Form survey of 10 questions. I had 29 participants.
My Hypothesis
Users would value more freedom with decorating their avatar.
Users despise pesky and heavily moderated subreddits.
The outdated UI on desktop is holding users back.
Research reveals
66% of users couldn’t care less about customizing their avatar.
67% of users have little to no instances of having their post removed due to heavily moderated subreddits.
Only 35% of users access Reddit on a desktop, while 59% of users access Reddit on a mobile device.
Surprising Findings
Users' anecdotes
55.1%
News updates
6.1%
Memes
4.1%
Sought out Information
34.7%
When asking users what type of content they value most from Reddit, 55% said they most value user anecdotes.
Searchable information was the second most valuable content.
44.3%
Of Redditors use the platform to "lurk"
With this information, I can know what motivates the user to return to Reddit. This means nearly half of the sample size uses the platform to take in content without actively contributing.
This tells me that most users are on Reddit for a good time. This prompted me to keep my designs fun and pleasant.
Journey Map
I decided to utilize a user journey map to really put myself in the users' shoes. I created a map of interactions and feeling to represent Redditters who don't participate as well as a user who thrives on participation.
Define
In this stage, I sort through collected data, identify common patterns, and define the problem.
On the survey had a free-response question asking participants "What's a feature you wish Reddit had?"
I used the Affinity map to help me understand their responses. Through this, it was able to group users' responses and identify common themes.
Affinity Map
Problem
Research reveals that Reddit downfalls revolve around being information centered and not use-centered. Other than selecting what communities users want to be a part of, there is no way to further customize their experience.
Goal
My main goal in this case study is to create a design that is user-centered. No two users are the same, therefore every user should have the ability to tailor their Reddit experience to their personal interest and passions. I planned to achieve this goal through organized UI, and creating more exposure to what the uses value.
Pain Points
Gains
No fine tune of recommendations
Similar content suggestions under posts
Cascading comment sections make it hard to keep up with where you are in the thread
More organization to the comment section
Redundancy when making a post to different communities
Easier flow for engaging with multiple communities
Not much customization
Create a way to personalize feed to be more user-centered
Feature Priority
The ability to customize feeds to display content specific to the user's interest
Switch comments to a drop-down/expand or close function instead of cascading form
Allow users to make a post to multiple communities all in one go
Introduce a "similar post" feature under each post, in addition to the comments to fine-tune recommendations
Develop
This stage is all about creating, designing, and testing. Given that this is a redesign, I spent less time mapping out new flows and more time focused on enriching the platform with the defined feature set.
I used low-fidelity wireframes to help visualize and test early concepts, and functionalities that my final designs would need to support.
Initial Designs
Wireframes
Low-fi
User Testing
I utilized Useberry, to test users with my designs. I was able to track user progress throughout the task given.
Testers got stomped when tasked with posting to multiple communities at once and toggling between recommended posts.
After further consideration of the why of this matter, I decided to align the wording with what Reddit users are already exposed to when using the platform
According to the Official Press Guidelines for Reddit, OC is commonly known on Reddit to stand for 'Original Content.'
With this information, I switched 'Similar Post' to 'Similar to OC' and re-tested. Users received this change well, as it is more aligned with the culture they are used to on the platform.
Delivery
UX Designer: Samaria Morgan
Tools:
This feature allows users the ability to customize their feeds to display content specific to the users' interests.
This feature allows users to make a post to multiple communities all in one go.
This feature introduces a similar post feature under each post, in addition to the comments, to fine-tune recommendations.
This feature allows users to maintain security around their content in a way that compliments the anonymity element of Reddit. Users have to follow each other to view another's history on the platform.
This feature introduces a drop-down/expand or close function to the platform, rather than cascading style.
Icon and Navigation Re-design
Final Designs
Things left to consider
In this case study, I focused on mobile design because that is where my research prompted me to focus.
If I were to continue with this case study I would allot more attention to re-designing the desktop experience for Reddit, as there is a large population who prefer that view.
Fitness and Wellness Case Study
Vigor Compeer
Connecting communities in the name of wellness.
A sense of community was a crucial part of this project. The user yearned for a simplistic method to valuing their wellness on the platform. Check out how I accomplished this below.
Agency: Contra
Client: C-Mold
Back Home
Project Overview
Vigor Compeer is a social platform specifically designed to unite and connect communities interested in fitness, diet, and wellness. Users can use this platform to share their tips and knowledge, as well as gather fresh information and perspectives from their peers.
My Role: UX Designer & Researcher
Duration: 3 months
Defining the Problem
Problem
Users face challenges in discovering new content and struggle to save and organize posts they find value within the product. As a result, their likelihood of returning to the product and staying engaged is decreased, negatively impacting retention and conversion rates.
Goal
The goal is to increase engagement and user retention within the app to ensure users are getting the most from the platform.
Design Thinking
Design thinking served as the fundamental approach for this app design, ensuring a user-centric process. Rather than a linear path, I utilized it as a flexible guide, revisiting phases as necessary. Emphasizing the importance of inclusivity, the design aimed to cater to the diverse needs of all users, including those with disabilities.
User Research
Jakob’s Law
....users prefer your site to work the same way as all the other sites they already know.
-
Law of UX
33
users participated in surveys
7
Users were interviewed
65%
of users workout 3 or more times a week
47%
of users exhibit motor disabilities attributed to exercise
User Feedback
Interviewee #1
“The more you save posts, the harder it is to find them. It's definitely a task for someone who likes to refer back to useful information.”
Interviewee #2
"Interesting topics are not suggested to me like on other platforms. I have to seek out new groups, and posts.”
Interviewee #3
“Saving a post is like dumping them into a bucket that you have to sift through later.”
Empathy Map
I decided to use an empathy map to shift my focus from the app to its users.
This insight helps me understand that users felt the platform was too manual. This discovery helped me understand how users' lack of motivation to be on the platform results in low conversion rates.
Pain Points & Gains
Pain Point
No organization for
valuable posts
Gains
Differentiating between liking and saving post
Pain Point
Users manually
seek out new information every time
Gains
Discovery tab that shows content relevant to users preferences
Pain Point
Excessive scrolling to find
posts of interest
Gains
Search bar to cut time
IA
I began my ideation phase with an information architecture (IA). This helped me identify content gaps and visualize the flow.
Wireframes
I decided to draw wireframes to help me work through important interactions and layout needs.
I welcomed a mindset of exploration and experimentation, allowing for both the best and worst options to be considered.
Accessible design elements were my priority, and I did this by illustrating clear navigation.
Low-Fidelity Mockup
In this phase, I included the development team. Together we enabled quick iterations, user-centric design, and unbiased evaluation of functionality all using effective communication.
Design Iterations
During this project, I underwent 3 rounds of design iterations. With each prototype test, I progressively refined the user flows and optimized conversion. Notably, significant changes were made to the app's UI and accessibility.
Accessibility
Light purple and green are chosen as branding colors for a health and fitness app due to their associations and relevance. These distinct colors provide high contrast for improved readability and usability, especially for users with visual impairments.
I incorporated visual cues and feedback into my design to provide confirmation when a user interacts with an element, helping them understand that their input has been registered. This visual feedback helped compensate for potential challenges in physical feedback due to motor disabilities.
I implemented swipe gestures to create inclusive and accessible interaction options. Prioritizing user comfort and effectiveness, this approach enables seamless engagement for users with diverse motor abilities.
SOLUTIONS Summary
Pain Point: No organization for
valuable posts
The nested menu houses the Loved Post and Collection functions. This creates a Decision Point, differentiation between the two.
By incorporating dedicated buttons for liking and saving posts, users have the autonomy to choose whether they want to save the content for later reference or simply express support for others in their community.
Pain Point: Excessive scrolling to find posts of interest
Users can easily discover relevant content by directly engaging with tags embedded within posts. Users are seamlessly directed to similar content through the Search bar function by clicking on these tags.
Users can search related tags in specific groups and collections, enabling them to stay connected with their interests and preferences from anywhere within the app
Pain Point: Users manually
seek out new information, every time.
The introduction of "Splashes," acting as hashtags, allows users to easily discover content aligned with their interests.
The Discovery tab presents posts from user-favorited "splashes" in line with users' preferences, eliminating the need for manual searching.
This feature solves the problem by offering relevant and fresh content to users in a seamless experience from navigation.
Fitness and Wellness Case Study
Final Designs
Measurable improvements
- Average session durations increase: 8min to 33min/day
- Decreased bounce rate: from 74% to 44%
- Social sharing and referrals: 800+ new users the first week of the new feature launch
What I Learned
Through this project, I learned to address the unique needs of users with motor disabilities and visual impairments with my designs. I gained insights into the importance of organization, access to valuable content, and creating a balanced user experience.
If given the opportunity again, I would incorporate plug-ins in Figma to enhance collaboration and avoid inconsistencies between design and development teams, ensuring accessibility for all users.
Thank you!
Back Home
Information Architect
Gender Reveal App
I was brought on this project to create an information architecture diagram to guide the design process of a children's gender reveal app. I collaborated with 1 designer and Product Manager to ensure that the design is technically feasible and scalable.
Agency: Blink UX
Client: Hash Rate Services
My Role: UX Architect
Loading Page
Reveal
plan
Reveal
Requirements:
•Must have a Previous
child
•Provide Previous Child
gender
•Provide Previous Child
Date of birth
•Expected Delivery
date
Reveal
Previous Child gender
Boy
Girl
Reveal
Previous Child Date of Birth
Scroll Throw Calendar
Reveal
Expected Delivery Date
Scroll Throw calendar
Reveal Results
Boy
Girl
Plan
Requirements:
•Parent must have 1 child
at least
•Mother period cycle must
be 28 days
Description:
•This app is designed to
predict and plan next
child gender.
•The app will tell you a
date range to have sex
with your partner to plan
your child gender.
Plan
Input 1 -Girl | Boy
Boy
Girl
Plan
Input 2 -DOB Previous Child
Scroll Throw calendar
Plan
Input 3 -First Day of Period
Scroll Throw calendar
Plan Results
Boy
Ex: Jan 11th- Feb 5th
Girl
Boy
Girl
Boy
Girl
User Acco unt Sign In
Help and FAQ
Billing
(Credit Balance)
User Account Sign Up
User Profile
Starting reference given to me by the client
