Hi, I’m Janel! I’m a 2nd year graduate student at the University of Michigan’s School of Information. My concentration is in User Experience Research and Design. I'm a UX Designer with Extraordinary Customer Empathy.

 

Prior to learning all things design, I worked at a deli! I learned how to make mozzarella, filled over a hundred orders for the holiday season, but most importantly learned how to give great customer service. At the deli, we refer to our customers as guests. I've had several years of experience building customer relationships such as helping a guest annually pick out birthday and Christmas presents for her children. I have had the opportunity of meeting all them who all live out of state. Another guest who I’ve worked with for years was heading to Singapore to meet his girlfriend’s grandma. I picked out a pack of European shortbread cookies to take across the world. I had first time guests visiting from North Carolina and gave them a food tour throughout our department. They came back 6 months to a year later. I recognized them and stated, “You’re from North Carolina, right?” Their response, “Yes! We weren’t sure if you were still working here, but we hoped you were!”

 

I’ve always enjoyed learning and wanted to go to grad school. I felt I could utilize my work experience in UX, since I had worked with many guests at the deli. In my first semester, I enjoyed learning the content and was excited about all the new skills I attained.

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My design philosophy is to have the people in mind and to be thoughtful in my design choices to help users. I create designs to enhance the user's experience.