๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿฝโ€๐Ÿ’ป Hello! I'm Rachel

I shape educational experiences, mission-driven technology, and community-focused design

IODA

Transforming how a global audience understands internet shutdowns through a data dashboard redesign

UX Design โ€ข Data Visualization

Kaona

Bridging interactive learning with Hawaiian lore with through a role-playing game and digital โ€œStorytellerโ€

UX Design โ€ข Game Design โ€ข In Development

Kumu Connect 

Empowering culturally relevant CS education with asset-based AI tools for teachers

UX Research โ€ข UX Design โ€ข In Progress

UX Design

Capsule

Facilitating cultural (re)connection and exploration through a recipe exchange platform

UX Design โ€ข UX Research

IODA

Transforming how a global audience understands internet shutdowns through a data dashboard redesign

UX Design โ€ข Data Visualization

Crosstalk

Mastering language nuances with an app for learning idioms and slang

UX Design

Pickrick Project

Educating and engaging through AR storytelling of Atlantaโ€™s civil rights history

UX Design โ€ข Game Design

TRACE

Reimagining architectural co-design with a video conference app blending sketching and digital drafting

UX Design

CoHeart

Fostering friendships for introverted international students via a dedicated social app

UX Design โ€ข UX Research

Illustration & Graphic Design

Kaona Game Art

Bridging interactive learning with Hawaiian lore with through a role-playing game and digital โ€œStorytellerโ€

Game Art โ€ข UX Design

Veggie Mijas

Elevating the identity of a food justice org through strategic branding and logo redesign

Illustration โ€ข Graphic Design

Birthing Rights Zines

Distributing critical maternal health information via accessible and engaging zines

Illustration โ€ข Research

Design Systems

Crafting Consistency

Transforming the U.S. Asylum Office's design system for improved functionality and user experience.

UX Design โ€ข Design Systems

About Me

I'm Rachel, a UX designer focused on edtech and mission-driven projects, blending storytelling, gamification, and cultural relevance.

With 3+ years of professional design work and two rigorous design degrees, I hold skills in UX and product design, qualitative UX research, and illustration. Soon-to-finish my MS in Human-Computer Interaction at Georgia Tech, Iโ€™m seeking a full-time Product / UX Design role for May 2024.

I have a knack for speeding up tasks and smoothing out processes without compromising quality and creativity. This impacts user experiences, as seen by a 30% cut in task completion times at USCIS, as well as my work efficiency, as shown by accelerating permit set fulfillment by 50%-65% at Caddis Collaborative, exceeding firm averages.

What sets me apart? My expertise in community-based projects and co-design. I closely collaborate with users, drawing from a multitude of perspectives and needs, to design solutions that deeply resonate with a diverse user base.

Here are some achievements I am proud of:

๐Ÿ“š Leading Product Design on Ka Moamoa Labโ€™s EdTech Efforts:

As lead Product Designer on the lab's education projects, I collaborate with cross-functional teams to design culturally responsive educational solutions, such as โ€œKaonaโ€, an educational role-playing game. I advocate for users, apply human-centered design to the game development process, and create engaging UI elements, design standards, and user flows, with positive feedback from 85% of test users.

๐ŸŒŸ Increasing User Connection Through Co-design:

At Caddis Collaborative, I led participatory design workshops with >24 clients, using user research to inform design enhancements that fostered community engagement. At Ka Moamoa Lab, I utilize co-design methods to include user and stakeholder insights in educational solutions, deepening user connection.

๐Ÿ“ˆ Advancing Design Efficiency at USCIS's Asylum Branch:

As a User Experience Design Fellow, I led the overhaul of the Asylum office's design system. This involved mapping variables and creating Figma components to tackle legacy inconsistencies and heuristic challenges. I took on the role of evangelizing Figma best practices and the use of design variables through presentations and teach-out sessions, fostering shared understanding and application.

โœ‰๏ธ Let's connect! You can reach me at rachelbaker@gatech.edu

The Archive

Eco-Machine

Landscape interventions informed by runoff, to address flooding and erosion

Architecture

Lloyds: Erosion and Reoccupation

A projection of erosion and reoccupation of Lloyds of London

Architecture

Polaris

Five-day design challenge to design a shelter for celestial observations

Architecture

Eco-Morphology

An architectural study on connectivity, symbiosis, and weaving the built environment with the land

Architecture

Birth Rights: Design Proposal

A birthing community center, focused on dignity and continuous support systems

Architecture

Conservation on Aisle Four

The Rise and Failure of Eco-Commerce in the 1980s and 1990s

Research โ€ข History