Redesigning My Skill Set to Narrow the Gap Between Print and Digital
While working as Presentation Director and leading news design at the Star Tribune, I enrolled in Bloc’s two-year UI/UX and front-end development bootcamp. My goal was to expand my skills beyond editorial design craft, narrow the gap between print and digital design in our newsroom and ensure my own long-term career resilience.
This self-driven program gave me the foundation I needed in mobile design principles, design systems, HTML/CSS/JS, UX research, prototyping and technical implementation. I completed projects in parallel with my day job, using what I learned to level up collaboration, bridge technical conversations and make more informed decisions across design and product.
Capstones in Craft, Systems and Code
My final capstone was a concept called Travelogue — an app built for logging and revisiting deep travel experiences. In addition to Travelogue, I completed several other projects including:
• BusyBus, a bus routing app
• Canvas, a collaborative project planning platform for creative teams
• A responsive personal portfolio, designed and developed from scratch
The Bloc experience gave me more than skills — it gave me the language, tools and perspective to lead confidently in the evolving digital space. For each project I took on, I went through a process that included user surveys, competitive analysis, user personas, user stories, user flows, sketches, wireframes, prototypes, usability testing, style guides and final high-fidelity deliverables.
My time at Bloc shaped how I hire, how I mentor and how I evaluate systems and interfaces — and it remains a critical waypoint in my transition from designer to design manager to design leader.
