About Me

Human-centered designer with sharp attention to detail, collaborating on stakeholder vision to create accessible, engaging digital experiences.

Education

B.S. in Computer Science, University of Houston

Graduated with Honors, Cum Laude

European Art, Culture, and Society Study Abroad Program, Fairfield University

Traveling through London, Paris, Nice, Milan, Venice, Florence, and Rome to explore their major contributions to art and architecture. This journey places these artistic developments in their broader cultural, social, and intellectual contexts.

Software Engineering Immersive Program, General Assembly

Acquired full-stack development fundamentals through a 6-month, 500+ hour software engineering bootcamp.

Experience

Experience Designer, Digital Smile Design, Remote, August 2024 — Present

  • Collaborated with business owners to transform vision and requirements into user flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity prototypes using Figma.

  • Conducted usability testing and user interviews to validate design decisions.

  • Developed scalable design systems and style guides, ensuring brand consistency and accessibility (WCAG) across all digital touch points.

  • Articulated design rationale to stakeholders, bridging the gap between business goals and technical constraints to ensure project success.

UX/UI Design Intern, bp, Houston, TX, May 2023 — August 2023

  • Conducted user interviews and developed a tree jack test, gathering feedback from 40 global designers to validate and improve information architecture on the Helix site.

  • Synthesized UX research insights, presenting findings to senior leadership that informed navigation redesign decisions.

  • Orchestrated cross-functional collaboration among 20 Digital Science interns, aligning UX research, design, front-end development, and video production to achieve cohesive project outcomes.

UX Designer, Kaizen Jewelry, Remote, June 2022 — August 2023

  • Designed and optimized e-commerce experience for Kaizen Jewelry, driving over 1,000 sales through  effective UX, brand consistency, and a seamless user journey.

Writing Tutor, University of Houston, January 2022 — October 2023

  • Elevated student writing performance through coaching, achieving a 20% increase in overall grade improvement.

Confrences

  • Harvard WECode

  • Grace Hopper

  • Proficient in Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and Framer.

  • Strong understanding of user-centered design principles.

  • Ability to conduct comprehensive user research and usability testing.

  • Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.

Skills

  • Strong understanding of user-centered design principles.

  • Skilled in user research methodologies and data synthesis.

  • Strong background in information architecture and UX optimization

  • Expert in AI-powered content strategy and brand messaging

  • Knowledge of React, JavaScript, and front-end development

  • Proficient in Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and Framer.

  • Strong understanding of user-centered design principles.

  • Ability to conduct comprehensive user research and usability testing.

  • Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.

Projects

  • Graduation Project: studyfit.
    studyfit. is a mobile app designed to help students balance their academic responsibilities with their physical health. Recognizing that exercise improves focus, reduces stress, and enhances academic performance, studyfit. offers tailored fitness routines for students with busy schedules.


  • Frontend Design and Development Project: HappyHound
    Worked in a team to design and develop an e-commerce store for the luxury dog accessory brand, Happy Hound. I adapted user flows and UI elements to align with back-end capabilities, delivering a cohesive and simplistic interface within project limitations.


  • Research Project: OurCS 2022
    Collaborated with a team at Carnegie Mellon University to develop an automated web crawling tool that scrapes federal and state government websites to identify regulations and guidelines on data-driven technologies. My responsibility was to compile and analyze the findings from the web scraper to draw comprehensive conclusions.


  • Software Engineering Capstone Team Project: CalenDoc
    Calendoc is an appointment booking system designed for patients, doctors, and administrators, developed using C++. It streamlines the appointment management process and enhances communication between users.


  • Full stack App: FRENZIES
    FRENZIES is a quote gallery that is based on the submissions of users. Users are able to post quotes to the gallery that make them frenzy! FRENZIES is built with Node.js, Mongoose, MongoDB Atlas, Express, and EJS. I adhered to the MVC file structure and created 7 RESTful routes with full CRUD. I deployed the app using Render. I also created wireframes using Figma.


  • Orientated Programming Game Project - Matchbox
    Matchbox is a vibrant card matching game built utilizing object orientated programming and UI design.

Personal qualities

  • Creative and innovative thinker with a keen eye for aesthetics.

  • Strong communicator, capable of effectively articulating design concepts.

  • Collaborative team player with a positive attitude.

  • Passionate about staying current with technology and design trends.

Interests

  • Crafting, including baking, crocheting, painting, and pottery.

  • Indie rock music, especially attending live concerts.

  • Reading or listening to podcasts, driven by a love for learning new information.

Interested in connecting?

Interested in connecting?

Interested in connecting?

Copyright 2025 by Maryam Dawood

Copyright 2025 by Maryam Dawood

Copyright 2025 by Maryam Dawood