Hi. I'm Rabi.
After earning my Bachelor of Science in Visual Communications with a concentration in Graphic Design, I began my career as a freelance designer with a desire to continually expand my skill set. As technology evolved, I redirected my keen attention to detail—sharpened through years of retail, warehouse, and customer service experience—and combined it with my design background to explore opportunities in the tech industry. This curiosity led me to study Salesforce development.
Over an intense four-month period of accelerated learning, I gained technical proficiency but found myself creatively unfulfilled. My early work as a contractor required relocation for projects in Virginia and New Jersey—my first time leaving Atlanta, Georgia. While these experiences pushed me outside of my comfort zone, they also introduced me to imposter syndrome and prompted deep reflection about my long-term career path. When my final Salesforce contract ended due to COVID-19, I transitioned into a plant job while reassessing what I truly wanted to pursue professionally.
That period of uncertainty ultimately became a turning point.
User Experience Designer
Introduction
A career in UX design feels less like a pivot and more like a return to who I’ve always been. For years, I’ve described my work with a simple phrase: “I design solutions.” More recently, I began referring to myself as a visual designer—a title that felt instinctively right. In hindsight, that shift was almost prophetic.
As I sought to grow creatively and strategically, I became curious about the distinction between visual design and UX design. That curiosity led me to Thinkful, where I arrived with over twenty years of freelance graphic design experience and more than a year of experience as a Salesforce developer. UX design bridged the gap between creativity, empathy, and problem-solving in a way that finally felt complete.
My Journey
From an early age, I knew I wanted to be an artist. Creativity came naturally to me—I looked forward to receiving art sets every Christmas, filled with watercolor paints, pastel chalks, and crayons. Throughout grade school, I was consistently recognized for my abilities in drawing, creative writing, and poetry.
As a pre-teen, I became fascinated with magazine advertisements, studying their layouts, typography, and visual storytelling. This curiosity laid the foundation for my understanding of composition and design long before I had the language to describe it.
Becoming the UXer
Looking back, I realize that my design process has always aligned with UX principles. I listen intently, take notes, sketch ideas, and ask thoughtful, empathy-driven follow-up questions before ever moving into execution. My goal has never been to design what I want, but to create solutions based on what people truly need.
This approach has consistently saved time, built trust, and delivered meaningful results. As I continue my journey into UX design, I recognize that I’ve been practicing its core values all along—designing with intention, empathy, and a focus on human experience.
While UX design requires deep research and critical thinking, it feels natural to me. More than anything, it feels like coming home.