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Maria Moon
Waymo / Sr. UX Design lead
Professional Background
Maria Moon is an accomplished design lead with extensive experience in graphic, interactive, and product design. Over the course of her career, she has played a crucial role in investigating, conceptualizing, and crafting user experiences that enhance various products and services, guiding them from initial concept to final production. Maria’s diverse skill set and expertise span a variety of fields, including the design of next-generation consumer electronics and enterprise-level information visualizations. Her passion lies in tackling complex design challenges and delivering innovative yet relevant solutions that resonate with users and stakeholders alike.
Maria has held prominent positions throughout her career, showcasing her versatility and adaptability in the design industry. Currently, she serves as the Senior UX Design Lead at Waymo, where she is at the forefront of designing autonomous vehicle experiences. In this role, Maria contributes to the future of transportation by creating user-centric design solutions that prioritize safety, usability, and user trust.
Prior to her tenure at Waymo, she was a Senior User Experience & Interaction Designer at Google, where she worked on projects that influenced millions of users globally. Maria's innovative approach at Google included refining and enhancing digital experiences, which made a significant impact on user engagement and satisfaction.
Maria also has an impressive background with Samsung Electronics America, where she served as the Lead Senior User Experience Designer. Her expertise in app design and connected devices played an integral role in shaping user experiences for various smart technologies.
Additional roles in her career have included serving as an Adjunct Faculty member at the prestigious Art Center College of Design, where she mentored the next generation of designers, instilling in them the importance of user-centered design principles and critical thinking skills necessary for the industry. Furthermore, she has worked as a Principal Designer at m+h design office, where she managed complex projects that required adept coordination of cross-functional teams.
Maria's journey in design commenced with her early days as a Program Aide and Graphic Designer at The Salvation Army, where she received foundational training and exposure to the practical aspects of design in a nonprofit context, nurturing her passion for design for social change.
Education and Achievements
Maria's academic credentials are equally impressive and have provided her with the critical thinking and creative skills that underpin her design philosophy. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Washington, where her studies nurtured her storytelling ability—an essential skill in design that allows her to create compelling user narratives.
Building on her foundational education, Maria pursued a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Media Design at the Art Center College of Design. This advanced degree equipped her with the technical capability and innovative mindset necessary for tackling modern design challenges posed by rapidly evolving media and technology landscapes. Her educational journey has been pivotal in shaping her professional approach, focusing on combining aesthetics with functionality in design.
Areas of Expertise
Maria's expertise encompasses a wide range of design areas, making her a sought-after professional in the industry. Her competencies include:
- Autonomous Vehicle Experience Design: Crafting interactive and intuitive experiences for users of autonomous vehicles, emphasizing safety and user trust.
- Data Visualization and Analytics: Developing clear and actionable visual representations of complex data sets to enhance understanding and decision-making processes.
- Smart & Connected Home Design: Innovating user experiences for smart home technologies that improve daily life and connectivity.
- App Design: Creating user-friendly mobile and web applications that engage users and meet their needs effectively.
- Robotics: Exploring innovative interactions between humans and robotic systems, enhancing user experiences through thoughtful design.
- Branding: Formulating compelling brand identities that resonate with target audiences and communicate value propositions.
- Tactile/Physical Interaction Design: Ensuring meaningful interactions with products and environments through tactile interfaces and physical elements.
- Exhibition Design: Designing immersive and informative experiences for exhibitions that educate and engage visitors.
- Design Education: Mentoring rising designers and sharing insights on best practices in user experience design and innovation.
- Design for Social Change: Leveraging design as a tool for positive societal impact, focusing on projects that address pressing social issues.
Maria's dedication to her craft is evident in her desire to explore new frontiers in design and convey her knowledge to others. She regularly shares her insights and experiences through public speaking engagements, including her latest talk, "Building Trust with Your Users," which can be viewed here. This showcases her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding of user experience and the importance of trust in design.
To see more of Maria Moon’s exemplary work, a portfolio of her selected projects can be provided upon request, further illustrating her capabilities and contributions in the field of design.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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