VIVIENNE
DERSIN
As a seasoned professional with a foundation in UX, the Peace Corps, education, and climate science, I bring a unique blend of insights to user-centric design. My journey in the Peace Corps endowed me with deep-seated empathy and an acute awareness of cultural nuances—vital attributes for empathetic UX. My role as an educator allowed me to master effective communication and the knack for distilling complex ideas, which is invaluable in UX design and research. My commitment as a climate scientist underlines my dedication to addressing global challenges, dovetailing seamlessly with the goals of impactful UX projects.
Discomfort is my comfort zone.
“For many of us, this was the best year of our child’s education thus far.”
UXD Projects
Description of project: I was given the task to address the inconsistencies in the creative world concerning marginalized communities. I designed a social media app to target connection, safe spaces for expression, and accurate representation.
Description of Project: This was a team project where I was the Research Lead. We designed a web application for a company that is a job board website specifically catered for people with less than 5 years of experience in their field. The applicant side was already available, but we were tasked to design the job posting structure.
Description of Project: I redesigned an existing website that was in need of some updates to its usability and navigation. I conducted an heuristic evaluation, competitive analysis, usability testing, and card sorting to inform the redesign.
Instructional Design Projects
ABOUT VIVIENNEVivienne has been a K-12 lead educator for 5 years. Before teaching, she had a plethora of life experiences. Vivienne was an environmental education volunteer in the Peace Corps in Senegal for 2 years. She completed several projects including, hiring local engineers, holding community-wide focus groups, and assessing the needs of a community to develop projects based upon that data. Vivienne was so inspired by the adversities that the members of her community faced in Senegal, that she decided to go back to school to learn how to help other communities as well. Vivienne received her Master of Arts in Climate and Society at Columbia University. Vivienne then worked with Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS) in India holding various community meetings and focus groups to assess the efficacy of an agro-climatic advisory system.
Considering all of the skills acquired over her years of fulfilling careers, Vivienne decided to back to school again to receive her teaching certification from Tulane University. She has always had a passion for helping others grow and learn. After two years of teaching in New Orleans and 3 years of teaching in Austin, Texas, Vivienne has decided to pursue a career in UX Design and Research. In order to do this, Vivienne has taken a full-time immersive UX Design course for twelve weeks with General Assembly.
Vivienne is a fast learner and completely dedicated and motivated to become an effective and engaging UX Designer and Researcher. Please contact her at vdersin@gmail.com for any further questions and information.
“Ms. Dersin was open to discussing our concerns and working together to find solutions throughout
the year. We thank Ms. Dersin for treating us and our children with dignity and kindness.”