Hello! My name is John and I’m a Product Designer at Zillow based in Connecticut with nearly five years of experience crafting user-centered solutions. Outside of design, you’ll usually find me exploring new countries, soaking up inspiration and knowledge at tech conferences and networking events, or learning new AI tools. I’m especially passionate about helping African-Americans, like myself, break into the design and technology space.

My Story

In 2019, I graduated with a degree in Business Management and began my career working for several companies. But everything shifted in the summer of 2020 during the pandemic, when my fraternity brother asked me to design a flyer for an upcoming event. I said yes even though I never created a flyer before, and was surprised by how much everyone loved it.

That single flyer sparked something in me and started my journey in design. I started designing more for my fraternity, and eventually, the president of the national marketing team invited me to join the graphic design team for Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. From there, I started to do freelance work and created logos, flyers, business cards, and more. I became so passionate about the work that I left my job to become a graphic designer at an art publishing company.

By early 2021, I realized I wanted to make a bigger impact by solving real-world problems through design. That curiosity led me to a simple Google search introduced me to the world of UX/UI. For almost 5 years, I’ve focused on creating digital experiences that serve users and drive business value, working with amazing teams across different industries.

When I’m not designing solutions for businesses and users, I’m traveling, attending tech conferences, or experimenting with the latest AI tools.