While my career started with training as an illustrator and graphic designer, I took a left turn toward studying anthropology and archaeology, where I dug in deeper (literally) to understand storytelling and human behavior around why we make and create. Anthropology and archaeology gave me the roots to understand how to identify shifts in the market, evolution of tools, emerging trends, and turn observations into actionable insights.
So why did I pivot back to design from anthropology? Because design, when done right, transforms big ideas into real possibilities. It takes inspiration from our past to dream up futures and makes them possible through emerging tech and collaboration. It’s what my work as an anthropologist was always leading me toward, seeing the evolution of emerging tech from 10,000 years ago to today and how people will always find the most efficient way to do something.
Where illustration and graphic design gave me the craft and composition foundations, anthropology gave me the research foundations to understand human behavior and needs— together they shaped how I approach user experience design.
I draw inspiration from architecture, nature, film, history, vintage ads, and travel. When not designing, you’ll find me making short films, high-fiving bees, playing video games, and looking for the perfect cannoli.
Design philosophy
My design approach blends research and craft, influenced by both art and anthropology — making decisions rooted in what people actually do and say. What inspires me most is the thinkers and creatives of the past who dreamed up impossible futures, but made them possible through bold innovation and collaboration.
I approach design in the same way.
I approach design in the same way.
Kind words
“...Vic brings extensive experience as a partner to every function of the company. Pair that with her background in anthropology and you've got the magic formula. Vic was an astounding partner to me, as a product manager, and we wouldn't have been remotely successful without her contributions.”
— Product Manager, Spora Health“When designing, she (Vic) uses her strong research to make our users her priority, and ensures she gets feedback from every stakeholder, even when it slows things down or requires more work from her.”
— Senior Software Engineer, NCX“What set her (Vic) apart from the very beginning was her genuine interest in end users and their lives. Her ability to internalize the user perspective was consistently demonstrated in her design outputs. As her manager, I not only trusted and knew Vic would deliver on her work, but that her work would incorporate elements from her collaboration across the team at every step of the way.”
— Chief Product Officer, NCX“Vic understands at a deep level how to translate business requirements into human centric interfaces that can engage users.”
— VP of Engineering, Spora HealthSelected experience
Currently as Senior Product Designer at Exygy, I lead design vision and strategy for the consulting team. My work includes developing our strategic design approach, identifying business opportunities in partnership with Growth and Product, and designing accessible and novel experiences for civic, climate, and health-tech organizations.
Previously, as Founding Product Designer at NCX, I spent two years building 0 to 1 product experiences and leading design strategy across many high-impact projects and features—from leading product market fit research to designing a new platform from concept to launch that empowers landowners to manage their natural capital.
Prior to that, at Spora Health, I redesigned the Spora Health app MVP into a culture-centered, intuitive, and joyful experience. Partnering directly with the CEO and agency partners like Leadoff Studio, I helped shape the vision and strategy for the award-winning Spora Mommas kit and its companion app.
At Google, I designed tasks for the Crowdsource app, training ML/AI systems through gamified experiences for 20+ million global users.
Dec 2020 - Apr 2021
Skills
Awards
Core77, Health & Wellness Runner Up, Spora Mommas
Extra, Extra! Read (and listen) all about it.
Was interviewed for BuiltIn’s article on decolonizing design. Article