Design Interactive
First design & tech organization at UW–Madison
ROLE
Founder
literally everything?
branding, leadership, programming, workshops,
project management
events
client relations
A community of 75+ emerging designers a who wanted to learn hands-on design experiences, professional development, and serving the community through real client projects—open to anyone regardless of background.
I transferred to UW hoping to continue the UX education that I started at community college. But to my surprise, there were no design & tech courses, and no design community. I wanted that for myself, and for others.
0 -> 75 active members in one year
12-person leadership team built & managed
4 client projects organized & delivered
8 guest speakers hosted
2 design showcases
1 amazing year! :)
40 students given real-world design experience
Design Interactive is a student organization at UW-Madison dedicated to developing responsive social practitioners with a deep understanding of the foundations of design and emerging technologies, and an informed awareness of people, contextual needs, and societal impacts.
Designed the brand identity, logo, and articulated the mission and vision. Established the four pillars that gave the org structure: workshops, professional development, hands-on projects, and curated resources.
Planned the full curriculum both semesters. Researched topics, designed slides and activities, and facilitated workshops. Most of every general meeting was spent doing.
Everything on this page is a reflection of the students who showed up, the advisors who believed in us, the industry professionals who gave us their time, and the clients who trusted a few students with a vision.
Organized four client projects over the year—handling intake, scoping each client's needs, evaluating fit, and building semester timelines for each cohort. Over 40+ students got the opportunity to work on a real design project and walk away with a portfolio piece.
Served a 12-person leadership team spanning web, marketing, and cohort management. Gave feedback, notes, and support to people with a wide range of backgrounds (design, CS, data science, engineering, and business). A big part of the job was meeting people where they were and helping them grow in roles they hadn't done before.
Coordinated and hosted eight guest speakers—researching potential guests, preparing questions, and managing campus logistics. Planned two end-of-semester showcases with cross-disciplinary panelists.
I fundamentally believe that the role of a leader is to set a vision, and then be of service to the people making it happen.
and so I pitched the idea to my advisor, and it all began...🤔😯
my first iteration of branding. yes, I know it’s giving hot-dog😭
so lucky to have had a team of advisors, as well as an amazing executive board.
1 year!
SCOPE
BUILT
THE PROBLEM
THE NUMBERS
GRATITUDE
WHAT I BUILT
BRANDING & VISION
CURRICULUM & WORKSHOPS
CLIENT PROJECTS
LEADERSHIP & TEAM DEVELOPMENT
SPEAKER SERIES & EVENTS
TEAM
TIMELINE
It continues to shape how I approach challenges, leadership, and possibility.
Personally, this experience has given me the confidence to navigate uncertainty, take initiative, and believe in my ability to create change in the world.
