Who am I?

Hello, I’m Jo.

I’m a 1st generation Mexican-American based in Rosemead, California (near Los Angeles).

As a kid when I would use my parent’s cameras whenever I had the chance. At first, it was just about capturing moments that I thought looked cool but over time my eye got better and photography became more about making the ordinary look interesting. 

That hobby stayed with me into college where I was introduced to tools like photoshop, lightroom, illustrator, and more. I saw these tools as opportunities to improve my creative skills and decided to pursue my degree in graphic design, which ultimately got me a job as a lead graphic designer in the packaging industry at a small business. 

In 2020 I was diagnosed with cancer at around the same time that the world came to a stop. I’m so lucky to have been surrounded by an amazing support system of friends and family who were there with me through every step of the process.

With lots of time to sit and reflect during the period of my recovery, I thought heavily about what was important to me and whether or not I wanted to continue my career path as a graphic designer. 

Some reflection and exploration led me to discover UX/UI and the endless problem-solving that comes along with the process. In 2022, I graduated from Thinkful with a certificate in UX/UI Design, where I learned the fundamentals of the UX process and the necessary skills to transform business needs into a deliverable product prototype driven by research-based solutions.