Design Technologist at Amazon
After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Technology Arts & Media (recently renamed Creative Technology and Design), magna cum laude, Cassandra returned to ATLAS, joining the MS–Creative Industries program to continue her education in user interface, user experience design and front-end development. As a graduate student, she led T9Hacks, a woman and non-binary hackathon hosted annually at ATLAS that attracts close to 200 attendees each year, for two years. Now working her dream job as a design technologist at Amazon, Cassandra incorporates an engineering perspective to a creative problem-solving approach, delivering user-centered experiences through design methodology.
"As an individual who has never fit into one box, I felt perfectly at home at the ATLAS Institute," she says. "I was inspired by my instructors' undying curiosity and discovery as well as true passion for the importance of interdisciplinary innovation."
Backstory
Growing up with a curiosity for technology and a passion for design, Cassandra was attracted to the undergraduate CTD program. As her undergraduate graduation approached, she was offered a research fellowship working as a Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where she was able to combine what she learned in the classroom with real-world applications. She worked in the public safety research division at NIST, where she designed and constructed realistic virtual environments to test the impact of the next generation of user interfaces for public safety within augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
After graduating with an MS-CTD degree, she was offered a position as a design technologist at Amazon.
Coursework
Core:
- Creative Industries Professional Seminar: The Business of Creativity
- Creative Technologies
- Design Methods
- Design Studio
Electives:
- Mobile App Production
- User-Centered Design & Development 1
- User-Centered Design
- Master's Independent Study
- Empathy and Technology
- Haptic Interfaces
- Color
Projects
MoodIQ: An application prototype evaluating engagment methods in self-care through mental health tracking tools
Cassandra's Thesis project is a self-care app that combines technology with digital wellness to create a platform where individuals can track their daily moods and actions in order to have greater insight to their mental health and wellbeing.
Career Goals
- To work in UI/IX