Lynn Baxter
How does a science-loving book nerd end up a UX designer?
tl;dr

After spending several years working as a facilities professional at companies like Slack and Blend, I made the switch to UX design. I've always admired product design and want nothing more than to be a valuable member of a product team.

My design philosophy

I am interested in people — I find each individual fascinating and complex. In design, my first step is to always find a person who is encountering a difficulty. When we search for a problem to solve, we are really searching for a person or people we want to help. What I’ve found is when you ask a group of people the right questions, you can single out a problem that each and every one of them is trying to solve, or has already solved in a different way. Using that information, a designer has a good base for the creation of a solution to test.

I believe that design must be inclusive to be called good design. It is part of my job as a designer to look at a problem from all possible perspectives, this includes a lens for people from all demographics and abilities.

My primary goal in life is to remain flexible. I would never feel comfortable being a person who is stuck within their own perspective. I use many different methods in my life to ensure that I am seeing the issue from as many angles as possible. It is my firm belief that you can’t learn anything if you think you already know everything.

What drives me are those moments when something I’ve created helps another person be their best selves. If I can help even one person accomplish a goal, I am satisfied. Multiply that to a large scale? Pure joy.

How I work in a team

I’ll be real with you, I married a software engineer. I am well-versed in collaborating with many different skill types in tech due to my background as a facilities manager in startups. I’ve worked well with designers, engineers, data science, customer support, C-level execs, marketing professionals, and so many more. These skills helped me during my time in Lambda’s UX track - each and every project I worked on was a true collaboration that I enjoyed immensely.

As a designer, I like to function as the person who is always asking questions to both clarify my understanding and learn as much as possible from others. Growing a career in tech without having a background in product gave me an education in how to function in a world I knew nothing about. I am so grateful for all my experiences because I’ve learned what questions to ask and who I could get answers from. These environments empowered me to never feel intimidated by any person or any task, but instead to feel endlessly curious.

Additional tidbits...
  • The books I gravitate towards tend to be science fiction, fantasy, and mystery. I adore classics.
  • I was a drama kid in school but never got over my crippling stage fright. I still love theater.
  • I am a mom to 2 stepsons and 1 extremely adorable little girl named Beatriz.
  • I need nature like a cactus needs the sun, I recently started a patio garden that I’m moderately proud of.