Alex Szallar

Visit Me Here: LinkedIn

About Me: Hello my name is Alex Szallar and I am a User Experience designer that loves to take on big ideas! My background comes from filmmaking, theatre and web design so I've always loved creating new things and being able to tell a story. This is something that has drawn me so heavily into the UX field because to me it's a perfect balance of problem-solving, design and human empathy. 

Throughout the past few years I have discovered a passion for travel and exploration throughout my designs as well as finding a focus in accessibility for my users. My methodology for Design centers the ideation phase, where my biggest strength as a designer comes from asking questions and being able to connect past knowledge and experience to the possibility of new solutions within a system. 

When I'm not designing I'm probably either drinking an iced Matcha or planning my next trip, because overall my favorite experience is being able to travel the world and find inspiration within every day design and continuing to learn from the communities around me!

"Spark Your Senses" is an IBM pamphlet series for their Spark Design Festival that focuses on holistic design and the 5 Senses as they relate to UX! 

The series consists of 5 informational focused pamphlets:
Sight - Visual language, perspective, color, and accessibility 
Touch - Usability, touch-points, and pacing  
Sound - Perspectives from trailblazing UX designers 
Smell - 'Sensing' the direction of your users, and testing
Taste - The do's and Don'ts of UX design

My 2 example pieces for the series are the "Touch" and "Sight" senses where different aspects of design are shown to be all interconnected and the evolution that UX has taken within different roles in the design field. 

 

“Stand Clear” is a proposed solution to the inaccessibility problems surrounding the timing structure of the NYC subway door system. With such a large audience affected by the NYC subway this solution provides a design that allows riders to be more knowledgeable over when the subway is to arrive and how long they have for the doors to be open. This communication to the rider would not only deter the standing crowds blocking the subways exits, but also allow the riders to know when there is not enough time to safely board the train.

 

Making up 8% of the total population worldwide, people with color deficiency lack light sensitive pigments that affect how they see everyday life. Learning the impact of these differences is the first step in seeing the world from a new perspective and striving to visual accessibility. This project highlights the visual impact of a designers work and inspire more accessibility in design.