Anita Morales
Founder at La Puente Mini Makers
UX Designer I Product Designer I User Advocate I Always Learning
I am an entry-level User Researcher and Experience Designer with a Master’s in Library and Information Science who aims to use design and technology to create equitable and impactful products. 

My education in Information Science challenged me to critically think about the ways information is presented and categorized which equips me with the unique understanding and skill when improving a product’s information architecture. 

Working with Humans of User Experience, I have conducted qualitative and quantitative user research, collaborated with a team of designers and researchers to develop solutions, and communicate findings and solutions to stakeholders.

In April 2021, I began a community organization, La Puente Mini Makers, that focuses on providing kids in my community with free STEM and art kits to complete at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. In collaboration with parents, educators, and small businesses who host La Puente Mini Maker kits, I research, curate, and put together STEM and art-based kits to encourage kids to learn, create, and explore new ideas, while encouraging families to support small businesses in our community. In just a few months, I put together over 1,500 kits for kids to take home and have expanded from three small businesses hosting kits to five. From starting La Puente Mini Makers, I have learned the importance of empathy and compassion that are invaluable in designing experiences that are meaningful, inclusive, delightful, efficient, and equitable for users.

Currently, I am seeking a remote or on-site Experience Designer position with an established UX team that will provide mentorship and the opportunity to use my past experiences, while also enhancing my skill set.
La Puente Mini Makers
https://www.linkedin.com/company/la-puente-mini-makers
La Puente Mini Makers started as a passion project to provide kids in my community with STEM and art kits to complete at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also uplifting the small businesses in La Puente as they help host STEM and kits. 

LP Mini Makers is a community org that encourages kids to learn, create, and explore through LP Mini Maker kits that they can pick up at local businesses in La Puente, CA. 

In over a few months, I have curated and put together over 1,000 kits for kids to take home and have expanded services by 40%
La Puente, California, United States
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C560BAQHDsR-YNFekkg/company-logo_100_100/0/1633405145148?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=xkBSQQDCweS4OKXpPABgUdlpJ3yaWFlZgc6p6y8qi8U
Founder
Humans in User Experience (HUE)
https://www.linkedin.com/company/humans-in-user-experience-hue
Humans in User Experience (HUE) is a UCLA- based network that aims to bring humans together in UX/UI Design. HUE partners with companies to provide UCLA students and alumni work experience in the UX field. 

At HUE, I have collaborated with UX Designers and UX Researchers in completing UX research and design for companies. I have conducted semi-structured interviews, card sorts, heuristic evaluations, analyzed data, developed personas and customer journey maps, drawn up wireframes, and designed prototypes to provide clients with research-based solutions.
Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C560BAQFwBu57_kspSg/company-logo_100_100/0/1615240364780?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=I8Uj_Pep_xjmgdFznDq77Tf_8k0EKa5lZBczOJhSOZg
UX Designer
LA County Library
https://www.linkedin.com/company/lacountylibrary
	Assist patrons in returning and checking out library materials
     Assist librarians with planning, creating, and designing library book displays
	Utilize Workflows to add new books and process new magazines into the catalog
	Retrieve items off shelves to fulfill patron holds 
	Review library card registrations and accounts to maintain correct contact information and to 
        provide the highest level of service to all library patrons
	Utilize Work Flows and SAM to manage patrons’ account and conduct library business
	Promote library programs and resources to customers
	Assist supervisor in training new Library Aides 
     Reviewed and accepted passport applications
Los Angeles County, California, United States
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C560BAQHIW7tALMWwgQ/company-logo_100_100/0/1526505532253?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=-8NzBoNXukqIdujarSxXyBT3A4MYc2F0E0JgNEGyH9g
Library Aide
LA County Library
https://www.linkedin.com/company/lacountylibrary
	Maintained library neat and orderly
	Utilized Dewey decimal system and English alphabet to shelve books and audiovisuals in order
	Assisted patrons in locating items on shelves
	Answered patrons’ questions regarding library policies
	Aided patrons with basic computer and technology questions
     Assisted Librarians with special projects and helped prepared library programs
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Library Page
SLA Student Chapter at UCLA
	Design and publish event flyers to promote events 
	Maintain website and social media to update students 
	Plan and organize events for students to explore new careers and libraries, and connect with industry professionals
Webmaster
Masters
Artifacts and Culture: Created, designed, and presented a pop up exhibit titled "Anxieties of Doom: Modern Ways to End the World" that covered anxieties from the past decade (2010-2019)

Description and Access: Utilized Excel and SQLITE to create and organize a music database. Also created a collection of images on ContentDM under DublinCore's metadata standards

Archives, Community, and Memory: Assisted colleagues in creating a blueprint for the Greater Los Angeles Veteran Affair's Archive, where I researched their history and developed a mission statement
Library and Information Science
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4D0BAQFMDno5qJcJCw/company-logo_100_100/0/1519922036053?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=K_loYXL4ri1vyKdLo1Aqs0UbQky1E65oJjMcm9A8iZE
UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies
https://www.linkedin.com/school/ucla-school-of-education-information-studies/
Bachelor of Arts - BA
Dean's List (Fall 2017-Spring 2018)
American Studies
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4D0BAQE398tW-X4SNQ/company-logo_100_100/0/1610559106244?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=teuLRVshBeEGgiCs5nq9AZ8bkzlJfS1w4xn2jzR55eI
California State University, Fullerton
https://www.linkedin.com/school/california-state-university-fullerton/
Collaborated with a UX Researcher to improve the information architecture and usability on hrsimple's blog by conducting user interviews and participating in design workshops to synthesize research findings  and business strategies, developing and designing attainable design solutions to present them to CEO, Web Developer, and Marketing Manager

🛠  Tools Used: Miro, Optimal Sort, Balsamiq, Zoom, Reduct Video
hrsimple's blog page
https://anita-morales.com/work/hrsimple
Redesigned LA County Library’s home page and catalog by conducting a heuristic evaluation, a contextual inquiry, and a user test to assess and validate hypothesis on usability and customer pain points

Developed high fidelity wireframes, highly polished design prototypes on Figma, created other communication artifacts (personas, customer journey maps, and empathy maps), and participated in design critiques with designers to ensure effective and rich designs

🛠    Tools Used: Figma, Zoom, Google Docs, Otter.io, Sketch, pen and paper
Redesigning LA County Library's online catalog
https://anita-morales.com/work/lacountylibrary
In a UX team of one, I designed an intuitive and responsive user experience by creating wireframes, sitemaps, a visual design system, and interactive prototypes, and participated in weekly design critiques with other designers to develop a website that provides employment, mental health, and basic need resources for workers in LA County experiencing unemployment or loss of work hours during the COVID-19 pandemic

🛠  Tools Used: Figma, Canva, Adobe Illustrator, pen and paper
Creating a digital toolkit for workers in LA County: Work and Wellness LA
https://anita-morales.com/work/workandwellnessla
La Puente Mutual Aid
La Puente Mutual Aid (LPMA) is a grass-roots community organization that strives to uplift the working class of La Puente. LPMA is volunteer-run and made up of folks who live in the community. 

Here are just a few things I worked on:
✅Connected community members to government assistance programs and assisted them in the application process
✅Advocated for a safer community by meeting with City Council members and Los Angeles County representatives, requesting investment in community resources (after-school programs, mental health resources, gang intervention/prevention programs, etc)
✅Organized 5+ COVID-19 vaccine events and helped 300+ community members receive their full series of the COVID-19 vaccine
✅Planned and designed graphics for flyers to promote available resources to increase community knowledge of and access to equitable resources
Co-Founder
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliakossyanenko
Charlotte, NC
Natalia Kosyanenko
UX Lead
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernando-olvera-28973620a
Huntington Park, CA
Fernando Olvera
Library Associate at LA County Library
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-crow-a86883117
Claremont, CA
Amy Crow
Library Manager at County Of Los Angeles Public Library
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-zimmett
Los Angeles, CA
Jeremy Zimmett
User Needs and Assessment Librarian at Harvard Business School
https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikagoodwin
Los Angeles County, CA
Erika Goodwin
Teen/Adult Services Librarian at LA County Library
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-klingseis-3b6ab8180
Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
Nicholas Klingseis
Emergency Management Coordinator at LA County Library
https://www.linkedin.com/in/greggenco
New York City Metropolitan Area
Greg Genco
Founder and CEO at Generation Conscious
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-cruz-5bb9a4222
Los Angeles, CA
Alexandra Cruz
Library Associate at LA County Library
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bithiah-brown
Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
Bithiah Brown
Children's Services Librarian at LA County Library
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-phung-5509a944
Pasadena, CA
Ben Phung
Senior Typist Clerk at L.A. County Library
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dante-villalobos-372473161
Los Angeles, CA
Dante Villalobos
Warehouse Worker I at County Of Los Angeles Public Library
https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-gonzalez-51935636
Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
Megan Gonzalez
Sales Assistant at Maisto | BA in Public Relations | SAP | Office Suites | Google Workspace | Customer Service
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-medina-511537227
Los Angeles, CA
Ashley Medina
Student at California State University, Northridge
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laafilms
Covina, CA
Lucas Acosta
Video Producer
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicadbustamante
Los Angeles, CA
JESSICA BUSTAMANTE
Administrative Assistant at Parr3 LLC
https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-tamayo-539871142
Los Angeles, CA
Melissa Tamayo
Recent San Jose State University MLIS graduate !
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adreanna-tauro-5083521b3
Glendora, CA
Adreanna Tauro
Library Aide at LA County Library
https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinwhite-la
Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
Austin White
Library Associate at LA County Library
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-rabas-a076831ab
Hawthorne, CA
Lindsay Rabas
CSU Dominguez Hills Alumni 2019
Liked by Anita Morales
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I'll be showing how I design a website in the matter of MINUTESSSSS, yasssssss. Oh it's in Adobe XD & it will be live today @2pm PST. #adobexd…
Liked by Anita Morales
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We believe government can and should work well for everyone. Join us at Summit on May 17-18 to explore how we build a path forward, together:…
Liked by Anita Morales
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Excited to see this out in the world: https://lnkd.in/dSSmf_a
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-morales-b4495914a
Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area
Anita Morales
Entrepreneur, Product Developer, Former AT&T Business Dev. Mgr.
https://mx.linkedin.com/in/anita-morales-6532799b
Mexico
Anita Morales
Jefa , Estilista profesional
https://cl.linkedin.com/in/anita-morales-bb8222135
Talca
Anita Morales
Encargado Prevención de Riesgos en iSiete Grupo Inmobiliario
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-morales-89269551
Temple, TX
Anita Morales
Retired High School Counselor
https://cl.linkedin.com/in/anita-morales-5baa032a
Chile
Anita Morales
Senior Human Resources Business Partner at Evalueserve
Techqueria
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https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13500636
Figma Product Community
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4E07AQF4UkQjGMFuuA/group-logo_image-shrink_200x200/0/1631003854096?e=1647687600&v=beta&t=iBRlpxs7ieY8TGpuUvdDtyOhUATdLKdr0iuw-16ERwQ
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12527405
Notion Product Community
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https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14009864
UX/UXR Jobs + UX Design Internships 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧🇮🇳
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https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1218807
UCLA Alumni
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https://www.linkedin.com/groups/31