Hi, I'm Maria!
My journey is defined by the pursuit of the perfect blend between engineering logic and human empathy.
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My career began with a B.S. in Computer Science, providing the technical depth to understand core system constraints and how products are truly built. ​I transitioned to the human side with an MFA in Interactive Media, where I honed the craft of visual storytelling and user experience. This led me to work in fast-paced data visualization teams at top news organizations, including The Washington Post.
​Today, as a UX Designer at Google, I am focused on translating complex challenges into beautiful, elegantly simple user experiences. This unique fluency allows me to successfully bridge the gap between engineering requirements and user needs, driving cross-functional alignment and ensuring products meet the highest accessibility standards. Crucially, my technical curiosity allows me to rapidly adopt and apply new paradigms like AI to modern UX processes, keeping my team at the cutting edge of design innovation.
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I believe the best solutions are those that are both strategic for the business and elegantly simple for the user.
Experience
Oct 2021 - Present
UX Designer
Google
As the UX Lead of core areas, I drove the design of core enterprise services (Monitoring, Billing, Storage) for a private, air-gapped version of Google Cloud. My work focused on zero-to-one feature development, which directly contributed to securing over $48 million in contracts and winning one of the company’s highest-stakes bids by achieving platform-wide VPAT accessibility certification. Beyond product, I led strategic planning for 5+ core areas and scaled organizational capabilities by initiating and leading the AI Innovation Sprint for Google UXers.
Feb 2021 - Sep 2021
News Graphics Reporter
The Washington Post
Leveraged my technical and data analysis skills to pitch, report, and create data-driven journalism across both organizations. I specialized in designing and executing complex multimedia news graphics, including custom maps, interactive charts, and data visualizations, for high-profile stories. See my published WaPo news
Aug 2020 - Feb 2021
UX & Graphics Designer
Univision
Contributed to data-driven journalism for a major Spanish-language news network. My role involved pitching and executing complex data visualizations, including custom maps, charts, and diagrams, that translated high-profile stories for a diverse audience. See my published Univision news
Mar 2019 - May 2020
UX Research Assistant
University of Miami, UX lab
While completing my Master's, I executed applied research methods, including usability studies and moderated tests, as a research assistant. My work directly informed and drove the redesign of a Virtual Reality (VR) application, providing critical user-centric data to the design process.
Apr 2016 - Jul 2018
Credit cards Analyst
Scotiabank
Analyzed transactional data to inform strategic product decisions, leading to the implementation of a real-time risk system to evaluate credit card transactions. I led the revamp of credit and debit card customer interactions, requiring technical coordination across core banking systems, web, and mobile applications.