Sara (Alexx) Zaki
Albany, CA, 94706 | (510) 973-9270
sarazaki@berkeley.edu | essdrag@gmail.com
https://www.sarazaki.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarazaki00/
As a Master of Design student at UC Berkeley with a focus on immersive user experiences and product design, I possess a deep understanding of and a strong foundation in industry-standard practices and tools. With a commitment to create intuitive, forward-thinking solutions across various mediums, my primary goal is to utilize this expertise in a dynamic environment, where I can contribute to innovative, socially impactful user-centered products that improve - if not redefine - the user experience and transcend traditional design boundaries.
EDUCATION
Master of Design (MDes) - Design Aug 2023 - Dec 2024 (Expected)
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (GPA: 4.0)
Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Engineering (Software) Mar 2018 - Feb 2022
SungKyunKwan University, Seoul/Suwon
EXPERIENCE
Admissions Outreach Intern Oct 2023 - Present
Jacob's Institute for Design Innovation, Berkeley, CA
● Contributed to a 20.45% increase in applicant numbers within three months, through targeted outreach and engagement strategies.
● Regularly consulted with prospective students, offering personalized advice and guidance as a pre-admission counselor to navigate the admissions process.
● Successfully conducted extensive research on student organizations across various universities, initiating targeted outreach to promote the Berkeley MDes program.
● Led in-person tours of our facilities, providing insights into the resources available.
● Played an integral role in planning and executing informational events to engage and inform our potential future students.
UX Designer Apr 2023 - Jul 2023
Fit To Be, Seoul
● Managed an existing fitness web & mobile app, designed new features to provide a better, more intuitive user experience.
UX Engineer Jan 2023 - Mar 2023
TOPIA Education, Seoul
● Designed and developed the front-end of a new kids' online English academy platform using Figma, HTML, CSS and JS.
UI/UX Designer May 2022 - Nov 2022
FSN Asia (via Fingerverse), Seoul
● Collaborated on the Bellygom NFT project with a team of senior designers; sourced graphics and created sample page layouts.
● Moderated the international Discord channel for Bellygom NFT, managing community engagement and designing banners and profiles for Discord, Twitter, and OpenSea.
● Participated in daily scrum meetings with cross-functional teams, including Lotte Home Shopping stakeholders, and took detailed notes for decision-making.
● Conducted research and gathered community insights to design the NFT project's rewards and benefits roadmap.
● Led initiatives to enhance the company's brand identity, including refining the slogan and color scheme.
● Gathered feedback to improve new employee onboarding and overall work experience at Fingerverse.
UX Design Intern Apr 2022 - May 2022
LG TV (via T.Win), Seoul
● Led the design of LG TV's Fitness Candy app, focusing on intuitive user interfaces and engaging user experiences.
● Developed comprehensive user flows and multiple use cases to ensure a seamless and user-friendly app functionality.
UI/UX Design Intern Jul 2021 - Sep 2021
SoodeVie, Seoul
● Led user research initiatives to gather insights for a wine tasting events mobile app, ensuring the design met user needs and preferences.
● Developed the app's UI/UX design, focusing on ease of navigation and an engaging user experience tailored to wine enthusiasts.
● Successfully delivered a user-friendly app that enhanced attendees' experience at wine tasting events.
AI Research Assistant Aug 2019 - Jan 2022
Red One Technologies, Seoul
● Specialized in transcribing and translating research videos and documents from English to Korean, focusing on robotics AI.
● Created and maintained a comprehensive database of lexical resources, including vocabulary, corpus, and ontology, for natural language processing.
● Contributed to the development of an AI model for a robot designed to teach English to young children in Korea, ensuring effective language training.
SKILLS
User Research, Quantitative Research, Qualitative Research, Diary Studies, Ethnography, User Interviews, Data-Driven Approach, Data Analysis, Data Collection.
Human-Computer Interaction Design, Product Design, UX/UI Design, Immersive Experience Design, Visual Design and Communication, Game Design, Mobile App Design, Web Design, Product Management, Usability Testing, A/B Testing, Storyboards, Prototypes, Wireframes, Mockups, Design Thinking, Accessibility, Design Systems, Information Architecture.
HTML, CSS, Javascript, Figma, Adobe CC, Webflow, Android Studio, Visual Studio Code, Unity, Sketch, Invision, Protopie, Principle, Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Autodesk Fusion 360 3D, Miro, Notion, Zeplin.
Attention to Detail, Effective Communication, Collaboration, Teamwork, Consumer Psychology, Negotiation, Presentation, Empathy, Active Listening, Flexible, Adaptability, User-Centric Approach, Problem-Solving, Willingness to Try and Fail.
(Fluent) English, Korean, (Working on) Spanish, German, French, Japanese.
VOLUNTEERING
Volunteer Mar 2019 - Jul 2023
Community Center (South Korea)
Dedicated to fostering educational equality, I provided English tutoring to underprivileged children, peers, and learners of all ages. My efforts included preparing students for key examinations such as the TOEFL, IELTS, and SATs.
Volunteer Dec 2018 - Mar 2019
Bambat Senior Welfare Center (South Korea)
Devoted 132 hours during the winter vacation to help feed, entertain and take care of senior citizens in my community.