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Matt

An experienced creator. A diligent worker. A bit of an iconoclast who thinks outside the box. That’s me.

I’m a Google-certified ux designer who has 10 years of content, professional storytelling and journalism experience. I use conscientious research methods, multi-media and icons, buttons and other interface elements to design products people come to desire.

Matt Steecker, a white man with a buzzcut and black glasses, sits beside a desk. He is wearing blue jeans and a black shirt with gray flowers while drawing wireframes on a piece of paper.

As a news reporter, I gained a variety of experiences and became a multi-faceted individual. It was an eventful career which included coverage of:​

  • Colleges improving the usability of their websites as they were being sued on accusations of inaccessibility.

  • Startups, including one that combines famous pop melodies with educational lyrics to create content that helps children learn.

  • A pastor who was arrested for taking campaign signs. Campaign staffers found him using a tracking device they embedded in a sign.

  • A gift store that was bombarded with threats after a person posted a photo on social media of an anti-Donald Trump card she was selling.

  • A fatal golf cart accident.

  • A kangaroo escaping from a zoo.

  • A longtime business owner closing his ski shop so he could spend more time with his son who had a rare disorder.

I love problem-solving

I received several accolades as a reporter. Despite my success, I became attracted to user experience because it's a field where I can work on and solve problems. This contrasts with news media, where journalists focus on placing spotlights on issues.

That's not to say journalists are completely detached from their work. At times, I became a staunch advocate for my readers and sources, rivaling the advocacy present in the ux field.

 

That's not my only carryover, however. My career in journalism laid the groundwork for my voyage into user experience before I even discovered what ux was.

 

News readers, like tech users, are at the heart of a product. I always took a user-centric approach to designing my content for my audience.

An older man with white hair reads a newspaper while wearing a sweater.
A young white man with a beard and black shirt is using a laptop and listening to music indoors.

Believe it or not, each of these images contains a product and a user.

My core skills

       Here's what I bring to the table:

  • I am able to simplify complicated information.

  • Know-how for structuring information. 

  • Expertise in typography.

  • A passion for being a knowledgeable insider who tells people things. Designers know the ins and outs of a product and have to explain things to users. Journalists know what is occurring in a community before anyone else does.

  • Empathy — Journalists empathize with sources, and in doing so, develop trust and rapport.

  • Being a quick learner — Journalists have to adapt to new technology like changing content management systems and social media practices so they can create content and acquire readers. UX professionals have to learn different design software and methods.

  • Collaboration and conflict resolution

  • Experience coaching, counseling and guiding clients as a personal trainer.

Fun tidbits about me

  • I enjoy almost anything that gets me moving. In my free time I dance Cuban salsa and bachata, go running, ski and snowboard.

  • I didn't go on my first major rollercoaster until I was 13. I love rollercoasters now.

  • I was born in Reggio Calabria, Italy, a city at the toe of the boot. I was raised near Orlando, Fla. and grew up going to amusement parks for school field trips.

  • My love of barbecue food and Italian food are battling it out for supremacy.

  • I dislike politics and cold cheese.

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