Brooke Creef, who recently captivated the room as a panelist at the General Assembly Women in Tech Breakfast, is the definition of cool. The confident designer leaped into UX after working in public relations, and through her journey learned how to unlock doors to new opportunities. Lucky for us, Hypepotamus got the chance to sit down with Creef to chat about her experiences in Atlanta’s growing tech scene (and also uncovered her love for tulips and brown Boston Terriers).
Creef started her career like many, tucking away her undergraduate degree in a bottom drawer and embarking on a new path. “I got my Bachelor’s in Public Relations from Florida State University and decided after a few years that it wasn’t really for me,” said Creef. “I actually got my first taste of design during my final semester at FSU while taking a desktop multimedia course. After deciding to change career paths and a short stint at Creative Circus, I enrolled in Georgia State University’s Master of Fine Arts program and really fell in love with UX design from there.”
Upon graduating from GSU, Creef plunged into UX positions at both mPortal and The Weather Channel before settling into her current role as a UX consultant at Slalom Consulting. “As a designer, I get to connect people through technology by streamlining processes, increasing efficiency and solving problems in ways clients never thought possible. For me, the end goal is always impacting users’ lives in positive ways.”
When Creef is not elbows deep in work, she’s reading Fast Company or Medium, scouring Twitter for emerging trends, and hitting up conferences and meetups to stay connected.
“The tech industry is evolving rapidly and it’s important to push myself to grow which I’m able to do through great mentorship. Having someone to bounce ideas off of and critique my work gives me the opportunity to constantly adapt, change, and grow my expertise.”
Adapt, change, and grow is exactly what Creef has done, and she shows no signs of stopping. While her latest venture has been tackling public speaking, she’s also brushing up on hobby cultivation outside the professional workplace. “The more layered I am as an individual, the more I can bring to the table.”
Interested in learning more about Brooke? Follow her on Twitter, connect on LinkedIn, and check out her 2014 portfolio here.