Human-to-human design.
Before the interface come executive functioning, cognitve load, habit formation, and decision-making under uncertainty.
I work on systems where getting wrong how people understand, decide and act is expensive.
My experience includes over three years as a designer, more than seven years studying and applying neuroscience, ten years as a healthcare professional, and a lifetime as a human being.
Gabriela Mendelski
Throughout my journey I started with a fascination for the human brain – the squishy, wrinkly thing inside our heads. I mean, who wouldn’t be curious about what’s going on up there? But it turns out, neuroscience is more than just squiggly brain diagrams. It’s like this massive, interconnected web of thoughts, feelings, and human interactions, all swimming around in a sea of emotions.
In my quest to decode this complex cognitive network, I realised it’s not just about the brain but also how all this brainy stuff affects the world and, in a never-ending loop, how the world affects us.
I decided to use this brainy knowledge in UX Design to create great experiences. See, our brain’s emotions are like the “Room of Requirement” (do you like Harry Potter?) to a fantastic user experience. It’s all about making things easier and avoiding frustration for our brain – from what we see and interact to how we feel about it.
So if you’ve ever wondered why some interactions are easier and simpler than others, probably the answer is the design (and science) behind them. I’m here to not only make things look pretty, but also make them super easy to use and totally engaging.
Ah, speaking of engagement… I also discovered through neuroscience that learning doesn’t always involve hours of sitting, thank goodness! Whenever I can, I prefer to exercise my brain with some fancy sophisticated hand and footwork. How? When being hit by a ball during futsal matches. Yeah, it can get pretty painful, but hey, that’s part of the fun, right? I’m the goalie, the human target, and I absolutely love it!
Sports are my jam… my go-to hobby. And I’m all about team sports because my secret superpower is actually enthusiasm. Those moments of interaction on the court, the rush of physical activity, and the warm fuzzy feeling of belonging to a team? That’s what puts the ‘happy’ in my life.
So, regardless of the reason that brought you here, whether for a great design or for a good game, I got your back!