About / The person behind the work
A different path.
A people-first
perspective.
I’m Maribel Zapien, a UX leader, community builder, and lifelong learner. My career began in customer service. My curiosity brought me to design.
The beginning
Learning to see
what’s possible.
My transition into UX started with a mentor at work and courses through the Interaction Design Foundation.
That combination gave me a place to learn UX principles and someone to help me see how to apply them. Over time, I moved into design and grew into a leadership role, managing a team of designers at the same organization where I had worked in customer service.
The thread that connects it all
Customer service
My starting point, working directly with people and their needs.
Learning UX
Mentorship at work and IxDF courses opened a new direction.
Design leadership
Growing into a role managing and supporting a team of designers.
Giving back
Creating opportunities for other designers to learn and connect.
Still learning.
Always.
Learning didn’t stop when my job title changed.
I’m continuing to explore how AI fits into design, including learning to build projects with AI so I can better lead my team in this space. This site will grow with those explorations.
Follow the learning journey ↗