My name is Martha and I’ve explored a few different career paths that all contributed to where I am today.
My education is in math and cognitive science, and then I worked in research and data science roles for about five years, which took me from the Amazon rainforest to unicorn startups. As I gained confidence in myself, it became clear to me that there was a creative side to me that was unfulfilled in my professional life. After a lot of thinking and soul-searching, I took the plunge and decided to make a switch and pursue product design.
As I started to learn more about the discipline, I realized that a lot of the work I’ve done before had really been UX research work. I’ve designed surveys for users and synthesized those results into actionable recommendations. I’ve thought long and hard about how to measure the success of product decisions. I’ve worked on cross-functional teams to leverage many different skill sets toward a shared goal. Adding on some visual design skills was the hardest, but most rewarding part of this transition.
Today, I am a product designer at Homebot, where I use my data science and research background to inform my design decisions. It’s been incredibly rewarding to work with a wonderful team to make complicated concepts simple for homeowners, home buyers, and real estate professionals. The real-world impact is very important to me and I hope to work in mission-driven organizations that positively impact the world for the entirety of my career.
I am so excited about the future and the opportunities that lie ahead. I’m confident that my unique background in data science and product design will allow me to create innovative solutions that solve real-world problems with empathy and rigor.
In my spare time, I like to travel, draw in my bullet journal (see some of it on my Instagram), watch classic films (check out my Letterboxd), read novels (especially sci-fi), do crossword puzzles, and snuggle with my cat Carmelita. Fun fact, I used to co-own a company that hosted virtual trivia events!
Testimonials
“…her willingness to jump in and get her hands dirty on literally any design challenge thrown her way 💪 - and her courageous authenticity and ability to be calm and thoughtful in times of high stress. Martha’s drive to make the best decisions on behalf of our users while balancing the needs of our business inspires me every day.”
- Director of Design at Homebot
“Being adaptable and flexible on the order of operations while still strongly advocating for investing time into validation makes you an extremely strong design partner!”
- Director of Design at Homebot
“WOW Martha, I am blown away! It's clear and easy to follow, and I got so excited reading through it and what takeaways/opportunities we have 🔥”
- Product Manager at Homebot, on a research findings report
“Martha is very methodical in the way she approaches problems. She has great communication skills, especially in her written communications. I always love reading through her research summaries/plans. Even coming in with zero context, she presents information in a way that's clear, concise, and valuable. I always enjoy digging into the details with Martha because I always walk away feeling like I learned something from her. In that same vein, she continues to elevate her other peers in product and has done so ever since she started here at Homebot. She's such an asset to our team and just an all-around great human being!”
- Product Manager at Homebot
"Martha, thanks for being a great partner in crime and sounding board for creativity and ideas”
- Junior Product Designer at Homebot
“I truly believe our design team has the best “product sense” in the R&D org right now and I want the rest of the team (product folks and engineers) to both recognize that as well as learn from it. …The level of insight y'all have into our users is insane let alone your abilities to translate that into thoughtful product experiences.”
- VP of Product at Homebot
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Cover image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope