I’m Julie Sayigh,

a user-centered designer/researcher.

I’m currently a User Experience Designer for the City of Seattle. I have a background in UX, visual, and exhibit design and team management. I have spent much of my career creating experiential designs to help people connect to cultural and natural history stories at state and national park sites. I am a certified interpretive planner through National Association for Interpretation (NAI).

I am mission-driven and a people-person who seeks to understand, explore, and build solutions with care. I  am adaptable, unafraid of new paths, and comfortable with a touch of chaos. A designer, yes, but a communicator, too—I  bridge gaps, guide collaboration, and make all voices count. I believe the strength in human-centered design is that it shows the process, invites the room, and makes participation not just possible but meaningful.

I started my career with a BFA in Visual Communications from University of Washington. I moved to New York City upon graduation where I worked at design agencies for several years. I discovered exhibit design and it drew me to Washington, DC where I worked with museums such as the Smithsonian Institution. I followed that with two years of Peace Corps service in Zambia, where I was first exposed to participatory research methods. This sparked my interest in user-centered design and, while I learned of UW's HCDE program upon returning to Seattle, I would not apply until years later. I was instead recruited to an exhibit design firm where I planned and designed user-centered exhibit experiences within some of America’s most special national parks and museums, as well as for cultural and corporate clients.

Upon completing an MS in Human-Centered Design and Engineering in June, 2022, I began my current UX role in public service. I am proud to use my skills to serve the website and other digital products within the city where I live.

I've held leadership and management roles and am also a powerful and passionate individual contributor.  
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Since I get asked this a fair bit: my last name Sayigh is pronounced SIGH-igg.