NC Nwoko | UI+UX Design & Strategy

Nkechinyere "NC" Nwoko, MSPH, MSIS

Hello, and thanks for visiting!

I'm Nkechinyere, but most people call me "NC."

I've been known to push a pixel or two, but my specialty is human-centered user experience design and digital product strategy. It's a mouthful, true, but that's because I've worn several hats and nurture many passions.

Put simply: employers count on me to simplify the complex. As a digital strategy and product design expert, I am adept at discovering the smartest uses of technology―whether for people, process, or productivity―to create cost-effective, intuitive experiences that exceed project goals.

1. Peruse the tabs in this section to understand my specializations a bit better,
2. Browse my portfolio below, or
3. Check out the About section. It's not just a link to my resume; it also lists my personal values and highlights a few experiences that have shaped my life and career.

UI/UXD STRATEGY

UI/UXD strategy is short for "user interface/user experience design strategy."

The strategy component describes the activities and processes used to align business goals with the end user’s experience of a product, program, or service; the design component describes the activities and processes used to create user-friendly, accessible interfaces that guide understanding about how to use new or complex technical products. Essentially, UI/UXD Strategy is the intersection of human-centered product design, business strategy, and digital strategy.

I owe my strengths in this role to the years I spent as a digital producer, supervising the design and development of a variety of dynamic projects—websites, apps, ads, video, etc.—as well as scoping, estimating costs, and preparing reports. I also frequently attended events hosted by the Triangle User Experience Association, where I would later serve as an executive council member.

I pursued front-end programming for a time, but it's the least of what I do. That said, I am comfortable working with code and among developers. In terms of direct experience, my skill level ranges from beginner to advanced-beginner for HTML/CSS/JS, Python, and database programming (semantic data modeling, relational model theory for normalization and query construction, and SQL).

CONTENT STRATEGY

I have provided both written and multimedia guidance for my clients.

I love the written word! For me, content strategy includes the planning, development, and management of content. I take into account the goals of the project, the context of end-users, distribution modes, metrics, and more. On many occasions, I have directly contributed copywriting and editing services for marketing teams, digital projects, and technical communications.

I received excellent training in many styles of writing during my undergraduate career at the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media where I received a B.A. in Public Relations and a Certificate in Business Journalism.

Occasionally, I also engage in personal creative writing as an artistic outlet.

DATA ANALYSIS

I create data-driven experiences to ensure the largest possible impact.

Data analysis is the process of gleaning useful information from data, and it comes in many forms: academic/user research, analytics development/reporting, modeling, and more. I've used data analysis in all of these ways to support decision-making in my projects and for my clients.

In May 2022 I received a Master of Science in Public Health from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health (Health Policy and Management), a Master of Science in Information Science from the UNC School of Information and Library Science (Human-Computer Interaction), and a Graduate Certificate in Public Health Informatics. The degrees required integrated courses in several sciences, field practicums, thesis research, and strong data studies training—including operations research, quality/process improvement, statistical analysis, and spreadsheet modeling.

USER ADVOCACY

User advocacy emphasizes the importance of representing the user perspective to ensure usable, useful, and compelling designs.

User advocacy is no easy feat, but it's a specialization worth developing. It's often the secret sauce that leads to the greatest success (and insights) for users, clients, and me.

Ultimately, I strive for digital/technology equity, inclusion, and justice. I prioritize principles that ensure all individuals and communities have the access, resources, capacity, and opportunity to engage the technologies used to live, work, learn, contribute, and/or participate fully in all aspects of society if that is what they desire.

Whenever possible, I use a systems thinking approach and adhere to a progressive discovery method called "values-based participatory action research" (VBPAR), which emphasizes the centrality and diversity of decision-making. VBPAR insists that participants, particularly those who are traditionally marginalized and/or excluded, are valued as competent members of the team who are able to contribute in a manner that strengthens their social standing and self-worth. Functionally-speaking, to ensure decisions and outcomes are equitable and just, the collection, prioritization, use, and exchange of information must intentionally include a systemically-representative group at all phases of the project. Participants are leaders in designing processes, defining action-research questions/goals, choosing methods, interpreting results, and drawing conclusions about the implications of decision alternatives and learnings.

While pursuing graduate degrees, I attended conferences and conducted independent research relating to all of these concepts. I also completed the Racial Equity Institute (REI) Phase 1 training developed to increase participants' capacity to better understand racism in its institutional and structural forms; I was chosen for the North Carolina Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (N.C. LEND) fellowship program at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD); and I was selected to participate in UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School's Adams Apprenticeship program for transformational entrepreneurs due in part to my experience with and commitment to social innovation in tech.

2015 photo of Dr. Kate M. and NC N. (credit: Caktus Group)

Dr. Kate Muessig and NC Nwoko: "Hacking HIV Stigma" talk for Innovate Your Cool conference in Durham, N.C.

PUBLIC SPEAKING

Public speaking is a skill I use to inform, persuade, and entertain.

It describes the act of oration or presentation to a live or virtual audience. For a strategist like me, public speaking can be interactive, and may include the oral communication skills necessary to lead internal or external meetings, workshops, research sessions (i.e., user research tactics), or training events for colleagues, clients, and/or other interested audiences. I've also given talks at conferences and university classrooms throughout my career.

Most recently, I served as team lead for the graduate students selected to compete in the 24th Annual National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) Student Case Analysis and Presentation Competition, addressing housing instability as a major public health issue. Teams had three weeks to analyze a case, craft a potential solution, and present the plan persuasively and concisely to actual healthcare executives from systems across the country.