Sam trobaugh
Design
Welcome to my
portfolio!
I am an artist and designer with a background in teaching. I love to learn new concepts and apply my experience and problem-solving skills in all aspects of my work. I am very interested in UX design principles and have begun incorporating these practices into my work. Feel free to contact me with any questions, otherwise please review my past projects to see what I can add to your team!
Accessibility
teamwork
empathy
More about me and how I utilize key UX concepts in real-world situations
Teaching
vs.
User Experience
Teaching for all learners is extremely similar to designing for all users.
The problem: Teaching for all learners
Preparation: Bachelors in Education, Professional development and continued learning paired with hands on experience teaching students with various learning and development styles.
Solutions: Implemented tools and enrichment tailored to each student's specific learning style and motivations.
Example
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Strategies used in an art lesson on Desert Cactus to meet learning styles of students: During instruction we move around the room between work tables, the demonstration table, and the reading carpet to keep bodily kinesthetic learners engaged in addition to them having the option of standing during work time. My sample created in real time, art prints, and the desert plant handouts were used to reach visual learners. Reading a book on Cacti along with a short lecture/ Q&A was used for auditory learners.
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Other considerations: In my experience, sometimes problems don't have a textbook solution. During my time in AmeriCorps I had a lot of kids who had trouble focusing because sometimes school lunch was the only consistent meal they received. While others acted out in class simply because they craved attention. These kiddos needed more than a well structured lesson could give them. I found significant improvements when I made snacks available and let students come in to do homework or chat before and after school.
Conclusion
There are so many factors that go into a great classroom. For me, the key is giving each individual the tools to be successful and providing a supportive environment. These values transfer into UX seamlessly as teaching required me to always be thinking of the "next billion users" in a classroom context.
BAD-lands
Sometimes having a good team can literally mean life or death.
THE GROUP
Abhi
The lookout and hype man. Abhi has the most energy of the group and can scale any incline with ease, making him the perfect scout when we need directional assistance from different viewpoints. He is also a great at keeping the group motivated and pushing us to meet distance goals.
Austin
Keeper of the map and fire starter. Austin was an eagle scout and it really shows when it comes to navigation and keeping us warm. He once built a fire in the rain OVER A PUDDLE. This man will make a fire in any weather condition for his morning cup of joe.
Sam (me)
Safety and preparation extraordinaire. I pack communal items like meals and first aid supplies to ensure we bring only what we need. I also research the area so we know the terrain, wildlife/vegetation, and park rules. Need anything, Tylenol? Sanitizer? A snack? It's probably in my fanny pack.
Evan
Camel and entertainment. Evan will do anything you ask because he is a team player, which now usually means he is carrying extra water. Water accounts for a lot of a bags weight so this is no small feat. He is also just a silly person, so a lot of our best stories star Evan.
The Problem: Running out of water in the desert on a backpacking trip
Preparation: Not enough.
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On our first backpacking trip, we found ourselves already facing a serious situation. Austin's water container had leaked, losing almost half of his supply. While Evan underestimated how much water he would need (he did not read the packing list citing the recommended amount each person should carry in).
The four of us had to come up with a plan fast.
Solutions
1. Stay where we were and wait for help (10 miles from the trailhead in either direction)
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2. Send one person with the liter of water we had left and hope they could make it on their own
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3. Hike 5 miles to what looked like a water source near a road on our map
The "water source" was dried up, but there was a road that lead to a shed and we could see power lines in the distance. We had 8 ounces of water left for four people and it was almost high noon. Evan and I volunteered to check out the shed. It was locked but as soon as we got to the door I had cell service and was able to contact park services for help.
Conclusion
Looking back now, this trip solidified our roles in the group. Although we were definitely panicking at times, we trusted each other and when it was time to step up and power through we all carried our weight when it mattered most, and were willing to lend a hand when others couldn't.
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Teamwork saved our lives.
The park ranger said we were extremely lucky to have found an area with service and even luckier he wasn't on the other side of the park 5+ hours away.
TLC
Empathy makes a huge difference in our toughest moments.
The problem: My mother broke her hip and tailbone
Preparation: Research surgery, aftercare, and first hand experiences.
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My mom needed surgery immediately and there would be a 3-6 month recovery. I needed to prepare our spare room ASAP. All the sites and blogs said a lot of the same things for aftercare. There were some helpful tips from folks who went through the recovery process themselves I was able to use as well.
Solutions: Research and Empathy
I purchased required equipment to make our apartment more accessible (shower chair, wheelchair, grabber kit).
I also really wanted to maximize independence. My mom hates asking for help so bedrest was going to be very hard for her. I made things available as much as possible so she wouldn't have to ask. I put a box full of her favorite snacks, and all her meds on the bed stand within reach with a bottle of water. I also put extra pillows on the side of the bed she wasn't using, and brought plants into the room so she would have something nice to look at and care for when she was more mobile.
Conclusion
Although it would have been enough to have a bed and the walker the hospital provided, my mother would have had a totally different experience. The wheelchair I got allowed her to move freely around the house after 2 weeks. She wasn't able to use the walker for 2+ months and would have been stuck in her room without the chair.
The first 2 weeks were hard and although she struggled, she loved having snacks, pillows and medications within reach. Even when things fell on the floor, or behind the bed she was able to pick them up with the grabber my friend recommended, a true life saver! I wanted to provide the best environment my mom to be comfortable. Researching and talking to others that had been in similar situations guided my decisions and greatly improved her experience.
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I am happy to say my mother has almost fully recovered, and my plants that were half dead when she arrived 3 months ago are now thriving under her care!
my passion for ux
User experience is all around us. I knew this was the path for me when I started seeing it EVERYWHERE. UX is important because we spend so much time interacting with technology and it should be the most seamless part of the day compared to everything else the average person has going on in their life.