Product Designer
I’m a problem solver and people person
I was born curious about people. My parents joke that I was a nosy baby, constantly observing how people interacted with the world around them and always asking “why”. My curiosity led me to Product Design, where I discovered how to turn listening and analysis into impactful digital solutions.
Now, I research people and design tools that meet them where they are, creating functional experiences built with care for their communities.
Passionate about public interest technology
Summer 2025 I completed Coding it Forward’s Public Interest Technology Summer Discovery Program, where I connected with civic technologists and deepened my passion for impact-driven design.
In Winter 2026, I applied what I learned as a Design Fellow for the City of Long Beach’s Technology and Innovation Department where I led the design of AI and Data Privacy webpages for the City of Long Beach's Smart Cities website which increases effective transparency and builds trust around emerging technologies. Pioneering the City's first Figma-based workflow, I built a reusable design system for the City's content management system from scratch and led a branding refresh to ensure consistency, sustainability, and alignment with accessibility standards. The final webpages serve as a resource hub for 6,000+ City staff and 450,000+ Long Beach residents.
Learn by doing
In March 2025, I graduated summa cum laude from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a B.S. in Graphic Communication, concentrating in UX/UI with a minor in Ethnic Studies. Cal Poly’s “learn by doing” philosophy is what defined my experiences, inside and outside of the classroom.
Over four years, I grew from design novice to design lead, collaborating in cross-functional teams at iter8, Hack4Impact, and .wavzine, where I bolstered my design toolkit. Together, we delivered web and mobile interfaces to startup, non-profit, government, and small business clients. My senior year I conducted my thesis research, exploring how AI could be integrated into government design to better serve marginalized communities.
Cassia’s design toolkit
My life beyond pixels
When I am not spending my time scrutinizing color palettes, using command+Z, and psychoanalyzing users, I’m making colorful dishes in the kitchen, swimming in the ocean, or curled up with a good book.
Some dishes from @cassiacozinheira