Hello, World
I'm Yafira, a design engineer and creative technologist who builds at the intersection of code, design, and human-computer interaction. I create digital and physical experiences that are thoughtful, functional, and a little bit magical.
Currently, I'm a graduate student at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP), where I experiment with physical computing, web development, creative coding, fabrication, and interaction design. My work lives at the expressive overlap of technology and art, spanning front-end development, UX/UI/product design, and playful, tactile computing.
With a background in computer science and a lifelong passion for design, I approach every project with intention and care. My focus is on building intuitive, meaningful interfaces and experiences that empower users, challenge norms, and embrace simplicity. I'm deeply inspired by Dieter Rams' Ten Principles of Good Design and John Maeda's Laws of Simplicity, and I believe that less is often more.
$ whoami
I'm a visual learner, creative thinker, and detail-oriented developer who thrives in imaginative environments. Whether designing interfaces or soldering circuits, I care deeply about clarity, craft, and user experience. I'm passionate about creating tools, artifacts, and systems that translate digital ideas into interactive, often physical, inventions.
whyicompute://
Programming is my paintbrush: a way to solve puzzles, express ideas, and build things that matter. I see code as craft, a practice of shaping the world around me in practical, poetic ways. I code because it challenges me, and because it gives form to imagination.
feelingthroughform://
Design is where I feel most at home. It's where logic and emotion meet, the art of interface at its most meaningful. I've always been drawn to the quiet power of arrangement, detail, and color, and how good design can turn the ordinary into something magical.
myjourney://
My path to tech wasn't linear. I've always lived in the current of creativity: as a child, I filled notebooks with drawings and assembled mood boards before I knew the term existed. A high school writing contest sparked my love for storytelling and led me to dream of creating an international print magazine.
That dream took me through business school and journalism, but something was missing. After graduation, I found myself drawn to the hidden mechanics of how things work. I returned to school for electrical engineering, and everything changed when I took my first programming class. I fell in love with the logic, creativity, and problem-solving of code, switched my major to computer science, and never looked back.
From customizing MySpace pages to tinkering with electronics, I began to see technology as my medium: a way to build tools, stories, and experiences that feel both useful and joyful. ITP is where all these threads finally came together, where creativity and computation speak the same language.
tea&terminal://
These days, you'll find me coding interfaces, designing playful experiences, learning new tools, and always making something. In my orbit: tinkering with arts and crafts, taking photos, sketching ideas, experimenting in the kitchen, reviewing snacks at snax, playing chess, building odd prototypes, or tending to my side project: @electrocutelab.
let's build something together!
I'm seeking opportunities in ux engineering, design engineering, product design, interaction design, creative technology, especially projects that merge design and code across software and/or hardware. I'm also drawn to work involving e-textiles, physical computing, and tactile interaction - anywhere technology meets texture, gesture, or form.