My name is Melina Sandel, and I am a sophomore majoring in Digital Media and Design with a concentration in Web and Interactive Design. Before UConn, I attended Harborfields High School on Long Island, where I was the President of my Class. I was also very involved in filming and editing news packages for my school’s journalism program. At UConn I am a member of the Concert and Comedy committee and I hope to become even more involved in SUBOG next year. I also competed in Season 6 of Survivor UConn!

What first drew me to Greenhouse studios was seeing their workspace in the library. I was very intrigued by the collaborative nature of the space and wanted to find out more about their projects. I checked out their website and social media pages and immediately wanted to be a part of their team! I felt that it encompassed all of my interests including UX Design and Web Design. The collaborative nature between different majors also interested me because I like to branch out and work with people who aren’t in my major and explore their perspectives.

At Greenhouse Studios I hope to become more knowledgeable of Figma because I currently use Adobe XD to design apps and websites. I also would like to help with Design Research. In my opinion, this is the most overlooked part of the design process and sometimes people can jump straight into designing without establishing a good base of research. Building a good foundation of research is important for empathizing with the user. Overall I hope that my time at Greenhouse will make me an empathetic designer.

In my free time I like speedsolving Rubik’s Cubes, rock climbing at the Rec Center, and reading celebrity memoirs.

Check out my Portfolio here!