With expertise in both physical and digital product design, a master’s in Human Factors, and business training, I translate complexity into clarity to guide impactful design decisions.
Alvina Salim
With expertise in both physical and digital product design, a master’s in Human Factors, and business training, I translate complexity into clarity to guide impactful design decisions.
Alvina
salim
With expertise in both physical and digital product design, a master’s in Human Factors, and business training, I translate complexity into clarity to guide impactful design decisions.
Alvina
salim
Digital
Physical
Career
Intuitive Surgical
Product Graphics Design Intern (2024)
Intuitive Surgical
Product Graphics Design Intern (2024)
Intuitive Surgical
Product Graphics Design Intern (2024)
Design U
UX/UI Project Lead (contract) (2021)
Design U
UX/UI Project Lead (contract) (2021)
Design U
UX/UI Project Lead (contract) (2021)
Education
Human Factors and Ergonomics
University of Minnesota
Master of Science; Business Management minor
Human Factors and Ergonomics
University of Minnesota
Master of Science; Business Management minor
Human Factors and Ergonomics
University of Minnesota
Master of Science; Business Management minor
Product Design
University of Minnesota
Bachelor of Science; Information Technology minor
Product Design
University of Minnesota
Bachelor of Science; Information Technology minor
Product Design
University of Minnesota
Bachelor of Science; Information Technology minor
Engineering; Arts
Edmonds College
Associate of Science; Associate of Arts
Engineering; Arts
Edmonds College
Associate of Science; Associate of Arts
Engineering; Arts
Edmonds College
Associate of Science; Associate of Arts
What I do
UX/UI Design
Craft intuitive experiences aligned with research, UX, and product goals.
UX/UI Design
Craft intuitive experiences aligned with research, UX, and product goals.
UX/UI Design
Craft intuitive experiences aligned with research, UX, and product goals.
User Research
Plan and execute qual. and quan. research to inform design decisions.
User Research
Plan and execute qual. and quan. research to inform design decisions.
User Research
Plan and execute qual. and quan. research to inform design decisions.
Prototyping
Fabricate physical & digital mockups for exploration and development.
Prototyping
Fabricate physical & digital mockups for exploration and development.
Prototyping
Fabricate physical & digital mockups for exploration and development.
Product Design & Strategy
Define product direction by balancing feasibility, viability, desirability.
Product Design & Strategy
Define product direction by balancing feasibility, viability, desirability.
Product Design & Strategy
Define product direction by balancing feasibility, viability, desirability.
Human Factors Evaluation
Conduct formative and summative evaluations, aligned with usability standards and FDA guidelines.
Human Factors Evaluation
Conduct formative and summative evaluations, aligned with usability standards and FDA guidelines.
Human Factors Evaluation
Conduct formative and summative evaluations, aligned with usability standards and FDA guidelines.
Interaction & Animation
Create purposeful illustrations and motion to bring clarity, feedback, and delight to UX.
Interaction & Animation
Create purposeful illustrations and motion to bring clarity, feedback, and delight to UX.
Interaction & Animation
Create purposeful illustrations and motion to bring clarity, feedback, and delight to UX.
Tools I'm using
Figma
Design
Figma
Design
Figma
Design
Solidworks
Computer-Aided Design
Solidworks
Computer-Aided Design
Solidworks
Computer-Aided Design
Framer
Design
Framer
Design
Framer
Design
Maya
Computer-Aided Design
Maya
Computer-Aided Design
Maya
Computer-Aided Design
Adobe Creative Suite: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects
Design
Adobe Creative Suite: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects
Design
Adobe Creative Suite: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects
Design
Inventor
Computer-Aided Design
Inventor
Computer-Aided Design
Inventor
Computer-Aided Design
Nvivo
Research Analysis
Nvivo
Research Analysis
Nvivo
Research Analysis
KeyShot
CAD and Rendering
KeyShot
CAD and Rendering
KeyShot
CAD and Rendering
Mural
Research Analysis
Mural
Research Analysis
Mural
Research Analysis
Some kind words…
1/6
"As the team’s manager, I had the opportunity to witness her thoughtful approach to problem-solving, her ability to navigate and synthesize complex systemic information, and her consistent delivery of high-quality results ... Alvina’s unique background—a blend of physical and digital design, human factors, and strong systems thinking—makes her a designer of the future. She works fluently across modalities and consistently delivers with clarity, thoughtfulness, and precision. Alvina is a valuable asset to any design team!"
Peter Boeckel
Design Manager, Intuitive Surgical
1/6
"As the team’s manager, I had the opportunity to witness her thoughtful approach to problem-solving, her ability to navigate and synthesize complex systemic information, and her consistent delivery of high-quality results ... Alvina’s unique background—a blend of physical and digital design, human factors, and strong systems thinking—makes her a designer of the future. She works fluently across modalities and consistently delivers with clarity, thoughtfulness, and precision. Alvina is a valuable asset to any design team!"
Peter Boeckel
Design Manager, Intuitive Surgical
1/6
"As the team’s manager, I had the opportunity to witness her thoughtful approach to problem-solving, her ability to navigate and synthesize complex systemic information, and her consistent delivery of high-quality results ... Alvina’s unique background—a blend of physical and digital design, human factors, and strong systems thinking—makes her a designer of the future. She works fluently across modalities and consistently delivers with clarity, thoughtfulness, and precision. Alvina is a valuable asset to any design team!"
Peter Boeckel
Design Manager, Intuitive Surgical
2/6
"She blew us away not only with the quality of her work, but more so with her thoughtfulness, sharp line of inquiry, and incredible capacity. She came up to speed quickly on several complex projects and had an immediate positive impact. She was able to mode-switch between them without skipping a beat and partnered naturally with several other members of our team. Alvina is a star and we look forward to hopefully working more with her in the future."
Mark Palmer
Senior Manager, Intuitive Surgical
2/6
"She blew us away not only with the quality of her work, but more so with her thoughtfulness, sharp line of inquiry, and incredible capacity. She came up to speed quickly on several complex projects and had an immediate positive impact. She was able to mode-switch between them without skipping a beat and partnered naturally with several other members of our team. Alvina is a star and we look forward to hopefully working more with her in the future."
Mark Palmer
Senior Manager, Intuitive Surgical
2/6
"She blew us away not only with the quality of her work, but more so with her thoughtfulness, sharp line of inquiry, and incredible capacity. She came up to speed quickly on several complex projects and had an immediate positive impact. She was able to mode-switch between them without skipping a beat and partnered naturally with several other members of our team. Alvina is a star and we look forward to hopefully working more with her in the future."
Mark Palmer
Senior Manager, Intuitive Surgical
3/6
"Alvina is a born problem-solver. She’s willing to take on challenges, explore new tools and materials, and integrate feedback from colleagues and clients. She is determined to see her projects through to completion and work as a team player toward the best possible outcome."
Michael Winikoff
Director, Science Communication Lab
3/6
"Alvina is a born problem-solver. She’s willing to take on challenges, explore new tools and materials, and integrate feedback from colleagues and clients. She is determined to see her projects through to completion and work as a team player toward the best possible outcome."
Michael Winikoff
Director, Science Communication Lab
3/6
"Alvina is a born problem-solver. She’s willing to take on challenges, explore new tools and materials, and integrate feedback from colleagues and clients. She is determined to see her projects through to completion and work as a team player toward the best possible outcome."
Michael Winikoff
Director, Science Communication Lab
4/6
"She identified and consolidated the design principles for the product graphics that will optimize the design workflow, maintain brand consistency, and improve visual communication across system platforms."
Dan Fong
Senior Product Graphic Designer, Intuitive Surgical
4/6
"She identified and consolidated the design principles for the product graphics that will optimize the design workflow, maintain brand consistency, and improve visual communication across system platforms."
Dan Fong
Senior Product Graphic Designer, Intuitive Surgical
4/6
"She identified and consolidated the design principles for the product graphics that will optimize the design workflow, maintain brand consistency, and improve visual communication across system platforms."
Dan Fong
Senior Product Graphic Designer, Intuitive Surgical
5/6
"Alvina's positive attitude, creative thinking, and willingness to learn new tools and processes will make her a valuable team member in the workforce. We were always pleased with how quickly Alvina was able to lay out quality concept drawings or prototypes in front of Product Managers and Subject Matter Experts alike."
Nathan Mullen
Mechanical Engineering Manager, Realityworks
5/6
"Alvina's positive attitude, creative thinking, and willingness to learn new tools and processes will make her a valuable team member in the workforce. We were always pleased with how quickly Alvina was able to lay out quality concept drawings or prototypes in front of Product Managers and Subject Matter Experts alike."
Nathan Mullen
Mechanical Engineering Manager, Realityworks
5/6
"Alvina's positive attitude, creative thinking, and willingness to learn new tools and processes will make her a valuable team member in the workforce. We were always pleased with how quickly Alvina was able to lay out quality concept drawings or prototypes in front of Product Managers and Subject Matter Experts alike."
Nathan Mullen
Mechanical Engineering Manager, Realityworks
6/6
"She was efficient with the product research & design tasks she was given. She was a great problem solver and presented ideas to improve the UX of our Newsletter sign-up process as well as how we display our podcasts on our homepage."
Grace Finlayson
Product Operations, Foreign Affairs Magazine
6/6
"She was efficient with the product research & design tasks she was given. She was a great problem solver and presented ideas to improve the UX of our Newsletter sign-up process as well as how we display our podcasts on our homepage."
Grace Finlayson
Product Operations, Foreign Affairs Magazine
6/6
"She was efficient with the product research & design tasks she was given. She was a great problem solver and presented ideas to improve the UX of our Newsletter sign-up process as well as how we display our podcasts on our homepage."
Grace Finlayson
Product Operations, Foreign Affairs Magazine
I'm Alvina
I bring a systems-thinking approach to design, synthesizing insights to create human-centered experiences. I translate complexity into clarity to drive impactful product decisions.
My enthusiasm for UX and research stems from my fascination with the intersection of design and psychology. I love the process of turning research insights into practical, actionable solutions. It's rewarding to design solutions that empathize with the users' needs while balancing with business, technology, trend, and literature perspectives.
When I'm not working, you’ll find me crafting, reading, or listening to podcasts—staying inspired and ready for whatever comes next!
alvinasaliim@gmail.com
