Grasping at the Root,
Nipping in the Bud
The Product/Process Private Eye
 Youth EmpowermentWorking with peers in the Mississippi Delta to identify a venture that will promote and support self-empowerment |  Pioneering ProcessHow I turned pointing fingers into shaking hands for a once scrappy startup through sweeping process improvements |  $0 Faulty Radio FixHow I solved a top warranty claim through pure user education |
|---|---|---|
 Avoiding 100% Failure RateHow I prevented a catastrophic 100% product failure rate of a solar generator kit in West Africa |  Softening Hard ConversationsHow I built workplace empathy and connection in a time of tense social isolation |  BrightboxAffordable and portable hands-on lab kit that teaches children the principals of ray optics |
 Independent LivingGreatly improving the quality of independent living for a local senior citizen via a simple product and participation in the design process itself |  SteppingTonesSimple, projected instrument to allow pedestrians to play along with street musicians, designed collaboratively with users |  Reviving a Photo StudioHow I redesigned my college's underutilized photo studio to promote easy access and high quality results for students |
About Melisa Lopardo
Melisa is a human-centered designer and engineer from Queens, NY. A sleuth by nature, she believes good design and real change starts with listening: hear how people describe their own problems, evaluate the environment, interrogate the assumptions. Find the true root of the issue and tackle the source, not just the symptoms. Keeping both the forest and the trees in sharp focus, she can reframe any situation to find a clever solution and execute it with meticulous attention to detail. Her other skills include handy hack-it-yourselfer, capable cat wrangler (figuratively and literally), and professional advocate for the devil himself. Outside work, she can be found critiquing social philosophies, rummaging through thrift stores, or deeply overanalyzing her favorite media.
Ready to rip off the band-aids and find a real cure? Hit me up!