About – Emilie Burnham

Emilie Burnham

UX/PRODUCT DESIGNER + CONTENT GUARDIAN

UI/UX DESIGNER

I’m a Product Designer with expertise spanning visual communication, UX, and UI design, delivering mobile, e-commerce, and enterprise experiences for brands like Funko, Best Buy, Expedia, and Starbucks. Over the last 5 years, my focus has been on product design—combining research-driven UX strategy, prototyping, and design systems with the craft of visual design to create accessible, scalable, and impactful solutions. As AI reshapes the digital realm, I act as a visual and content guardian—guiding AI-generated creative content with taste while ensuring copy, microcopy, and product details maintain clarity, quality, and consistency.

Earlier in my career, I taught visual design internationally as an Associate Professor of Visual Communication, honing my ability to mentor teams, communicate complex design decisions clearly, and provide thoughtful critique that elevates UX and product outcomes.

When I’m not designing, I apply the same long-term dedication and systems thinking to sustainability—rewilding my yard to create layered habitats for birds, pollinators, and wildlife.

I’m a Product Designer with expertise spanning visual communication, UX, and UI design, delivering mobile, e-commerce, and enterprise experiences for brands like Funko, Best Buy, Expedia, and Starbucks. Over the last 5 years, my focus has been on product design – combining research-driven UX strategy, prototyping, and design systems with the craft of visual design to create accessible, scalable, and impactful solutions. As AI reshapes the digital realm, I act as a visual and content guardian – guiding AI-generated creative content with taste while ensuring copy, microcopy, and product details maintain clarity, quality, and consistency.

Earlier in my career, I taught visual design internationally as an Associate Professor of Visual Communication. I attribute this to my ability to communicate complex design decisions clearly and provide thoughtful critique that elevates UX and product outcomes.

When I’m not designing, I apply the same long-term dedication and systems thinking to sustainability, through rewilding my yard to create layered habitats for birds, pollinators, and wildlife.

The creative trajectories throughout my design background are a continuous progression. Technology and processes evolve through time, yet the end user remains the focus. In this way, the user has always been at the center of my design.

I knew I’d be some sort of artist since I was a crayon-wielding 3-year-old. I grew up believing I’d be a fine artist, until learning about design when I realized that I can enable users to do amazing things. Even after all of my years of professional experience, it still feels like a super power.

I gained a solid sense of practicality from a Midwest upbringing. I was highly influenced by postmodern surf-subculture and experimental typography while living on the West Coast, in LA. And the transformative, multicultural experience of living in the Middle East gave me a global perspective that enhanced my own empathy towards designing for inclusivity. These formative experiences make me a one-of-a-kind design thinker for user-centered design.

…and it all started with a crayon.

The creative trajectories throughout my design background are a continuous progression. Technology and processes evolve through time, yet the end user remains the focus. In this way, the user has always been at the center of my design.

I knew I’d be some sort of artist since I was a crayon-wielding 3-year-old. I grew up believing I’d be a fine artist, until learning about design when I realized that I can enable users to do amazing things. Even after all of my years of professional experience, it still feels like a super power.

I gained a solid sense of practicality from a Midwest upbringing. I was highly influenced by postmodern surf-subculture and experimental typography while living on the West Coast, in LA. And the transformative, multicultural experience of living in the Middle East gave me a global perspective that enhanced my own empathy towards designing for inclusivity. These formative experiences make me a one-of-a-kind design thinker for user-centered design.

…and it all started with a crayon.

The creative trajectories throughout my design background are a continuous progression. Technology and processes evolve through time, yet the end user remains the focus. In this way, the user has always been at the center of my design.

I knew I’d be some sort of artist since I was a crayon-wielding 3-year-old. I grew up believing I’d be a fine artist, until learning about design when I realized that I can enable users to do amazing things. Even after all of my years of professional experience, it still feels like a super power.

I gained a solid sense of practicality from a Midwest upbringing. I was highly influenced by postmodern surf-subculture and experimental typography while living on the West Coast, in LA. And the transformative, multicultural experience of living in the Middle East gave me a global perspective that enhanced my own empathy towards designing for inclusivity. These formative experiences make me a one-of-a-kind design thinker for user-centered design.

…and it all started with a crayon.

ASK ME ABOUT:
– Teaching Design in Saudi Arabia
– Dive Master course in Thailand
– Running a marathon in Marathon, Greece

ASK ME ABOUT:
1. Teaching Design in Saudi Arabia
2. Dive Master certification in Thailand
3. Running a marathon in Marathon, Greece

ASK ME ABOUT:
– Teaching Design in Saudi Arabia
– Dive Master course in Thailand
– Running a marathon in Marathon, Greece

ASK ME ABOUT:
– Teaching Design in Saudi Arabia
– Dive Master certification in Thailand
– Running a marathon in Marathon, Greece

ASK ME ABOUT:
– Teaching Design in Saudi Arabia
– Dive Master course in Thailand
– Running a marathon in Marathon, Greece

BACK TO HOME

LET’S CONNECT!

All Work