Kelly Driver
Senior Interactive Designer, idfive
As a Senior Interactive Designer and user experience researcher at idfive, Kelly works to understand an audience before she designs for them. By applying testing and research to her design methods, Kelly bridges the gap between design and UX—an increasingly vital task in our industry—to ensure her projects work just as well as they look. Kelly’s created beautiful and functionally effortless work for a variety of national and local clients including Special Olympics, Johns Hopkins University, and Deutsche Bank. Kelly holds a B.A. in Studio Art with a concentration in graphic design and a minor in Art History from the University of Maryland, College Park and an M.F.A. in Integrated Design from the University of Baltimore. A firm believer in the importance of community involvement and the value of inspiring others, Kelly’s also an undergraduate adjunct professor.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I continue to remind myself to never stop trying new things and to never stop asking questions. Even if you think you know the right solution, explore other directions. Also, get a mentor who you can go to for anything. Mentors are invaluable.
What’s your favorite creative hobby, outside of design? Are you working on any side projects right now?
I love crochet. I taught myself and each year I try to learn something new. This year I have my heart set on learning how to make socks!
What’s the harshest criticism you’ve ever gotten about your work and how did you handle it?
The harshest criticism I’ve ever gotten was that my work was boring. It was hard to hear and also annoying because I felt it wasn’t constructive, but I’ve let it become a learning lesson on how I give critiques for other designers work.
What’s your biggest pet peeve as a designer?
Being sloppy. I’m really detailed in my file structure and organization, and having to pick up files that are a mess drives me insane.
Baltimore’s 5th Annual Design Week is back! Register now for Designing for Stress Cases: Understanding the Everyday Relationship Between UX and Accessibility.
