Hi. My name is Lara Alley Simas Magalhães.

I’m a

UX/UI Designer +

<Developer>

Multidisciplinary designer specializing in UX/UI, illustration, game development, and web development—focused on merging strong visuals with purposeful, user-centered design.

What I do
Skills
Checkout my skillset.
Branding Graphic design Empathy Web & app Research & testing Motion design Adobe Suite Interaction design Team player Figma HTML & CSS Backend design AEM JavaScript Java UI Design AI

Get to know me.

Toolkit Component – Lara
My Toolkit

Toolkit

This is my collection of tools that help me transform ideas into amazing designs.

Figma
Figma
Adobe Illustrator
Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Photoshop
Claude
Claude
Based in
Washington, DC
United States · Open to remote

What defines me

A few things that make me, me.

01.
I design with people in mind

Good design isn't just about how something looks — it's about how it feels to the person using it. I genuinely care about the people behind the screen. I ask a lot of questions, I listen even more, and I use what I learn to create experiences that actually make sense for real humans, not just in theory.

02.
Collaboration is my comfort zone

I do my best work alongside other people. Whether I'm brainstorming with a team, presenting to stakeholders, or co-designing with developers, I find that the best ideas rarely come from working alone. I bring energy, openness, and a genuine willingness to hear perspectives different from my own.

03.
My background is wonderfully weird

I started in graphic design, then followed my curiosity into UX/UI, game design, and web development. That winding path gave me something most designers don't have — a really wide lens. I can think like a creative, build like a developer, and always come back to what the user actually needs.

04.
I never stop learning

Honestly, I love learning so much it might be a personality trait. From picking up new tools to diving into a master's degree, I'm always chasing the next thing that'll make me better at what I do. The design world moves fast — and I genuinely love keeping up with it.

MY LATEST CLIENT WORK


OLDCC

“Improving navigation for Federal Workers.”

The original website of OLDCC was challenging for potential grantee applicants to navigate. As a UX designer and researcher, my role was to identify the obstacles preventing users from finding the information they needed while ensuring 508 compliance.

Role: UX Designer II

PHX

“Organizing content around the needs of residents.”

Worked on redesigning and restructuring the Phoenix.gov website to better serve its audiences — residents, businesses, and visitors — by organizing content around their needs. The goal was to create a more intuitive, user-centered navigation and site structure, making it easier for people to find the services, information, and resources they need, while helping the city deliver digital services more effectively.

Role: Frontend Developer, Backend Developer, UX Designer II

VES

“Optimizing energy savings for Virginia.”

The goal of the project was to redesign and optimize the Virginia Energy Sense (VES) website by grounding the redesign in quantitative and qualitative user insights. We conducted social listening, traffic and content-inventory audits, and user-experience reviews to understand how audiences currently engage with the site. Based on those findings, we mapped key user journeys — from initial awareness of energy savings to readiness to act — and tailored content and messaging strategies accordingly. The objective was to deliver a UX that guides diverse audiences (from first-time renters to rural homeowners) through their unique paths, using clearer organization, relevant content, and effective channels to drive engagement and energy-saving action.

Role: UX Designer II

Things I enjoy.

art supplies.

LoFi.

cats.

strong coffee.

me.

Lara - Contact Footer

Lara Alley Simas Magalhães Portfolio