About Me
I’m Ranier Tinkelenberg, a neurodivergent UX Designer skilled in user empathy and product design with an emphasis on psychology.
I started out my career as a UX Designer while working for a startup as a graphic designer part-time at the end of 2020. I learned the tools of the trade by immersing myself in over 300+ hours of online videos, articles, and interviews in my downtime. During six months of trial and error in learning this discipline on my own, I was offered the role of a Junior UX Designer. A year later, in the summer of 2022, I was promoted to the role of Senior UX Designer.
During my time at the startup, I was also studying at Foothill College, where I earned an Associate of Arts in Psychology. I then transferred to Sacramento State, completing my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2024.
Outside of work, you can find me enjoying a cup of coffee, lurking in the record bins trying to find those hidden gems at record stores, and antique shopping for mid-century modern furniture and art.
Benjamin Wallsten | COO of April Labs
“Working with Ranier was a genuine pleasure and privilege. From taking initiative to organize and revamp April’s design system to going above and beyond to make sure we got whatever MVP or product out the door and on schedule. He demonstrated exceptional eagerness, efficiency, and professional acumen.”
Influences
I love negative space. I love the simplicity, cleanliness, order, and accessibility it invokes.
Relating this to interior design, the styles of Japandi and Mid-Century Modern come to mind. It does so much while utilizing so little in households highlighting this style.
That’s why I love these two interior design styles and their relation to UX Design; a simplistic, clean design can and should help users reach their intended goal. Why do too much and overwhelm a user? At the end of the day, it is the user who helps the designer achieve the best result for the majority end user.
Consider the K.I.S.S. principle; keep it simple, stupid in which “most systems work best if they are kept simple rather than made complicated; therefore, simplicity should be a key goal in design.”
Toolbox
There is a myriad of design tools out there for designers alike to create the best product possible. The tools I use for my design flow work for me currently, but that shouldn’t go without saying that I am open to using alternative software that best serves the client’s needs.
