Statement

Hello, my name is Alaina Mickes.

I am the type of person that if I like something, I learn how to do it and aim to do it well. As a teen, I loved to paint so I became a double major in Fine Art and Digital Art at the University of Oregon. I loved dessert so I became a baker. I loved making piñatas so I became a top selling piñata maker. I knew I could craft, but something was missing. I hadn't yet discovered industrial design and I wasn’t yet a design thinker. That was the next step.

My initiative for something more led me to ArtCenter, where understanding human-centered design vastly shaped my thinking and problem solving. Today, my passion lies in research and strategy because I love to ignite the entire design process. I move projects forward by fostering teamwork, conducting qualitative research, identifying trends, and telling stories through color and material. I’ve even taken these passions abroad to Singapore, where I collaborated with MBAs at INSEAD to develop creative business strategies.

I am happy to say I have discovered and developed my missing piece. I can now confidently call myself a design thinker and I look forward to evolving in new ways