Hi, I'm Leonie Almeida!

I'm a UI/UX Designer based in Houston, TX, dedicated to creating clean, intuitive, and user-centered digital experiences. With expertise in responsive web design and frontend development, I thrive on blending visual aesthetics with psychological insights to craft efficient, engaging interfaces.

I currently work as a Product Design / UX Expert with Mercor, where I apply design judgment and UX expertise to evaluate and improve AI-generated interfaces for large-scale research projects. My work sits at the intersection of design, psychology, and AI, translating qualitative user insights into structured feedback that helps shape better digital experiences.

Alongside this role, I also work as a freelance UI/UX Designer for HalalReads, a nonprofit platform supporting Muslim authors and readers. There, I design end-to-end experiences including onboarding flows, dashboards, subscriptions, reviews, and content discovery — balancing accessibility, cultural sensitivity, and values-aligned UX. This work has strengthened my ability to collaborate with stakeholders, deliver dev-ready designs, and design with intention and empathy.

My journey into design began with a UI/UX bootcamp, where I discovered my passion for crafting meaningful solutions that balance creativity and functionality. Since then, I've built projects like Seedly, BANQ, and Cookly, applying user research, psychology-informed design, wireframing, and prototyping to bring ideas to life.

With a background in Community Health and Psychology, I bring an empathy-driven, research-informed approach to every project. My experience across healthcare, telemarketing, and sales has shaped my communication, problem-solving, and user research skills, while my love for photography continues to sharpen my visual eye and creative perspective.

Outside of design, you'll usually find me exploring nature, experimenting with new ideas, capturing moments through photography, or spending time with my two dogs — Tiger, my Chow Chow, and Max, my poodle mix.