They can discern subtle differences in color, symmetry, and movement within a peacock’s tail feathers, helping them to select mates with the most vibrant and symmetrical displays, indicators of genetic fitness and health.
This selective process ensures the production of strong, viable offspring. Research indicates that peahens are sensitive to both visible and ultraviolet (UV) light, which is invisible to humans. The "eyespot" patterns on a peacock’s tail reflect UV light, providing additional information during mate evaluation. More reflective and symmetrical eyespots are more attractive to peahens.
A study found that peahens prefer males that perform vigorous tail-shaking displays, which enhance the perceived brilliance of their eyespots.
These behaviors serve as honest signals of a male’s fitness, as maintaining such displays requires significant energy and good health. The peahen’s visual perception ensures that only the fittest males pass on their genes, contributing to the health and diversity of future generations.
Beyond mating, peahens' sharp eyesight aids in spotting predators and navigating their environment. Their muted plumage helps them blend in, protecting themselves and their young.
Tribalism is rooted in our evolutionary past, where group cohesion was essential for survival. Early humans relied on tight-knit groups for protection, shared resources, and collective problem solving. Loyalty ensured mutual support and increased the chances of survival, while the "us versus them" mindset served as an adaptive tool for recognizing potential threats from outsiders.
In modern times, the same instincts often lead to political polarization, cultural conflicts, online echo chambers, and stereotyping. Excessive group loyalty can hinder critical thinking and empathy, resulting in scapegoating and demonizing those outside one's circle. Overcoming these challenges requires fostering empathy, focusing on shared goals, encouraging critical thinking, and promoting inclusive narratives that bridge divides and nurture mutual respect.
When the Spanish arrived in 1565 to establish St. Augustine, they encountered the Timucua, a Native American people. Through collaboration and shared knowledge, they profoundly influenced one another.
The Timucua were instrumental in helping the Spanish settlers adapt to Florida’s challenging environment. Their knowledge of local plants, animals, and seasonal changes enabled the Spanish to establish a foothold in the region. For example, the Timucua taught the Spanish how to cultivate corn, squash, and beans, known as the "Three Sisters" of Indigenous agriculture.
Additionally, the Timucua introduced the Spanish to fishing and hunting techniques that were suited to the area. They showed settlers how to navigate Florida’s intricate waterways, including the rivers and swamps surrounding Saint Augustine. Without this guidance, the Spanish would have struggled to find food or avoid dangerous areas.
Spanish Influence on Timucua Life
The Spanish brought new technologies and tools that reshaped Timucua life. Iron tools, such as axes and knives, made farming and construction more efficient, while glass beads and other goods became highly sought after in trade. Spanish livestock, including pigs and cattle, were introduced, changing the way the Timucua accessed and consumed meat.
Religion also became a significant influence. The Spanish sought to convert the Timucua to Christianity, establishing missions like Mission Nombre de Dios, which was the first mission in what is now the United States. Over time, many Timucua adopted Christian practices, though often blending them with their traditional spiritual beliefs.
The Art of Diplomacy and Conflict
Cultural exchange wasn’t always peaceful. Early on, the Timucua and Spanish established trade relationships and alliances. However, as Spanish demands grew and Indigenous populations were decimated by disease, conflicts arose. The Timucua resisted forced labor and the imposition of Spanish authority, leading to uprisings and strained relationships.
Despite these tensions, moments of cooperation remained. Timucua leaders like Chief Saturiwa negotiated with Spanish officials, balancing diplomacy with resistance to preserve their people and culture.
As the fourth operational orbiter in NASA's Space Shuttle Program, Atlantis played a crucial role in over 26 years of service.
Atlantis was built in about half the time it took to assemble the first shuttle, Columbia, reflecting NASA's growing expertise in constructing reusable space vehicles. Named after the RV Atlantis, a pioneering oceanographic research vessel, the shuttle was first launched on October 3, 1985. Over its lifespan, Atlantis completed 33 missions, spending 307 days in space and orbiting Earth 4,848 times.
Key Missions and Achievements
Atlantis’s missions included launching groundbreaking spacecraft such as the Magellan probe to Venus and the Galileo probe to Jupiter. These missions expanded our understanding of the solar system and demonstrated the shuttle's capacity to support interplanetary exploration.
Atlantis was also a vital part of the Mir space station program, becoming the first shuttle to dock with the Russian Space Station Mir during the STS-71 mission in 1995. This milestone represented a significant moment in international cooperation in space exploration and helped pave the way for future collaborations, such as the International Space Station (ISS).
The shuttle was instrumental in building and maintaining the ISS, conducting multiple missions that carried essential components and equipment to the station.
Today, Atlantis is permanently displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Visitors can see it suspended as if in orbit, with its payload bay doors open, providing a dramatic and inspiring view of the shuttle's design and capability. The exhibit celebrates Atlantis’s rich history and serves as a reminder of NASA’s space shuttle era—a period marked by ambition, discovery, and collaboration.
Located in Gunnison Colorado, it's a geological marvel that captivates visitors with its dramatic landscapes and ancient formations of vertical striations that run down its steep cliffs.
The striations are vertical bands of lighter-colored rock that slice through the darker granite and gneiss that make up much of the canyon walls. These striations are particularly visible along the Painted Wall, the tallest cliff in Colorado, standing at about 2,250 feet. The contrast between the dark base rock and the lighter striations creates a striking visual effect, reminiscent of brushstrokes on a massive canvas.
The striations of Black Canyon are unique due to their composition and formation process. The bands are composed primarily of pegmatite, a type of igneous rock that is lighter in color and coarser-grained than the surrounding dark granite and gneiss. Pegmatite forms when molten rock cools slowly deep underground, allowing larger crystals to develop. The resulting bands appear lighter and more reflective, standing out distinctly against the darker rock.
Formation
The formation of the striations is a story that dates back over 1.7 billion years. The base rock of Black Canyon is some of the oldest exposed rock in North America. Over eons, tectonic activity caused magma to push up into cracks within the pre-existing granite and gneiss. As the magma cooled and solidified, it formed the pegmatite intrusions that now streak down the walls of the canyon.
Over time, the region was uplifted by geological forces, exposing these ancient formations to the surface. The Gunnison River then took over, carving the canyon through relentless erosion over approximately two million years. The river's power combined with the harder, more erosion-resistant pegmatite left behind the dramatic striations, contrasting with the smoother erosion of the surrounding rock.
Their survival depends on staying hidden. From their first days, camouflage plays an essential role. The unique spotted pattern of their fur is an adaptation designed for blending into their dense, leafy habitat.
These spots, known as rosettes, mimic the dappled light filtering through the forest canopy, making cubs almost invisible to both prey and potential predators. Jaguar cubs are vulnerable when they are young. They rely on their mother for protection and sustenance, but she must leave them hidden while she hunts for food. During these times, the cubs’ safety depends heavily on their ability to remain unseen. Their rosetted coats allow them to merge seamlessly with their surroundings, reducing the risk of being detected by larger predators or rival jaguars
As the cubs grow, their natural curiosity compels them to explore their environment. This exploration is essential for learning the skills they’ll need to survive as adults, but it also exposes them to potential dangers. The combination of camouflage and stealth is key to helping them navigate this critical stage of life safely. They learn to move silently, practice stalking prey through play, and stay close to cover where their coats can work their magic.
The importance of their camouflage doesn’t fade as they mature. Adult jaguars rely on this trait for hunting success, using it to ambush prey with near-perfect surprise. For the cubs, mastering the art of staying hidden is one of the first lessons nature teaches them.
SpendHQ: AI Web App for Fortune 500 Efficiency Dashboards
I redesigned SpendHQ, an AI-powered spend intelligence platform used by Fortune 500 companies like Pepsi and Under Armour. My work increased NPS by 133%, boosted product stickiness by 125%, extended session times by 50%, and modernized over 200 screens with responsive, accessible design.
Outcomes
Increased Net Promoter Score (NPS) by 133%
Boosted product stickiness by 125%
Extended average session times by 50%
Redesigned over 200 screens across the platform
Problem
SpendHQ is a spend intelligence platform used by Fortune 500 companies to analyze supplier and third-party data related to cost, diversity, and clean energy initiatives. When I joined the team, the platform had a dated, fragmented, and inconsistent user experience that caused cognitive overload and slowed task completion.
There were no formal user feedback systems in place. Without user behavior tracking, research artifacts, or analytics tools, it was difficult to identify or prioritize pain points. The platform served a diverse user base that included financial analysts, procurement officers, and C-suite executives, each with different needs. Yet the UI failed to account for those differences.
Additionally, the product lacked a design system or consistent process, which led to inefficiencies in both collaboration and development. Each new feature introduced more inconsistencies and technical debt, making it harder to scale or maintain the platform.
Compliance Mock-up
Solution I Applied & Why
Establishing a Data-Driven UX Foundation
To uncover user pain points and opportunities, I implemented tools such as Pendo and Hotjar. These provided real-time insight into user behavior and metrics such as retention, NPS scores, and heatmap activity. I supplemented this data with competitive audits, stakeholder interviews, and direct user testing.
Working with the head of product, I defined four core personas based on our research. These represented the platform’s primary user types, from technical analysts to executive-level decision-makers. I mapped out detailed user flows using FigJam to visualize key paths through the platform and identify bottlenecks, aligning those flows with strategic business objectives.
Diversity Mock-up
Building a Scalable Design System
To support current and future versions of the product, I built a comprehensive Figma design system based on atomic design principles. This included centralized design files, reusable components, and a scalable structure that supported both legacy screens and new workflows. These assets made cross-functional collaboration faster and easier while maintaining UI consistency.
To further streamline delivery, I facilitated design workshops with stakeholders, developers, and product owners. These sessions ensured alignment, reduced handoff friction, and helped uncover technical or business constraints early in the process.
Design System Assets
Solving Key Usability and Workflow Challenges
One of the most impactful changes was the redesign of the global “Power Filter,” a widely used tool for refining data across the platform. The original version was overcomplicated and lived on a separate screen, disrupting workflows. I transformed it into an accessible, modular, sticky header component that streamlined interaction. User testing and high-fidelity prototyping showed a significant increase in task speed and user satisfaction.
Power Filter Header Components
I also executed a full visual reskin and UX overhaul across over 100 screens. This reduced cognitive load, enforced consistent component usage, and made the interface easier to navigate. To support new users and reduce reliance on support teams, I created an integrated help system with contextual pop-overs and dedicated documentation sections.
To avoid wasted engineering effort, I developed interactive prototypes and gathered early feedback before handoff. This iterative approach saved hundreds of development hours and ensured features met real user needs.
Delivering a Foundation for Long-Term Growth
Leading SpendHQ’s transformation involved establishing scalable design processes, leveraging data-driven insights, and fostering cross-functional collaboration. By prioritizing user needs and aligning them with business goals, I delivered a modern, intuitive platform that significantly improved engagement, satisfaction, and scalability. The project not only enhanced the experience for SpendHQ’s users but also set a strong foundation for ongoing development and innovation.
Nov 03 2023
BMW: Legacy Racing at Daytona
The BMW 3.0 CSL captured spitting flames in this Daytona Speedway shot is a legendary racing machine from the 1970s that helped establish BMW’s dominance in touring car racing. Nicknamed the “Batmobile” for its later aerodynamic upgrades, the CSL, short for “Coupé Sport Leichtbau,” (Leichtbau meaning lightweight) became a motorsport icon with multiple wins in the European Touring Car Championship and a class victory at Le Mans.
Events like these, featuring vintage race cars, draw hundreds of thousands of fans annually across the U.S., with Daytona alone attracting over 100,000 attendees for historic and endurance racing weekends. Surveys show that over 70%of motorsports fans report a strong emotional connection to heritage vehicles, citing nostalgia, sound, and mechanical purity as major sources of joy and lifelong passion.
Oct 08 2023
Alligator: Master of Stealth
Alligators are masters of stealth, and their eye placement plays a critical role.
With eyes set high on their heads, they can float nearly motionless at the water’s surface while watching everything around them and staying almost invisible.
Their vertical pupils give them excellent night vision, making them especially effective ambush predators during dawn, dusk, or even under moonlight.
May 21 2023
Green Tree Python: Forest Dweller
The green tree python spends most of its life high in the forest canopy, perfectly adapted for an arboreal lifestyle.
It coils itself over branches in a classic saddle position, allowing it to stay hidden while keeping its muscles ready to strike. From this perch, the snake waits patiently for birds, lizards, or small mammals to pass by. When prey comes within range, it launches a lightning-fast strike and uses its sharp, backward-facing teeth to grab and hold before constricting.
This ambush strategy is highly effective in the dense, shaded treetops where movement is limited and cover is plentiful.
