Hello! I am

Gabe Ramirez

This portfolio website serves as a repository for the projects, links, and design documents I completed as coursework for CSCI376: Human-Computer Interaction.

My Portfolio

Picture of Gabe Ramirez, a Computer Science student at Williams College

About Me

Picture of Gabe Ramirez, with purple background

Hi, I’m Gabe Ramirez, a passionate designer and developer that just completed a course on Human-Computer Interaction! I loved working on these projects throughout the semester; I've grown fond of HCI theory and application.

This course equipped me with invaluable skills in research, implementation and effective communication. I worked with various programming languages and libraries, and gained hands-on experience documenting each stage of my design and implementation process.

I hope you like what I've produced!

Download CV

Here are the technologies and libraries I worked with!

Works

Each project includes a link to a published Medium blog post that outlines the design process and provides related GitHub repositories.

A Needfinding Study on Talkspace

This first design sprint asked me to conduct a Needfinding Study on TalkSpace, a research process used to uncover the real needs, desires, behaviors, and pain points of users. Here, I investigated user needs by conducting interviews with two long-term users and synthesized my insights in an empathy map. In this study, I suggest that while Talkspace is effective for users accustomed to self-reflection, the application might benefit by tailoring its interface to better suit first-time therapy users.

Redesigning the Williams College Health Portal for Accessibility

In this project, our group redesigned the Ephs Patient Portal at Williams College to better support nontraditional students, including veterans, older students, and those with families. The original portal was cluttered and challenging to navigate. To address these issues, we developed and tested several paper prototypes before creating a final interactive prototype in Figma. Our redesign aimed to make the portal more accessible, intuitive, and efficient for all users—particularly those in nontraditional student groups.

Playing Fireboy & Watergirl Using Hand Gestures

This design sprint focused on interactivity. Our group redesigned the classic keyboard-controlled game Fireboy & Watergirl into a gesture-based experience using MediaPipe’s hand-tracking technology. By replacing keyboard inputs with intuitive hand gestures, we demonstrated the potential for creating more immersive and accessible user interactions.

Redesigning a Bookstore Catalog

Redesigning a basic bookstore catalog website challenged us to focus on creating an effective and user-friendly experience. We learned to read documentation and integrate a new coding framework, Bootstrap, into our project. Throughout the process, we conducted usability tests on each prototype, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data to guide our iterations. Our goal was to transform the catalog into a more intuitive, discoverable, and modern platform that supports easy browsing and enhances the overall user experience.

Accessibility Audit for Users with Visual Disabilities on Reddit

In this accessibility audit, I evaluated Reddit’s interface from the perspective of visually impaired users. By consulting published web accessibility standards, I identified several areas where Reddit’s design could be improved to better serve this user group. This study highlights the importance of integrating inclusive design practices and adhering to established accessibility guidelines to ensure digital platforms are both navigable and accessible to all users.

A visual of the Iterative Design Process

My Design Manifesto

In this blog post, I reflect on the key skills and concepts I gained throughout the course. Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) design is not solely about coding or final implementation; rather, it involves a comprehensive, iterative process that places user needs at the center from the very beginning. I advocate for a design philosophy that incorporates user feedback and adheres to established design principles at every stage, ensuring that the final product is both functional and user-centered.