I design systems
people can feel.
— Cyrani Houston
A builder at the intersection of operations, design, and data. I turn ambiguity into systems — and systems into outcomes that land.
By the numbers
Impact at a glance
Reduction in editing time
Microsoft AI article flow, 2024
Increased visibility
NC State OIT social media program
Employees on migration template
NC State PM tool migration
Power BI fields analyzed
Microsoft project intake telemetry
Capabilities
Tools & craft
Design & UX
Data & Analytics
Project Management
Certifications & Awards
Career timeline
Where I've worked
Account Operations & Engagement Associate
HCLTech · Santa Clara, CA
- U.S. point of contact for LinkedIn account operations, managing end-to-end SOW/PO lifecycle.
- Cross-geo coordination driving workflow visibility across global teams.
Customer Experience Program Manager Intern
Microsoft · Seattle, WA
- Analyzed Power BI telemetry across 14 fields in the project intake form; identified underutilized fields and calculated departmental usage rates.
- Presented findings to stakeholders, recommending enhancements to improve intake process and data quality.
- Designed an AI-driven article submission form based on user feedback — reduced editing time by 50%.
- Revamped the department's monthly Outlook newsletter through improved UI layout, boosting reader engagement.
IT Governance & Social Media Lead Intern
NC State University OIT · Raleigh, NC
- Managed complete migration of PM software tool; developed cohesive integration template used by 50+ department employees.
- Developed standardized Smartsheet template enabling 20+ PMs to efficiently monitor active project progress.
- Led team of 5 interns overseeing social media — facilitated monthly strategy meetings, increasing program visibility by 30%.
- Assisted in redesigning the university IT department's website on WordPress, improving user experience.
IT Project Management Intern
Enact MI · Raleigh, NC
- Managed internal audit documentation project, overseeing remediation of 5 PMs and holding project within timeline.
- Led 3-month project using Daptiv and Microsoft Teams — orchestrated meetings, monitored advancement, communicated with stakeholders.
- Participated in weekly Tableau challenges, creating sample dashboards from live datasets.
Philanthropy Intern
Office of Development & External Relations, NC State · Raleigh, NC
- Strengthened donor relationships through personalized thank-you calls to alumni and student donors.
- Managed outreach campaigns engaging non-donors and alumni, with focus on relationship-building and communications.
- Optimized graduate communications for ticketing and graduation details, enhancing engagement across milestones.
Portfolio work
Featured project
UI/UX Capstone · Figma · 2024
E-Commerce End-to-End
Experience Design
Full product design lifecycle — from user research and journey mapping to wireframing, high-fidelity prototyping, and an interactive design system in Figma. Built to demonstrate UX craft: intuitive navigation, clear conversion flow, and component-level thinking.
View Figma PrototypeResearch
User interviews, competitive analysis, persona development, and pain-point mapping.
Design
Browse → Checkout → Confirmation flow. Reusable component library and interactive motion testing.
Outcome
High-fidelity prototype with accessible design tokens and a documented system ready for handoff.
Academic background
Where I learned
NC State University
B.S. Business Administration — Information Technology
Raleigh, NC · Graduated May 2025
- Copilot Champs Training Certification (Microsoft)
- Fundamentals of Predictive Project Management (PMI)
- Truist Emerging Leaders Certification
- Kay Yow Spirit of The Village Award
Prague University of Business & Economics
Study Abroad Exchange Program
Prague, Czech Republic · Aug – Dec 2023
International coursework in business and economics. Developed cross-cultural communication and adaptability within a global academic environment.
Beyond the office
Leadership & community
NABA @ NC State
Public Relations Chair
Designed media and event advertising using Adobe Express. Maintained communication with business partners to coordinate collaboration events.
Poole College of Management
Event Coordinator — Diversity
Organized Black History Month networking event for 50+ students and alumni. Led a team of 5 through an Agile-based planning process.
WISE Village @ NC State
Administrative Assistant & Student Mentor
Mentored 26 mentees with monthly 1:1s. Planned and facilitated engagement events while managing a semesterly programming budget in Excel.
Goldman Sachs
2023 Women's Possibilities Summit
Participated in a two-part immersive experience strengthening professional and personal development skills within the workforce.
FactSet
Client Solutions Extern — MESH Program
Norwalk, CT · Applied client solutions thinking in a two-week intensive extern program with one of the leading financial data platforms.
Queen in You @ NC State
Treasurer
Maintained annual budget, secured organizational funding through Student Government, and promoted sisterhood within the African American campus community.
In their own words
Turning ambiguity into systems — and systems into outcomes.
My career path has been anything but linear — and that's the point. I've moved between design, data, and operations not by accident, but because I genuinely believe the best products live at the intersection of all three.
At Microsoft, I learned that telemetry without empathy is just noise. At NC State OIT, I learned that a well-designed template can quietly unlock 50 people's capacity. And every internship, mentorship, and event I've organized has reinforced the same truth: systems only matter if the people inside them feel seen.
I'm especially drawn to teams that empower curiosity and craft — where design decisions are intentional, ambiguity is treated as a design challenge, and impact is something you can actually measure.
This website is the UX project I want to present to you. Not just a portfolio — a proof of how I think.