Hello, World

I'm Yafira — a computer programmer, designer, and creative technologist based in NYC. I build at the intersection of code, design, and human-computer interaction — crafting digital and physical experiences that are as thoughtful as they are functional.

Currently, I'm a graduate student at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP), where I experiment with physical computing, web development, creative coding, fabrication, and interaction design. My work lives at the expressive overlap of technology and art — spanning front-end development, UX/UI/product design, and playful, tactile computing.

With a background in computer science and a lifelong passion for design, I like to think of myself as a design engineer — someone who codes with intention and designs with care. My focus is on building intuitive, meaningful interfaces and experiences that empower users, challenge norms, and embrace simplicity. I'm deeply inspired by Dieter Rams' Ten Principles of Good Design and John Maeda's Laws of Simplicity, and I believe that less is often more.

For as long as I can remember, I have lived in the current of creativity. As a child, I filled notebooks with drawings and scrapbooks with magazine clippings, assembling mood boards before I even knew the term existed. I invented with cardboard and scraps, finding joy in self-expression through art, writing, and storytelling. In high school, this passion expanded: a marketing internship I tried on a whim made me consider business as a future path, while winning a writing contest that brought me on a short trip to London sparked my love for language and travel. For a time, I dreamed of creating an international print magazine — a life shaped by storytelling, visual design, and exploration.

That dream eventually led me to pursue a BBA with a minor in journalism, but I soon realized the spark I longed for was missing. Business offered structure, but not the creativity that had always driven me. After graduating, it took time — and uncertainty — to recognize what I truly wanted. Drawn by my fascination with electricity, physics, and the hidden mechanics of how things work, I returned to school for electrical engineering. Entering a field where women were underrepresented felt daunting, but I was determined to explore it fully. Everything shifted when I took my first programming class: something clicked. I fell in love with the logic, creativity, and problem-solving of code, and shortly after, I switched my major to computer science.

Looking back, my journey into tech has been one of self-discovery and curiosity, rooted in the creative spark that shaped me since childhood. From customizing MySpace pages and playing computer games to tinkering with electronics, I began to see technology as my medium — a way to build tools, stories, and experiences that feel both useful and joyful. And what better way to combine all these interests than finding my place at ITP, where creativity and computation speak the same language.