Alexandra Menscikova
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Los Angeles, CA, United States
Toptal member since August 18, 2024
Sasha is an extended reality (XR) interaction designer and prototyper with 8+ years of experience working with brands like Meta, BMW, and Snapchat. With a master's degree in architecture, she excels in spatial interaction design and rapid prototyping with Unity and Unreal Engine. Sasha's projects, like "Hidden Kitten" for Snap Spectacles and contributions to MSG Sphere, highlight her ability to merge design and engineering into innovative XR solutions, consistently enhancing consumer engagement.
Portfolio
Work Experience
AR, MR, VR Spatial Designer
Sasha Menscikova
- Created immersive and interactive experiences and successfully released projects, leveraging advanced Unity, Lens Studio, and 8th Wall development skills and a profound understanding of AR/VR design principles.
- Selected for Spectacles 2021 Creators program by Snapchat and designed and developed the immersive game "Hidden Kitten" to showcase advancements in immersive technology.
- Executed end-to-end product design at Nexus Studios, developing conceptual designs into interactive prototypes for the development team, effectively bridging the gap between design and execution.
UI/UX Engineer
Sphere Entertainment Co.
- Reduced development time by 50% and improved efficiency in creating real-time immersive experiences by developing and executing a comprehensive prototyping strategy for creator tools in Unreal Engine.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to translate user requirements and conceptual designs into interactive prototypes and functional specifications.
- Served as a crucial liaison between design and engineering teams across three major projects, facilitating effective conversations and collaborations to ensure seamless integration and implementation of designs.
- Translated complex workflows into simple, intuitive interactive experiences, utilizing my expertise in Figma and the company's design system.
- Created efficient, consistent, and shippable UI/UX designs that aligned all stages of the design process with conceptual design, significantly enhancing the usability of the final products.
Game Developer
GameDevHQ
- Shortened development time by 30% and improved overall efficiency by designing and developing user interface assets, including icons, buttons, and menus, and implementing a new UI system.
- Developed a robust UI system using functions and the Singleton design pattern, resulting in a user-friendly interface that increased player engagement.
- Decreased development time by 20% by developing and executing rapid VR prototyping, enabling quick iterations and feedback loops.
- Reduced game loading time by 15% and enhanced overall performance by creating, optimizing, and implementing 3D modeling assets.
- Increased user satisfaction by 30% by implementing various levels of fidelity and implementation techniques to the project, resulting in a seamless virtual reality experience.
XR Spatial Product Designer | Unity Prototyper
Oculus Launch Pad
- Spearheaded the design and development of the interactive VR game prototype, "Kitten Justice," effectively managing a multidisciplinary team to deliver the project within a strict 3-month timeframe.
- Implemented efficient project management practices, which improved task delegation and timeline adherence, resulting in the successful on-time delivery of all project milestones.
- Played a key role in conceptualizing and executing the visual design for "Kitten Justice," which was recognized for its innovative approach and visual appeal within the Oculus Launch Pad 2018 program.
Education
Master's Degree in Architecture
Technical University of Moldova - Chisinau, Moldova
Certifications
VR Game Development Professional
GameDevHQ
Game Development Professional
GameDevHQ
Introduction to Game Design
California Institute of the Arts: CalArts | via Coursera
Hard Surface Modeling 1 & 2
Gnomon
User Experience Design
General Assembly
Skills
Tools
Figma, AutoCAD, Blender, Adobe Experience Design (XD), Adobe CC, Lens Studio, Figma Prototyping, Maya
Industry Expertise
Architecture, Architecture & Building Design, Media, Augmented Reality (AR) Design
Platforms
8th Wall
Languages
C#
Other
UX Design, Wireframing, Prototyping, Interaction Design (IxD), UI Design, Visual Design, User-centered Design (UCD), Design Thinking, Storyboarding, User Flows, Responsive Design, Product Design, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Spatial Design, User Experience (UX), AI Design, Gamification, User Interface (UI), AR Interfaces, ARToolKit, Data Visualization, Branding, Web Design, Proof of Concept (POC), Design Systems, User Journeys, Artificial Intelligence (AI), SaaS, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), Dashboard Design, 3D Modeling, Interior 3D Modeling, Game Design, Unity, Level Design, Unreal Engine 5, Unity3D, Game UI Design, Interface Design, Unreal Engine 4, Scene Composition, Landscape Architecture, User Research, Persona Development, Game Development, Environmental Design, Digital Twin, Immersive Experiences, VR Workshops, Real-time Prototyping, Content Creation Tools, 3D Visualization, UX Engineering, Mixed Reality (MR), Spatial UX Design, Concept Development, Meta Quest, High-fidelity Prototypes, Creative Concept Development, AR Games, Conceptual Design, R&D, Snap AR Spectacles, AR Glasses, AR Audio, Illustration, Graphic Design, Virtual Reality App Design, ChatGPT, Building Blocks, Midjourney, Architecture Planning, VR Design, Hard Surface Modeling, Extended Reality (XR), Rapid Prototyping
Experience
Tools
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