We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kassidy Breaux a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kassidy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
For me, success is rooted in dedication, not motivation. Motivation can be fleeting. It comes and goes depending on your environment, your energy, or your emotions. But dedication is what carries you through. It’s about staying locked in on what you want, even when it gets hard or uncomfortable, and pushing forward because you believe in the goal.
I truly learned about success when I was training for a bodybuilding competition. It was something I never thought I could do, but I committed fully. I stayed focused on my goal and pushed through some of the most difficult mental and physical challenges I’ve ever faced. It wasn’t easy, but I completed that journey, stepped on stage, and placed in the top three. That experience changed the way I see myself. It proved that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to, and that lesson continues to push me in other areas of my life.
In my career, I had this dream of becoming a professor. I wanted to teach the next generation and pass along the skills I’ve built. I didn’t know exactly how it would happen, but I stayed focused. I worked hard, built connections, stayed curious, and kept showing up. Eventually, that vision became real.
Success, to me, means having a clear direction and being willing to do the work. At the same time, I’ve learned not to get too attached to one specific outcome. Life changes, circumstances shift. Sometimes success shows up in a form you didn’t expect. If you stay grounded in your purpose and dedicated to your growth, the right opportunities will come.
Kassidy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Hi, I’m Kassidy Breaux! I’m part design nerd, part UX professor, and fully convinced most problems can be solved with a sticky note and a hypothesis.
I have a Master’s in Science and Technology from Arizona State University and a background that spans UX design, development, research, and product strategy. During college, I got my first design job at a small creative agency in downtown Phoenix, where I worked on everything from web development to branding. That role introduced me to the world of design, and I was hooked from day one.
After graduation, I joined GoDaddy as a UX engineer, blending coding and design. Over time, I transitioned fully into UX Design and found a deep passion for understanding users and building experiences rooted in both research and empathy. I worked on high-visibility product flows and A/B testing that taught me how to collaborate across teams, advocate for users, and grow quickly under pressure.
Eventually, I returned to ASU as a professor in the Graphic Information Technology program. I now teach UX, design, and creative strategy—and lead a student-run creative agency course where I act as creative director. It’s one of my favorite parts of the job. I get to creative direct students as they work with real clients and bring ideas to life.
Outside of the classroom, I co-run a freelance business with my husband, focusing on UX, web, and graphic design. While we’ve worked with organizations across the state, our favorite collaborations are with local small businesses. Helping someone grow their vision through design is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.
My design philosophy is rooted in research, experimentation, and clear intention—because good design doesn’t happen by accident (and yes, I’ve A/B tested that). I believe the best work happens when empathy and data guide the process. I care just as much about how something works as how it makes people feel.
Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to receive recognition from both industry peers and students. I’ve received two Teaching Excellence Awards from the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU, a Teacher Appreciation Award from my Creative Agency students, and several industry awards from the companies I’ve worked for, including the Joins Forces Award, Data-Driven Decisions Award, Gets Sh*t Done Award, and Be the Customer Award. I’ve also received an Adobe Creative Jam UX People’s Choice Award judged by industry professionals and the broader creative community.
Outside of teaching and client work, I’ve served as a volunteer for various local design and UX organizations including AIGA Arizona, IXDA Phoenix, and UX in AZ. I’ve helped to organize design events across the Phoenix Metro area, including design systems workshops, Figma workshops, and an annual Portfolio Review. I care deeply about career development and building community in the design world.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
When I worked at GoDaddy, I was thrown into some high-level conversations early on, and at the time, I had very little experience. I was 22 fresh out of college with only one design job under my belt. I quickly latched onto the phrase “fake it until you make it.” I thought that meant I had to act like I had all the answers, even when I didn’t. I felt pressure to prove myself and to show I belonged in the room, but that mindset ended up putting me in some tough situations.
There’s one moment I reflect on often. I was asked to redesign an upsell feature and present it to the VP of the product—with the deadline set for the next day. It isn’t uncommon in the creative industry to be pressured into rushing your design process. But instead of asking questions, pushing back on the timeline, or requesting more context, I jumped straight into building something. I didn’t take time to think it through. I skipped the research. I ignored my process. I just built something fast to have, “an answer.”
The next day, the design was completely torn apart, and honestly, it should have been. It wasn’t thoughtful, it wasn’t strategic, and it didn’t reflect what I was actually capable of.
That experience was humbling, but it taught me a lesson I now try to pass on to my students: You don’t have to have all the answers, and you don’t need to respond immediately. What matters more is showing up with honesty, asking thoughtful questions, and collaborating from a place of clarity and authenticity. Pretending to know everything only creates more problems. Real confidence comes from being grounded in what you do know and being open about what you don’t—yet.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
There are two goals that I always fall back on as a guide to my creative work: Design with empathy, and Make data-driven design decisions. While these might sound like they come from different worlds (one grounded in emotion and the other in logic), they actually work together to create thoughtful, effective design. Empathy helps me understand the people I’m designing for. Data helps me shape solutions that actually work.
The first goal, designing with empathy, helps me stay focused on people. In user experience design, we often say, “you are not your user.” That phrase reminds me to step outside of my own preferences and understand the actual needs and behaviors of the people I’m designing for. I always ask, who is this for, how will they use it, and what do they need from this experience? Empathy also drives me to consider accessibility and inclusion. I think about users with visual, motor, or cognitive differences, and I try to design in ways that make everyone feel considered and supported. Inclusive design isn’t an extra step. It’s a core part of how I approach every project.
The second goal, making data-driven design decisions, brings structure to my work. I learned the value of this approach early in my career. I worked on high-impact product flows, and I saw how important it was to design with a clear reason. Good design doesn’t come from guessing. It comes from research and insight, and it truly makes design act as more of a science than an art. In UX, we gather data through interviews, usability tests, and behavioral patterns. We learn what users struggle with, what they value, and what helps them succeed. When I feel unsure about a design direction, I turn to the data. I ask, what do we know, and what are users telling us through their actions? That clarity helps me make decisions with confidence and purpose.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
GIT Creative Agency, Landon Breaux, Cameron Rennacker