Designing
engaging user experiences

Hello! I'm Valyn, a high-achieving strategist transforming the way non-profits and higher education institutions interact with users through human-centered design. 

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Certifications

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CDMP
AMA
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Testimonials

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I appreciate Valyn’s emphasis on building strong working relationships with her team and colleagues. Valyn has proved time and time again that one of her greatest strengths is being able to think strategically. Many of us think tactically, and many people think of themselves as being strategic, but I appreciate Valyn’s ability to move conversations back to thinking about the “why.”

Marybeth Foster

Regional Director, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

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Valyn is creative, hardworking, professional, and self-motivated. She demonstrated remarkable teamwork skills in that she was an active participant in group discussions, offered possible solutions, and effectively communicated her point of view while working alongside a wide range of groups within the library (i.e., faculty, staff, students, and library dean). 

Angela Cox

Instruction Coordinator, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa

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Valyn’s websites and other digital animation and imaging projects demonstrated a high level of artistry, design intuition, and complexity. She is fearless when it comes to learning new skills. I am amazed at Valyn’s maturity, her calm and polite leadership, her gift with people, her follow-through, and her constant knack for going beyond all my expectations.

Bettina Fabos

Visual Communications Professor, University of Northern Iowa

About Me

Curious about what I'm like to work with? Take a look at some of the personality insights from various assessments below.

Clifton StrengthsFinder
Top 5 strengths: Responsibility, Empathy, Learner, Individualization, & Maximizer
Emotional Quotient Inventory
Top 5 strengths: Self-Actualization, Emotional Self Awareness, Empathy, Emotional Expression, and Social Responsibility
VIA Character Strengths
Top 5 strengths: Honesty, Humor, Love, Judgement, & Perseverance
Myers-Briggs
INFJ - "The Advocate"
The Advocate personality type is very rare, making up less than one percent of the population, but they nonetheless leave their mark on the world. Advocates indeed share a unique combination of traits: though soft-spoken, they have very strong opinions and will fight tirelessly for an idea they believe in. They are decisive and strong-willed, but will rarely use that energy for personal gain – Advocates will act with creativity, imagination, conviction and sensitivity not to create advantage, but to create balance.
Holland Code
Artistic & Conventional - "Composer"
Composers are rare archetypes as their functions, artistic and conventional, are actually opposite. They make up only 1–2% of the population. Composers primarily tend to be creative, unstructured, and innovative but also have a tendency to be very organized, conservative, and precise. This rare combination allows them to be highly creative and impulsive but also allows them to keep track of small details. They are not afraid to work within a system or do some repetitive activities like keeping records. The Composer’s diversity makes them incredibly valuable within organizations.
MPO (Management & Performance in Organizations)
"Conscientious"
Conscientious individuals are polite, friendly and thoughtful, with a focus on the technical aspects of the job. They are meticulous people who like their work to be clearly defined so they can get themselves organized and be efficient. They appreciate fair supervision and regular feedback. In touch with their feelings, these sensitive individuals readily pick up on the surrounding climate and emotions circulating within a group. Conscientious people are helpful and like to be recognized as such, getting great satisfaction from being useful to the team and organization.

© Valyn Bodensteiner 2023