Antonella Scarin learned to embrace chaos, experiment, and take risks at CapU's Interaction Design diploma program
Antonella Scarin, a designer with a background in graphic and visual design, shares her journey and insights in this student spotlight story. Over her five-year career, she has focused on branding but has recently become passionate about user experience and user research, finding fulfillment in creating meaningful interactions.
After moving to Vancouver and struggling to find work, Antonella decided to enroll in the Interaction Design program at Capilano University (CapU). This decision proved transformative, helping her gain new skills, confidence, and a supportive creative community. A memorable highlight was the collaborative and inclusive environment at CapU, where students shared ideas and grew together rather than competing.
“This project summarizes the findings of a heuristic analysis conducted on the self-checkout interface of the North Vancouver District Public Library’s Parkway Branch. The current self-checkout system at the North Vancouver District Public Library lacks critical accessibility features and fails to engage users. While it provides basic functionality, the interface does not fully support inclusive use, particularly for seniors and youth, who form a significant part of the library’s demographic. Additionally, the design misses opportunities to create a more engaging experience to encourage consistent and enjoyable experiences.”
From her studies, Antonella highlights three key takeaways:
Accessibility matters: Design should prioritize usability and inclusivity over aesthetics.
Embrace chaos: Allowing some disorder can foster creativity, even for someone who loves organization.
Learn from mistakes: Experimentation and risk-taking are essential for growth.
Antonella’s design philosophy centers on empathy and purpose, focusing on creating meaningful, functional, and accessible designs. Her future career goals include finding a stable role where she can continue learning, collaborating, and growing as a designer.
Her advice for future students is to be curious, ask questions, seek feedback, and fully engage with the program to maximize learning, connections, and confidence.
Check out this student spotlight story!
Project: Library self-checkout interface
Course: Design for New Technologies
Instructor: Jai Djwa
Date: Dec. 2025
To enhance user engagement, a rewards program is proposed to incentivize checkouts, encouraging more interaction with the library and fostering a sense of participation and enjoyment.
At the same time, accessibility needs are addressed by incorporating key features such as customizable font sizes, adjustable color contrast and brightness, voice assistance, and a magnifier tool, ensuring the system is inclusive and accessible for all.
Introduction
Hi! I’m Antonella Scarin, a designer with a background in graphic and visual design. For over five years, branding has been at the core of my work. I’ve loved crafting identities that bring ideas to life. But as I’ve grown in my career, I’ve found myself excited about user experience and user research. Exploring how people interact with design, and making those experiences more meaningful, has made me feel more complete as a creative designer.
Outside of work, I find inspiration in hiking and cooking: two things that fuel my creativity in different ways. Whether I’m exploring a new trail or experimenting in the kitchen, I love the balance of structure and spontaneity that both bring into my life.
After finding my direction, I created a user map and user flow to dive into the details of the rewards program and explore how the accessibility menu could be integrated into the interface. I began crafting scenarios that reflected how my personas would interact with the system, focusing on their goals, frustrations, and expectations. This process helped identify opportunities to address user needs and ensure the interface delivers a seamless and inclusive experience.
Why did you choose the Interaction Design program at CapU?
After moving to Vancouver, I found myself struggling to land a job. I wasn’t getting offers, not even responses, and over time, I started feeling lost and uncertain about my skills, my communication, and my work as a designer. I knew I needed a change, something to inspire me and help me grow.
That’s when I discovered the Interaction Design program at CapU. I had already realized that digital was the way forward, especially after COVID-19 shifted everything in that direction. When I found the program, it just clicked! Going back to school turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made. It not only expanded my perspective and skill set but also gave me confidence in my work. Most importantly, it introduced me to an incredible community of creatives, many of whom I’m lucky to now call now my friends.
What was a highlight during your time at CapU? Can you describe a single experience you found to be memorable or impactful?
I still remember the first day of class, sitting in a room full of strangers, all feeling that mix of excitement and awkwardness that comes with meeting new people. To break the ice, we decided to share embarrassing stories, and soon, the room was filled with laughter. That moment set the tone for what would become an incredibly supportive and close group.
What stood out to me at CapU was the collaborative environment. In other schools, there can be a sense of competition, but here, we shared ideas, gave and received feedback with confidence, and helped each other grow. Instead of competing for grades, we learned as a team, constantly inspiring one another. That sense of community made all the difference for me. It shaped not only my experience in the program but also how I approach design and collaboration today.
What are the top 3 takeaways, lessons or skills you learned while studying here?
Accessibility matters. Coming from a graphic design background, I used to prioritize appearance over functionality. But I’ve learned that design isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about usability. After all, what’s the point of a beautifully designed button if no one knows how to use it? User-centred and inclusive design makes all the difference in today’s digital world, ensuring that interfaces are accessible to everyone.
Embrace the chaos! I’m someone who thrives on organization: folders, tags, labels, everything in its place. But during my time at CapU, I’ve learned that a little chaos can actually fuel creativity. Letting go of rigid structures and allowing ideas to flow freely has helped me think outside the box (though let’s be honest, I’ll still put it in a well-labelled folder afterward!).
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. School is the perfect place to experiment, take risks, and learn from failures. As a designer, I sometimes struggle with “breaking the grid,” but I’ve realized that stepping outside my comfort zone is where real growth happens. Mistakes aren’t setbacks—they’re lessons that shape the way we design and problem-solve in the future.
To bring my strategy statement to life, I developed four design principles, each accompanied by 3–4 actionable recommendations. These principles formed the foundation for implementing key changes to the interface, focusing on aspects such as the rewards program, accessibility, and additional features to elevate the overall user experience.
This is the home screen where users log in by entering their account number or scanning their card.
What is your current design philosophy – what do you believe in?
I believe great design starts with asking “why?” and is driven by empathy for the user. Understanding the purpose behind a design, not just how it looks, but how it works and who it serves. That is what makes it truly impactful.
This mindset has shaped my approach across different projects, from working with intuitive user interfaces to creating engaging motion designs. Research and strategy lay the foundation for successful design, ensuring that it’s not just visually appealing, but also meaningful, functional, and accessible.
The prototype focuses on introducing a rewards program to enhance user engagement, encouraging library patrons to interact with the system through activities like book checkouts, returns, and recommendations. A key feature of the design is the addition of a sub-menu dedicated to accessibility settings, language preferences, and a “Request Help” button.
What are your future career goals?
My goal is to find a stable role where I can continue learning and growing as a designer. I’m excited to immerse myself in a company’s processes, gain hands-on experience, and work my way up to a role where I can truly thrive. More than anything, I want to be in an environment that challenges me, allows me to collaborate with great minds, and helps me keep improving my skills—somewhere I can be for the long term.
This sub-menu ensures users have easy access to critical support features directly from the interface, eliminating the need to visit the front desk for assistance. By prioritizing accessibility and convenience, the prototype aims to create an inclusive and user-friendly experience for all library patrons.
Any advice for future students?
My best advice? Be a pain in the a$$—but in the best way possible! Ask all the questions that come to mind, dive deep into research, follow up with your teachers, and actively engage with your classmates. Seek feedback, share ideas, and push yourself to explore beyond the assignments.
Make the most out of this experience because you’ll only live it once. The more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it—not just in skills, but in friendships, connections, and confidence in your work.
Some of the learning from this project was to decentralize personal bias, as design decisions should prioritize meeting user needs and expectations rather than personal preferences or assumptions. “Accessibility over aesthetics” meant, for me, ensuring button actions are clear, incorporating easily recognizable icons, and maintaining readable text, as these are vital for usability. Interface elements should not depend solely on colour cues. Adding textures, labels, or alternative indicators ensures the design works for all users. Incorporating engaging features like a progress bar, user profiles, and customizable avatars makes the experience more fun and interactive.
“CapU’s Interaction Design Diploma: Your gateway to becoming a design professional equipped to thrive in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.”
About the course
In IXD 202 Design for New Technologies, students will look beyond the most common screen-based devices (laptop and mobile) and apply user experience (UX) principles to future and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, voice-activated devices and augmented reality. Students will assess the impact of game theory and apply design thinking to new creative technologies. They will also complete visits to local studios, which will provide students with a solid understanding of the professional landscape of new technologies.
For more on Antonella
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/antonellascarin
Behance: behance.net/antonellas0d31
Instagram: @_byantonella
Portfolio: byantonella.com
