Joel Lithgow

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am writing to express my interest in the UX Designer position at PayPal. The opportunity to contribute to user experience solutions for a platform that connects hundreds of millions of merchants and consumers globally is compelling—design decisions at this scale have real impact on how people move money, shop, and conduct business.

I bring seven years of experience at California College of the Arts, where I progressed from QA Specialist to Interaction Designer to UX Designer/Developer. This trajectory gives me a comprehensive view of the product development lifecycle: I understand how to gather and analyze user feedback (from my research practice), how to translate insights into design concepts (from my design work), and how to collaborate effectively with engineering teams (from my development experience).

User-centered design is fundamental to how I work. At CCA, I led projects that required understanding diverse user needs—from prospective students to faculty to alumni—and translating those needs into intuitive digital experiences. I'm comfortable gathering feedback, iterating on designs, and making decisions that balance user needs with business objectives.

I'm also an accessibility advocate. I led a systemic improvement at CCA when I identified that our brand colors failed WCAG contrast requirements. I worked cross-functional teams to establish new guidelines that improved accessibility across all digital properties. For a platform like PayPal that serves users globally, inclusive design isn't optional—it's essential.

I'm based in Oakland and the hybrid schedule in San Jose works well for me. The opportunity to contribute to a platform that enables global commerce, while working with a team focused on making payments simple, personalized, and secure, aligns with my interest in design that has meaningful impact.

Thank you for considering my application. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience in user-centered design and cross-functional collaboration could contribute to PayPal's user experience team.