GBDA Alumni at Skip

When Sara Selvaggi (GBDA ‘20) and Nicole Pasek (GBDA ‘20) work together at Skip, they are focused on more than pixels and interfaces. Their work supports real people, in real environments, often under pressure.

Today, Sara is a UX Researcher and Nicole is a Senior Product Designer at Skip/Just Eat Takeaway. Together, they work on Shop + Pay, a service model that allows customers to order groceries, retail items, and pharmacy essentials in addition to restaurant food. The work is fast-paced, practical, and deeply human. It also reflects the interdisciplinary foundation they built at the University of Waterloo Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business.

Finding a Program That Fit

Before discovering GBDA, Sara knew what interested her, but not how those interests could come together. She was drawn to psychology, business, creativity, and technology, long before user experience design was a widely recognized field.

“I had all these pieces,” she says, “but I didn’t know if there was a career that connected them.”

That changed when a teacher introduced her to the GBDA program. Attending a University of Waterloo open house soon after confirmed Sara’s interest in the program. A mock UX lecture helped her see how research, design, and storytelling could work together in practice.

“For the first time, it felt like everything I cared about belonged in the same space,” she says.

For Nicole, GBDA also felt like a natural fit. Growing up in Waterloo, the campus was familiar, and conversations about technology were part of everyday life. At the same time, she was deeply creative, spending her time painting, sewing, and working with her hands.

“When I learned there was a program that blended design, computer science, and business, it immediately clicked,” she says. “I didn’t want to choose between being creative and being technical.”

Learning How to Think Differently

Early in the program, both alumni experienced a shift in how they approached their work. Instead of focusing on what a final product would look like, they learned to ask deeper questions about the problem itself.

“After just a few classes, my thinking changed,” Nicole says. “I started asking what problem I was actually trying to solve and who I was solving it for.”

For Sara, that mindset became especially clear during her fourth-year capstone project. As the UX researcher on her team, she conducted interviews at a seniors’ residence in Stratford. The experience challenged her assumptions and reshaped how she approached research.

“It showed me how much our perspectives are shaped by our own experiences,” she says. “That’s why research has to happen at the very beginning. It’s the only way to make sure you’re solving the right problem.”

Bringing Classroom Skills into the Real World

After graduating, Nicole’s career took her across several industries, including marketplaces, fintech, e-commerce, and rapid delivery. She now designs products at Skip that are used in complex and often unpredictable conditions.

“Couriers might be biking, driving, or walking, sometimes in bad weather,” she explains. “Designing for that reality forces you to think differently about clarity, usability, and safety.”

Sara joined Skip as a UX Researcher, where she conducts mixed-method research to improve the courier experience and support decision-making across teams. Together, Sara and Nicole helped bring Shop + Pay from early exploration to a working product in just one year.

“Our shared GBDA background makes collaboration really natural,” Sara says. “We understand how to balance user needs with business goals, and how to communicate insights in a way people actually engage with.”

That emphasis on storytelling is something Sara credits directly to her time at the Stratford School.

“You can have strong insights,” she says, “but if you can’t clearly explain them, they don’t go very far.”

Mentorship That Made a Difference

Both alumni point to Stratford School faculty as an important part of their experience.

For Sara, Professor Karin Schmidlin played a central role in her development. Beyond the classroom, she offered encouragement, perspective, and support during challenging moments.

“Knowing her door was always open made a huge difference,” Sara says.

Nicole credits Professor Kevin Harrigan with shaping her confidence as a student. She learned from him for three years and describes his passion for teaching as contagious.

“He made you feel capable, even when the material was difficult,” she says. “That stayed with me.”

Looking Ahead

Today, Sara and Nicole are working on products that reach thousands of people every day. Their collaboration reflects what the Stratford School aims to prepare students for: working across disciplines, grounding decisions in research, and designing with empathy in complex environments.

For students thinking about their next steps, both offer similar advice.

“Build connections early,” Sara says. “The people you’re learning with now really do become your colleagues.”

Nicole encourages students to use their time in school to explore different problem spaces. “Those projects help build empathy,” she says. “And that empathy becomes one of your most valuable skills.”