I'm a research-focused designer dedicated to building impactful products and services. I'm interested in understanding how people move through their worlds and I love working within multidisciplinary teams so we can ask, learn, and iterate together.
I'm a Service Designer in the Technology Innovation Department (TID) at the MBTA. I get to work on interesting public transit problems, like digitizing applications for our reduced fares programs, improving internal communications on our light rail (Green Line), and more.
I've worked in a variety of industries as a designer and researcher (museums, finance, and, now, civic technology). Previously, I was a UX Designer at M&T Bank focusing on service design and research. I have a master’s degree in Digital Media from Georgia Tech and bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Communication from SUNY Geneseo.
My pronouns are she/her.
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Contact me→
abbygolfo [at] gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/abbygolfo
Two thoughts I had while trying to come up with a bio:
1. I'd like to think that a few aspects of my life drew me to public service. One is going to all public schools (through grad school!). The other is being the daughter of two immigrants from the Philippines who spent 30+ years in public service careers — a nurse at a New York City public hospital and a doorman at an Upper East Side hotel (we'll count this!).
2. I've lived in many apartments across the Eastern Seaboard post-college — in Atlanta, Northern Virginia, Buffalo, New York City, and Boston. I love each of these places, but if you ask me which I enjoyed living in the most, I'd answer with the places that are walkable and bikeable, with reliable public transit.And the real answer is that my heart will always be in New York.
→ Through May 2024, I'm instructing a UX Design course for high school juniors and seniors in America on Tech's Tech Flex Leaders (TFL) program
→ I'm playing pickleball as much as I can — and planning a tournament!
→ I'm writing a screenplay.
→ I'm keeping up with and watching women's sports (NWSL, WNBA, PWHL).