Hey, I’m
Athina Elena.

Driven by pure curiosity and a passion for finding solutions to complex problems, Athina is continuously exploring to uncover the driving factors behind human behavior. Taking a big picture approach, she uses service design methods and human-centered research to understand the true needs and challenges of users, crafting design solutions that create value and drive impact. Her approach is driven by both data and empathy to design products, services, strategies and experiences that simplify, engage and empower.

Though her experience stems across various sectors and industries, over the last 7 years her work has been primarily focused on improving healthcare products, services, and experiences. From helping cancer patients to access evidence-based learning for self-management, and improving workflows for safer antibiotic administration during surgery, to supporting the unheard voices of Canadian veterans living with chronic pain—her work has touched a wide variety of health-related subjects and experiences.

Depending on the needs of your project, Athina brings on other designers to support in the execution of high-quality outcomes for your project. With access to a pool of professional collaborators, she selects the best suited in design talent to deliver on your project’s needs.

In addition to my professional design work, I love to mentor budding designers, actively teaching through platforms like CareerFoundry. I have also taught and created design thinking courses for UC San Diego and am always open to adjunct professor or lecture opportunities.