Michelle Schulp is a speaker at WordCamp Chicago this talking about But Why? Designing For Strategy. Get to know her below!

Michelle is an independent designer from Chicagoland, living in Minneapolis. She studied Design, Psychology, and Sociology, resulting in a love of How To Solve Problems. Now, she specializes in WordPress theme development and high-end presentation design. A former WCCHI organizer, she loves to speak/volunteer/organize at events around the country.

WordCamp Chicago Mini-Interview

1) I was aware of the existence of WordPress for a while, but started using WordPress to build simple client sites in 2010, joining the WordPress community in 2011 when I went to my first WordCamp in Chicago.

2) I spoke at my first WordCamp (WordCamp Chicago 2012) due to the support of the local community and a need for design talks. I’ve been speaking at WordCamps and other events ever since. I am motivated by a desire to help teach and empower others to find their place in the web design/development/publishing space.

3) WordPress is unique because it focuses on both the Open Source Philosophy (the “democratization of publishing”) and also the end user experience of the person doing the publishing. While not perfect, most projects tend to focus on one at the expense of the other, like an open platform that is difficult to use, or a beautiful platform behind a walled garden. I think that aspect (along with the supportive community) is why WordPress is so intriguing from a design perspective.