Meet Leon Hayes | Teacher who transformed into a UX/UI Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Leon Hayes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leon, how do you think about risk?
I grew up skateboarding and one of the things that my friends always told me was, “if you ain’t falling, you ain’t trying”. I think that there is a lot of value in this quote that can be applied to our lives and careers. This quote really stuck with me because it underscores the importance of risk taking. It shows that if you’re not willing to fail or take a hit, then you won’t grow. Embrace the discomfort, because that’s where growth happens. When I began the transition from the classroom to UX/UI Design, there was a lot of discomfort and uncertainty. I now see discomfort as a sign of growth, not something to avoid. For me, risk is about never stopping my own growth.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started out as a security guard after college, and soon found myself tutoring math, which led to a Master of Arts degree and over a decade of teaching 3rd and 5th grade in public schools. The classroom is where I discovered a passion for designing meaningful experiences for my students. Last year, I decided to fully commit to transforming into a designer and I’ve been using every free moment I can find to continue to grow and build my skills.

There have been lots of challenges along the way from balancing family and school, navigating teaching during the pandemic and completing a tech bootcamp as a full-time teacher to name a few. The process of navigating these obstacles developed the strengths that now set me apart in UX. I believe that passion and authenticity drive fulfillment, and these tough transitions helped me grow into a designer who leads with empathy.

I want the world to know that behind every great product is a team of passionate people striving to make a difference. My brand is rooted in empathy, commitment to lifelong learning, and a drive to amplify positive impact wherever possible. Currently I’m teaching at a wonderful Montessori school in Denver and leading 2 major design projects in the non-profit sector including a member platform redesign and course material design for an organization focused on teaching universal mindset strategies to young people. If you want to check out some of my projects, visit my portfolio at leonhayesdesign.com

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We would definitely eat a lot. Some of my favorite spots for food in the city are on the southwest side, especially along South Federal Blvd. Special shoutout to Now Pho and Lucky Noodles. I’m a book lover, so I’d make sure we hit up the Central Library downtown. It’s a unique spot. I also try to support the Tattered Cover bookstore as much as I can. Since we’d have a whole week to hang, probably take a drive out to the western slope to catch up with my good friend and amazing author Nick Paullus. Then, finish the trip off at a Denver Nuggets or Broncos game for the full local experience.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout to Paul Embleton. He is an incredible Psychologist and CEO of Cerebral Code. Thank you Paul for trusting me to contribute to the design of a hugely impactful AI-Powered tool for healthcare providers and for your visionary leadership which has created real impact in our community. Your dedication to keeping equity at the heart of your mission truly inspires me.

Shoutout to Morgan Denner, founder of Tech Fleet, an amazing community organization built to support tech professionals in gaining real-world experience and transferable skills. Morgan, your commitment to developing future leaders in tech is impeccable. Thank you for believing in me and for your ongoing mentorship, encouragement and support.

Website: https://leonhayesdesign.com

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/leon-hayes