About Paul
Growing up, I often visited my dad’s plant science lab at the local university. He assigned me lab jobs, hoping to engage me with science. Though boring at the time, those days sparked a fascination with scientific mysteries, like atoms and molecules. In school, I constantly doodled in my school notes and illustrated my papers, though that was not required. To others, these interests in art and science didn’t quite go together. But, that was ok with me.
In college, I enrolled as an art student while taking science courses, a unique combination which led to an interdepartmental degree. But, what could one do with that?
On a trip to the Southwest, I became enamored by the desert landscape. Moving to Tucson, I became a graphic designer and technical illustrator at the University of Arizona. There, I worked with scientists studying desert ecosystems, Indigenous peoples, remote sensing, and hydrology. I became a science communicator.
As contracts for science picture books came in, I decided that science illustration satisfied a deeper curiosity, requiring extensive research to create accurate artwork. I spent years freelancing on kids books, school textbooks, and museum exhibits. While developing my own websites, I discovered the magic of HTML code for the web. Hooked again.
When the publishing industry declined, I pursued new skills, earning a master’s degree in User Experience (UX) Design in 2017. This training blended my diverse interests in a new way: UX design research was similar to scientific methods while emphasizing human needs.
My first significant post-degree job was back at the University of Arizona, where I joined a multidisciplinary team of developers and scientists developing a vast environmental science database and needed a user-friendly search for multiple user groups. This project validated my skills in user-centered design and cross-functional collaboration.
Today, I feel that helping people understand and use technology is creatively stimulating, much like painting was in art school. Creating accessible and meaningful experiences.
Skills
- Design thinking
- UI design
- User testing
- Graphic design
- I read the science
- Wireframing
- Prototyping
- Photography
- Digital illustration
- Strong eye for details
Tools
- Figma
- UX research: multiple
- HTML / CSS
- WordPress
- Photoshop
- Indesign
- Illustrator
- Lightroom
- Pencil + paper
Experience
UX/UI Design Lead, University of Arizona, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, 2019-2024
Illustration / Design Consultant, Paul Mirocha Design, 1991 – present
Artist In Residence / Research Associate, University Of Arizona, Desert Laboratory, Tucson, AZ 2011-2021
Senior Graphic Designer, University Of Arizona, Office Of Arid Lands Studies 11 years
Education
Kent State University – MS in UX Design, School Of Information, 2017
Pima Community College – Web / Interaction Design, non-degree
University Of Minnesota – BA: Fine Art With Minor In Biology
Personal projects
In my free time, I read voraciously, draw, and practice music.
Original acoustic music
From Mandophilia, an album of original instrumental music by Paul Mirocha and Chuck Kaplan. (Album available on Spotify and Apple Music.)
Artist-in-residence blog (archived)
Organized a creative community of artists and writers inspired by science. Place-based art and visitor engagement at a historic ecological field station.