About

Hey there — how's it going? 👋

I'm Avani --

I'm a junior at Carnegie Mellon University studying cognitive science, human-computer interaction and technical writing. Through making the complex simple and tailoring to an audience as a technical writer and learning about how humans think and make decisions as a cognitive (and decision) science enthusiast, I've developed my own spin on design--I hope to continue to grow and look at design through new lenses.

Some things that make me...me. ✨

Playing social deduction games

I'm sure you've played Mafia before, but have you ever heard of The Resistance, Bang!, One Night Ultimate Werewolf, or Town of Salem? Perfect for chaos. 🔥

Reading historical fantasy (and more!)

My top book recommendation (if you're up for a dark read) right now: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang 🌺⚔️—I read it over the summer and couldn't get over it. Also a big fan of Jorge Borges' short stories.

Writing fiction (and using way too many em dashes)

Paranormal murder mystery, science fiction, action, literary fiction that explores the human condition—I've dabbled in all kinds of genres and subgenres. But I think my favorite is taking an old story and retelling it from a new perspective (or in a new world). 👁️🌎

Want to see some examples? Check out some of my short story work:

Pygmalion and Galatea (Greek mythology)
but sci-fi from the perspective of Pygmalion's assistant if he had one The Burning of Njal (Norse mythology)
as a modern-day business betrayal told through a mix of emails and prose
Apophis Eating the Sun (Egyptian mythology)
as a choose-your-own-adventure game

Teaching computer science and human-centered design

Whether it's helping students delve into programming for the first time as a teaching assistant for an introductory computer science course, hosting weekly educational workshops on the human-centered design process, or mentoring students new to cognitive science, I've found joy in teaching and mentoring. I'm always looking to engage in new ways and to grow as an educator.