VZhuk Design

About

Veranika Zhuk

Hi, I’m Veranika!

I’m a web designer and developer with a great passion for building things with code.

Originally from Minsk, Belarus, I’m now based in Rocklin, CA, where I have lived since 2015.

For many years, I was going around the design industry. I first discovered my passion for web design back when I worked as a web content manager in Belarus. And after moving to Rocklin, I decided to pursue this career.

In 2016, I attended Sierra College, where I completed a digital media program and earned a few skills certificates, including a web design one.

After graduation, I keep learning and building my developer skills every day. View Portfolio

Down below, you will find more information about my education, professional experience and personal skills.

Skills

  • UX/UI Design.
  • Web Design.
  • Front-end Development (HTML, CSS, Sass, JavaScript).
  • Back-end Development (WordPress).

Software

  • Adobe Photoshop.
  • Adobe Dreamweaver.
  • Adobe Illustrator.
  • Adobe InDesign.
  • Adobe XD.
  • Visual Studio Code.

Education

  • Belarusian State Pedagogical University

    • Minsk, Belarus / 2004-2009

    • Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and English.
  • Sierra College

    • Rocklin, CA / 2017-2019

    • Digital Media – Certificate of Achievement.
    • Graphic Design – Skills Certificate.
    • Visual Arts and Media – Skills Certificate.
    • Web Design – Skills Certificate.
    • English as a Second Language Academic Preparedness – Skills Certificate.
  • Udemy

    • Online / 2020-2021

    • Certificate of Competition (Advanced CSS and SASS: Flexbox, Grid, Animations and More).
    • Certificate of Completion (50 Projects in 50 days – HTML, CSS and JavaScript).
    • Certificate of Completion (The Complete JavaScript Course 2021: From Zero to Expert).

Experience

  • Web Designer and Developer

    • The Studio Coworking / 2019-2020

    • Planning site design, functionality and navigation.
    • Building wireframes and prototypes which were then turned into functional and responsive website.
    • Building a fully responsive website with HTML, CSS and JavaScript which then was converted to a custom built WordPress theme.
  • Merchandise Associate

    • TJX Companies, Inc (Marshalls – Hamden, CT / 2013 – 2015. T.J.Maxx – Roseville, CA / 2016 – Present)

    • Design displays to make the store experience interactive and engaging.
    • Restocked shelves and displays to effectively represent the product.
    • Arrange items in favorable positions and areas of the store for optimal sales.
    • Collaborate with team members to increase sales.
  • Web Content Manager / Marketing Assistant

    • Usluga.by – Minsk, Belarus / 2011 – 2013

    • Edited, uploaded and published web content.
    • Maintained and managed all company social media accounts and content.
    • Continuously evaluated web analytics and performed competitive analysis to identify marketplace trends.
    • Assisted company with launching Website redesign.
  • Web Content Manager

    • Chatoff.by – Minsk, Belarus / 2009 – 2010

    • Researched, edited, and structured online content for the company website.
    • Manipulated digital images, photos, and graphics for inclusion on the web.
    • Produced Web traffic analysis reports including recommendations on how to increase Web traffic and highlight key content.

Accomplishments

  • American Advertising Award

    • Sacramento, CA / 2019

    • American Advertising Student Silver Award.
  • Sierra College

    • Rocklin, CA / 2018

    • President’s Honor Roll / GPA 4.00.
  • Marshalls

    • Hamden, CT / 2014

    • Associate of the Quarter.

Languages

  • English
  • Russian
  • Belorussian

Personal

  • Born and raised in Minsk, Belarus.

    • In 2013, my husband and I won in a green card lottery and moved to the U.S., where we reside since then.

  • Lived in two different states of the US.

    • My first two years in the U.S. I lived in Connecticut, but then moved to Roseville, CA.

  • In 2019, I became a US citizen.

  • I’ve been happily married since 2012.

  • You’re never done learning is my motto.

    • I’m not just keep studying and developing my skill set, but I actually enjoy it a lot.

  • I’m a detail-oriented person.

    • Probably, for this reason I love coding – there are so many details to consider.

  • I’ve always been passionate about learning English.

    • And when I was choosing a major after graduating from a high school, I didn’t even doubt it would be English.

  • Psychology was my second major at University.

    • I thought that psychology would be a good bonus as a second major. But it turned out to be very useful in design, since all the principles are based on psychology.

  • I learned ten finger touch typing in both languages, English and Russian.

    • Even though I don’t type really fast, at least I can see what I’m typing.

  • I like collecting web design resources.

    • I can’t stop being fascinated by how much cool stuff for designers is around the internet. I’ve been collecting these resources since I started my web design journey and I’d love to share them. View Resources

  • I love listening to live music.

    • …especially electro guitar. And I’m lucky to have the opportunity to do that every day since my husband is an excellent guitar player 😊

  • I don’t have any pets, but I do have a lot of plants.

    • It’s amazing to see them grow and flower.

  • Traveling is what inspires me most.

    • Even though 2020 made me (and all of the world!) postpone exploring different places, I have lots of memories and pictures of mesmerizing views.

  • Photography is another of my hobbies.

    • I think you’ve already guessed it while browsing on my website. I love exploring beautiful landscapes. Nature is what amazes and inspires me most. View Photography

  • I like shopping and organizing things.

    • That’s why I’ve worked at Marshalls and TJMaxx for so long. During working hours I organize merchandise and make shelves pop:-) And after hours, I usually stay shopping.

  • Yoga and meditation is what I discovered for myself in 2020.

    • 2020 was definitely not an easy year for everyone. To balance emotions and find inner resources I discovered yoga and meditation.

Feel free to contact me via my LinkedIn profile or by sending me a message here.