User Experience Design
I am obsessed with UX. Not just in the conventional sense of applied digital product design, but everywhere. I am fascinated with people, how they work, how they see and interact with the world. I love looking for problems and hangups to solve. If you’ve ever found something annoying because it didn’t work how you expected, or marveled when a problem that seemed so complex was completely negated by a simple fix, I want to hear about it. I love making lives easier through good design.
Build paths, not fences.
This statement summarizes my philosophy on UX design, maybe even on design as a whole. When planners at Ohio State University began paving permanent paths through the growing campus, they didn’t decide their placement based on mathematical ratios, prevailing architectural theory, or one designer’s grand idea; they simply observed where people naturally walked.
Good design elegantly supports the user’s goals, often without them even noticing.
Recent Work:
I’m always cautious about publicly giving detailed information about projects that are in flight. Recently I’ve designed experiences for Medavie Blue Cross’ insurance online applications to add functionality to the Optional Benefits program, the homepage of the public website, and product pages supporting the Travel line of business. I also work on UX strategy for the Individual book of business product suite. Contact me directly if you’d like to discuss the non-confidential details about my current work.
Strategy & measurement.
At Medavie Blue Cross, we use a variety of tools to accomplish strategic design, including workshopping tools, modern analytics platforms, and project management suites. Good tools aren’t a guaranteed way to make good designs, but using them well can save a lot of time.
In the world of remote work, digital whiteboarding is an excellent way to gather information across teams, sort priorities, review feedback, or plan resourcing. This makes it one of my favorite tools.
Over the past two years we have also made our use of analytics and testing even more robust, and sources like Google Analytics can work wonders in confirming a design is actually meeting user needs.
Previous Design Explorations:
Older Projects:
Wave Site Prototype
A timed design challenge to make a travel site. Subject matter: Whitewater Kayaking Tourism, I used the names of a few rapids from the Penobscot River in Maine, a favorite of mine.
Watch the click through video below to see how it works.
More digital product coming soon!™
Let’s talk documents…
Any design someone uses has an element of User Experience design involved. We’ve all filled out a form at some office that was a terrible user experience, and maybe assumed it just “has to be that way”. All designs pose challenges, but too often important information is missed or avoided just because it’s difficult to use…
Since many of the documents I work on are operational, they are often proprietary. Speak to me for a more detailed take on the content.
Freedom Focused Coaching Workbook
Full workbook created for a business- and life-goal annual course. Design intended to innately lead the user though planning objectives in a sequence of time-frames, and naturally grasp the challenges, strategies, and granular steps to achieving those objectives simply. I also created the branding for the company.
Focus Media Group Training Manual
A large coursebook containing all operational resources, strategies, and information related to a single call-based role within FMG. Content was developed directly through research with those in the role (both senior and junior), to best discover the tools and information architecture most useful and digestible to them.