Hi, I'm Jessica!
I'm a researcher and designer passionate about understanding human behavior and building impactful digital experiences. This passion fueled my desire to gain the design skills and research experience necessary to better understand people, how they interact with their digital world, and how I can help improve their interactions.
My interest in UX began at the University of Texas at Austin (Hook ’em 🤘) and continues to grow at the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), where I’m deepening my research practice and design thinking to create human-centered solutions grounded in insight.
I'm a researcher and designer passionate about understanding human behavior and building impactful digital experiences. This passion fueled my desire to gain the design skills and research experience necessary to better understand people, how they interact with their digital world, and how I can help improve their interactions.
My interest in UX began at the University of Texas at Austin (Hook ’em 🤘) and continues to grow at the University of Michigan (Go Blue! 〽️), where I’m deepening my research practice and design thinking to create human-centered solutions grounded in insight.
I'm a researcher and designer passionate about understanding human behavior and building impactful digital experiences. This passion fueled my desire to gain the design skills and research experience necessary to better understand people, how they interact with their digital world, and how I can help improve their interactions.
My interest in UX began at the University of Texas at Austin (Hook ’em 🤘) and continues to grow at the University of Michigan (Go Blue! 〽️), where I’m deepening my research practice and design thinking to create human-centered solutions grounded in insight.
I'm a researcher and designer passionate about understanding human behavior and building impactful digital experiences. This passion fueled my desire to gain the design skills and research experience necessary to better understand people, how they interact with their digital world, and how I can help improve their interactions.
My interest in UX began at the University of Texas at Austin (Hook ’em 🤘) and continues to grow at the University of Michigan (Go Blue! 〽️), where I’m deepening my research practice and design thinking to create human-centered solutions grounded in insight.
Discussion
What makes my approach to UX unique?
I bring a curious, systems-oriented mindset to UX. My background in Sociology pushes me to deeply understand people and context, while Informatics gives me the tools to translate those insights into structured, actionable solutions. I’m not afraid of ambiguity, complex problems, or messy data; I see them as opportunities to uncover meaningful insight.
How did Sociology lead me to Informatics and UX?
Sociology taught me to analyze the ‘why’ behind human behavior through ethnographic research and sociological theory. When the pandemic hit, I watched as human connection migrated almost entirely into digital spaces. I became fascinated with the idea of digital sociology and how technology doesn’t just facilitate interaction but actively shapes it. I realized that to improve these experiences, I needed to move beyond observation. I needed the technical toolkit of Informatics to transform social insights into impactful, meaningful designs.
How do I navigate ambiguity in a fast paced environment?
First, I ask myself three questions: What do I know? What don’t I know? What assumptions am I making? Then, I align with stakeholders to ensure we’re on the same page—sharing context, clarifying timelines, and agreeing on priorities so we can move forward independently and productively. Drawing on design thinking and research methodologies, I create an actionable roadmap and share emerging findings in real time, allowing us to pivot and adjust early when needed.
How do I advocate for the user when stakeholders have conflicting goals?
Advocating for the user isn’t about being the loudest in the room; it’s meeting people where they are and showing objective evidence. I show how pain points create business risks and how insightful design leads to success. I’ve found that the best way to align a team is to find a common denominator. Usually, the stakeholder's goal and the user's goal are actually on the same side; they just need a mediator to connect the dots.
What’s currently in my 'Learning Lab'?
Currently, I’m expanding my technical skill set by deepening my design expertise and strengthening my knowledge of data analytics. I’m learning advanced prototyping techniques in Figma while also building a stronger understanding of data visualization tools and methods. For instance, I’m gaining hands-on experience with spatial data through my work with PIVOT, a geospatial data visualization platform.
If I weren’t designing digital spaces, what would I be doing?
Ideally, I would be a podcast host who interviews experts on their specialized topic. (See Ologies by Alie Ward). Realistically, I would probably be an auto-ethnographer. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of stepping into someone else’s shoes and seeing the world through their perspective. Auto-ethnographies allow you to explore and support another person’s experience with evidence and theory, offering the world a window into a unique slice of someone else’s life.
What makes my approach to UX unique?
I bring a curious, systems-oriented mindset to UX. My background in Sociology pushes me to deeply understand people and context, while Informatics gives me the tools to translate those insights into structured, actionable solutions. I’m not afraid of ambiguity, complex problems, or messy data; I see them as opportunities to uncover meaningful insight.
How did Sociology lead me to Informatics and UX?
Sociology taught me to analyze the ‘why’ behind human behavior through ethnographic research and sociological theory. When the pandemic hit, I watched as human connection migrated almost entirely into digital spaces. I became fascinated with the idea of digital sociology and how technology doesn’t just facilitate interaction but actively shapes it. I realized that to improve these experiences, I needed to move beyond observation. I needed the technical toolkit of Informatics to transform social insights into impactful, meaningful designs.
How do I navigate ambiguity in a fast paced environment?
First, I ask myself three questions: What do I know? What don’t I know? What assumptions am I making? Then, I align with stakeholders to ensure we’re on the same page—sharing context, clarifying timelines, and agreeing on priorities so we can move forward independently and productively. Drawing on design thinking and research methodologies, I create an actionable roadmap and share emerging findings in real time, allowing us to pivot and adjust early when needed.
How do I advocate for the user when stakeholders have conflicting goals?
Advocating for the user isn’t about being the loudest in the room; it’s meeting people where they are and showing objective evidence. I show how pain points create business risks and how insightful design leads to success. I’ve found that the best way to align a team is to find a common denominator. Usually, the stakeholder's goal and the user's goal are actually on the same side; they just need a mediator to connect the dots.
What’s currently in my 'Learning Lab'?
Currently, I’m expanding my technical skill set by deepening my design expertise and strengthening my knowledge of data analytics. I’m learning advanced prototyping techniques in Figma while also building a stronger understanding of data visualization tools and methods. For instance, I’m gaining hands-on experience with spatial data through my work with PIVOT, a geospatial data visualization platform.
If I weren’t designing digital spaces, what would I be doing?
Ideally, I would be a podcast host who interviews experts on their specialized topic. (See Ologies by Alie Ward). Realistically, I would probably be an auto-ethnographer. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of stepping into someone else’s shoes and seeing the world through their perspective. Auto-ethnographies allow you to explore and support another person’s experience with evidence and theory, offering the world a window into a unique slice of someone else’s life.
What makes my approach to UX unique?
I bring a curious, systems-oriented mindset to UX. My background in Sociology pushes me to deeply understand people and context, while Informatics gives me the tools to translate those insights into structured, actionable solutions. I’m not afraid of ambiguity, complex problems, or messy data; I see them as opportunities to uncover meaningful insight.
How did Sociology lead me to Informatics and UX?
Sociology taught me to analyze the ‘why’ behind human behavior through ethnographic research and sociological theory. When the pandemic hit, I watched as human connection migrated almost entirely into digital spaces. I became fascinated with the idea of digital sociology and how technology doesn’t just facilitate interaction but actively shapes it. I realized that to improve these experiences, I needed to move beyond observation. I needed the technical toolkit of Informatics to transform social insights into impactful, meaningful designs.
How do I navigate ambiguity in a fast paced environment?
First, I ask myself three questions: What do I know? What don’t I know? What assumptions am I making? Then, I align with stakeholders to ensure we’re on the same page—sharing context, clarifying timelines, and agreeing on priorities so we can move forward independently and productively. Drawing on design thinking and research methodologies, I create an actionable roadmap and share emerging findings in real time, allowing us to pivot and adjust early when needed.
How do I advocate for the user when stakeholders have conflicting goals?
Advocating for the user isn’t about being the loudest in the room; it’s meeting people where they are and showing objective evidence. I show how pain points create business risks and how insightful design leads to success. I’ve found that the best way to align a team is to find a common denominator. Usually, the stakeholder's goal and the user's goal are actually on the same side; they just need a mediator to connect the dots.
What’s currently in my 'Learning Lab'?
Currently, I’m expanding my technical skill set by deepening my design expertise and strengthening my knowledge of data analytics. I’m learning advanced prototyping techniques in Figma while also building a stronger understanding of data visualization tools and methods. For instance, I’m gaining hands-on experience with spatial data through my work with PIVOT, a geospatial data visualization platform.
If I weren’t designing digital spaces, what would I be doing?
Ideally, I would be a podcast host who interviews experts on their specialized topic. (See Ologies by Alie Ward). Realistically, I would probably be an auto-ethnographer. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of stepping into someone else’s shoes and seeing the world through their perspective. Auto-ethnographies allow you to explore and support another person’s experience with evidence and theory, offering the world a window into a unique slice of someone else’s life.
What makes my approach to UX unique?
I bring a curious, systems-oriented mindset to UX. My background in Sociology pushes me to deeply understand people and context, while Informatics gives me the tools to translate those insights into structured, actionable solutions. I’m not afraid of ambiguity, complex problems, or messy data; I see them as opportunities to uncover meaningful insight.
How did Sociology lead me to Informatics and UX?
Sociology taught me to analyze the ‘why’ behind human behavior through ethnographic research and sociological theory. When the pandemic hit, I watched as human connection migrated almost entirely into digital spaces. I became fascinated with the idea of digital sociology and how technology doesn’t just facilitate interaction but actively shapes it. I realized that to improve these experiences, I needed to move beyond observation. I needed the technical toolkit of Informatics to transform social insights into impactful, meaningful designs.
How do I navigate ambiguity in a fast paced environment?
First, I ask myself three questions: What do I know? What don’t I know? What assumptions am I making? Then, I align with stakeholders to ensure we’re on the same page—sharing context, clarifying timelines, and agreeing on priorities so we can move forward independently and productively. Drawing on design thinking and research methodologies, I create an actionable roadmap and share emerging findings in real time, allowing us to pivot and adjust early when needed.
How do I advocate for the user when stakeholders have conflicting goals?
Advocating for the user isn’t about being the loudest in the room; it’s meeting people where they are and showing objective evidence. I show how pain points create business risks and how insightful design leads to success. I’ve found that the best way to align a team is to find a common denominator. Usually, the stakeholder's goal and the user's goal are actually on the same side; they just need a mediator to connect the dots.
What’s currently in my 'Learning Lab'?
Currently, I’m expanding my technical skill set by deepening my design expertise and strengthening my knowledge of data analytics. I’m learning advanced prototyping techniques in Figma while also building a stronger understanding of data visualization tools and methods. For instance, I’m gaining hands-on experience with spatial data through my work with PIVOT, a geospatial data visualization platform.
If I weren’t designing digital spaces, what would I be doing?
Ideally, I would be a podcast host who interviews experts on their specialized topic. (See Ologies by Alie Ward). Realistically, I would probably be an auto-ethnographer. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of stepping into someone else’s shoes and seeing the world through their perspective. Auto-ethnographies allow you to explore and support another person’s experience with evidence and theory, offering the world a window into a unique slice of someone else’s life.
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