UT Austin
Civic Climate Resilience Library
Translating 10 years of work and $10M into a UX research-informed platform of accessible resources and tools for communities and policymakers.
Dell Medical
Blockchain PHR App Research
Measuring consumer trust in a personal health records management app via remote 1:1 usability tests for peer-reviewed publication.
Doris Duke Foundation
Eco Research Center Digital Guide
Developing an accessible guide for 240,000 annual visitors of a nature preserve and sustainability research center, reducing staff fatigue and paper maps.
Human-AI Interaction Research
Emotion AI in Interviews
Researching sentiment analysis technology and its impact on interview experiences for 9 participants with reactions to individual data visualization reports and EAI in hiring.
EY
ESG Risk Management Platform
Architecting a multi-party blockchain platform proof of concept to demo management of forced labor risks in supply networks using zero knowledge proof technology.
EY
Economic Analytics Platform
Designing tax analytics tool proof of concept with economic data and users that span governments, banks, and corporations for stakeholder buy-in and funding.
User / Stakeholder Intelligence
I translate ambiguous briefs and scattered requirements into clear design direction backed by data and professional experience.
Experience
Diverse experience that spans big 4 global enterprise, tier-1 creative agencies, venture capital startups, international nonprofits, and world-class academic institutions.
Goal
To improve technology and information-based experiences in partnership with all stakeholders, especially marginalized or underserved populations.
Approach
Collaborative, interdisciplinary, equity-centered, and deeply methodical. I combine creative design thinking with scientific rigor, business acumen and AI support.
John Christiana, Global Director of UX, Financial Services Organization, EY
"She was an extremely talented UX designer who not only was able to provide high quality design layouts but also understood what a good UX process delivered. Vanessa was always prepared to use the little time we had to ask great questions that would get her insights and support needed to advance the maturity of UX within her group. She possesses a sharp eye for design and understanding of user experience. Her efforts brought clarity and elegance to the applications she worked on."
Heidi Schmalbach, PhD
Program Director, Planet Texas 2050, UT Austin
"I found Vanessa to be extremely detail-oriented, efficient, and able to translate complex challenges...into terms that our (non-expert) team could understand. She is also funny, kind and a pleasure to work with! I would hire Vanessa again without hesitation for a...role where ambiguity, stakeholder alignment, and decision-making are critical. If you need someone who can turn input from a variety of stakeholders into a coherent product direction, Vanessa is exceptional!"
Jonathan Lowell, PhD, Community Liason, Planet Texas 2050, UT Austin
"Her thoroughness, tireless work ethic, and boundless curiosity have ensured that we are involving the right people and asking the right questions throughout the whole process. She's quite talented at synthesizing vast amounts of information quickly and clearly identifying gaps and next steps. She's also exceedingly patient...I wholeheartedly recommend working with Vanessa for your UX needs."