Experienced UX/HCD researcher, product designer, software developer, and human factors engineer with 10+ years leading cross-functional teams in UX design and systems engineering. Skilled in agile, risk management, and stakeholder engagement, bringing human-centered design and systems analysis to government, defense, and SaaS. Results-driven leader delivering intuitive, user-focused solutions to foster innovation and excellence.

UX & UI Designing Projects

Product Innovation & Development

User-centric Approach & Design

Visual Design & Communication

Design Research & Presentations

Mentoring & Leadership

Prototyping & Testing

Cross-functional Collaboration

Human Factors Engineering

Agile Methodology

Customer Relationship Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, XD, Sketch, Invision, Miro, FigJam, Flow Charts, Wireframing, Prototyping, WCAG Accessibility Standards, 508 Accessibility Guidelines, Branding, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Microsoft Outlook, Teams, Zoom, Google Suite, Jira, Confluence, Asana

HumanIT Solutions, NASA (NCMS), Dayton, Ohio (Remote), 2023 - 2024

Lead UX/UI Designer

Lead user experience (UX) research and design for National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) NCMS, an automated contract management system built with Appian low-code software.

Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams with DevOps, DevSecOps, Appian Developers, QA Analysts, Trainers, Business Analysts, Project Managers, and Scrum Masters, working in an agile, remote environment, leveraging tools Jira and Confluence for scrum, sprint planning, and review. 

Oversee end-to-end design processes, including heuristic evaluations, to analyze the software functions, capabilities, and interface. Usability testing to collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data metrics, and provide actionable insights to increase user satisfaction. Prepare materials for stakeholder presentations. 

Develop new system features and capabilities and enhance existing ones, creating flow charts, wireframing, and prototyping. Iterate designs based on client feedback and requirements.

Spearhead 508/WCAG compliance testing using manual and automated systems, ANDI and NVDA, to ensure accessibility. Conduct functional testing; user acceptance testing (UAT) and regression testing, documenting and analyzing test results to create actionable requirements.

Develop UX testing scripts applying NASA TLX for surveys and user feedback. Problem-solve solutions to improve usability and accessibility, and reduce error for the end user.

Conduct stakeholder presentations, detailing research findings and design recommendations to influence product development.

Oversee field research into User experience (UX) and human factors (HFE) in defense mission software to reduce cognitive load and increase safety.

Monterey Technologies, Park City, UT (Remote), 2022 – 2023

UX/UI Researcher & Designer III

Collaborate with System Engineers, Subject Matter Experts, Project Managers, and Product Owners to develop mission and weapon planning software for the US Department of Defense (Air Force, Navy, and Army). Participate as a Senior Software Developer, UX Researcher and Designer, and Human Factors Engineer on cross-functional Agile/Scrum teams. Present and communicate design concepts to team and incorporated feedback to generate cohesive, user-centered user interfaces (UI).

Organize information to create intuitive navigation and efficient user flows.

Created sitemaps, user flows, wireframes, and prototypes to plan and develop structure and functionality of digital products.

Contributed as a UX and HFE expert to the Next-Generation Weapons Mission Planning System (NOMS) Lean User Experience Center of Excellence (LUXCE), ensuring compliance with 508 accessibility standards and design guidelines.

Developed Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS) Network Planner capabilities.

Enhanced MBDA Select Precision Effects at Range (Spear III) missile sub-engagement capabilities for Lockheed Martin F-35, the Royal British Air Force.

Introduced Next-Generation Weapons Mission Planning System (NOMS) - Weapon Planner for GBU/JDAM and LRASM for the Lockheed Martin F-35.

Delivered AVX Aircraft Fleetspace Mission Planning System for Army Blackhawk mission and maintenance capabilities.

Software: Adobe Create Suite: XD, Jira, Confluence, Mattermost, Slack, Outlook, Teams, Zoom, WebEx

Chegg, Thinkful, Santa Clara, CA (Remote), 2020 – 2023

UX/UI Designer Expert

Pioneered thought leadership and leveraged extensive subject matter expertise (SME) in user experience (UX/UI) and product design for Thinkful, a Chegg Immersive and Flex Bootcamp specialized in UX/UI and Software Engineering. Provided essential support in terms of software, technical assistance, and curriculum development. Utilized range of tools, including Figma, FigJam, Miro, GitHub, Slack, Discord, Outlook, and Zoom to enhance learning experience.

Led dynamic six-member team of UX/UI experts and engaged in productive collaboration with five Chegg Skills cross-functional teams of UX/UI experts, educators, and software engineers.

Guided and instructed over 200 adult learners, skillfully evaluating and optimizing design capabilities, client projects, Capstone work, and portfolio development.

Established and enforced rigorous standards for outstanding UX/UI research and design, ensuring strict adherence to WCAG accessibility standards.

Penn Mutual, Vantis Life, Windsor, CT (Remote), 2022

UX Manager

Directed UX research and design leadership for B2C products, providing guidance from initial concept to successful launch. Gathered and analyzed overall data to identify crucial Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) essential for product design. Played vital role within eight-member marketing team at Vantis Life eCommerce and consumer sales. Executed comprehensive competitor and user research by employing variety of methods, such as Heuristic Evaluations, SWOT analysis, interviews, survey data analysis, user persona development, journey mapping, and empathy mapping. Supported design and project management process through various software tools including Sketch, Invision, Asana, Outlook, Teams, and Zoom.

Developed innovative life insurance SaaS product by collaborating with cross-departmental team of 15 members, leveraging Agile project management techniques, and utilizing Asana platform.

Crafted engaging visual representations of concepts and product functionalities for DevOps, skillfully utilizing storyboarding, wireframing, and prototyping techniques supported with Sketch and Invision tools.

Established user-friendly design systems characterized by simplicity, cleanliness, and minimalism. Diligently adhered to design principles, ensuring accessibility in line with WCAG standards.

Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA, 2014 – 2021

Assistant Professor of Design

Instructed and facilitated dynamic course load, averaging 4 out of 5 studio and seminar courses, spanning various areas, including visual communication, product design, software development, and the history and theory of design. Actively participated in university, college, departmental, and community service initiatives, contributing to positive educational environment. Imparted knowledge by presenting research findings at national and international forums and authored research papers published in academic publications.

Mentored impressive 100+ students, while providing academic guidance to 25 students each semester.

Guided five student research projects through the Center for Undergraduate Research, contributing to educational development and expansion of knowledge in the field.

Demonstrated creativity and leadership by creating six novel courses with emphasis on design, innovation, product development, and robotics.

Recognized as Chair of the Research Committee, leading team consisting of 10 senior and junior faculty members.

Served as the Chair of the Department of Art, overseeing activities of five staff/faculty members and nurturing educational journey of over 100 students in 2016–2017.

Earned recognition and financial support through multiple Andrew W. Mellon and university research grants, allowing for in-depth research in the field of universal design and multilingual typography within the Middle East and North Africa.

Software: Adobe Create Suite, Miro, XULA Flex, Google Suite, Zoom, Brightspace

BDRL LLC, Founder, Brooklyn, NY, New Orleans, LA, Miami, FL, 2012 – 2021

Principal Designer

Delivered comprehensive UX research and design services to SaaS startups and academic institutions, applying waterfall and agile project planning methodologies to ensure project success.

Demonstrated creative flair by contributing branding and visual communication marketing designs tailored to needs of non-profit organizations and small businesses.

Shared expertise with international audiences by presenting research findings and best practices related to UX and design thinking processes.

Software: Adobe Create Suite, Google Suite

Wizely & Virtuhouse, Tel Aviv, Israel & Miami, FL (Remote), 2019 – 2020

Director of UX & UX Researcher

Led and managed UX/UI design projects independently and by coordinating international team to ensure successful project outcomes. Executed extensive competitive and market research to inform design decisions and enhance product usability. Played key role in branding design to establish strong visual identity for the products.

Developed new SaaS CMS product by collaborating closely with cross-functional team consisting of five engineers and two Co-CEOs at Wizely.

Demonstrated strong leadership skills by advising CEO and guiding team of four designers and engineers in creation of Virtuhouse, a real estate platform startup.

Software: Sketch, Invision, Figma, Google Suite, Zoom

Visiting Professor of Visual Communication, Dar Al Hekma University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Adjunct Professor in Web Design, Interactive Media, Graphic Design, & Mass Communication, Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Union County College & Monmouth University, North Long Branch, NJ, & Remote

Master of Fine Art (MFA) in Design & Technology

San Francisco Art Institute, CA

Post Baccalaureate in Visual Communication

Tufts University, School of the Museum of Fine Art, Boston

Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) in Fine Arts

Lyme Academy College of Fine Art

Secret Security Clearance

Building and Sustaining an Accessible Federal Technology Environment | Section 508, Accessibility Online,  ADA National Network

NASA Human Factors in Mishap Investigations, National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationDesigning an Accessible User Experience, Web Accessibility: Visual Design and Colors, Deque University, IAAP CAEC

Unlocking Information Security, IsraelX

Ethics in AI and Big Data, The Linux Foundation

Digital Humanities Visualizing Data Tableau, Xavier University of Louisiana

Innovation: Breakthrough Technologies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Artificial Intelligence (AI), ColumbiaX

UX & UI Design, AIGA, Boston

Confucious Institute Research Grant 2019

Xavier University of Louisiana Center for Undergraduate Research (CUR) Grant 2016, 2017

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant 2015, 2016

The 9th International Conference on Digital Information & Communication, Technology & its Applications (DICTAP), Beirut, Lebanon, 2019

Global Citizens for Campus, Communities, & Careers, Association of American Colleges & Universities, San Antonio, TX, 2019

International Conference on Typography and Visual Communication (ICTVC) "Discussing priorities developing a field”, Thessaloniki, Greece 2016, Nicosia, Cyprus 2013

The 29th Annual National Conference on Liberal Arts and the Education of Artists, SVA NYC 2015

International Communication Association, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2015

Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association, New Orleans, LA, 2015

Typoday, Bombay Institute of Technology, Mumbai, India 2015, Pune, India 2014

VISCOM, University of Rhode Island, RI, 2014