I study human experiences to inform the creation and evolution of systems that impact the world.
I have always been fascinated by that part of creation which involves humanity.
As a young person, whenever I would fly I spent a few hours working on my plan for the next-gen Concorde (named, with extraordinary creativity, the Concorde 2). I took special care to redesign the seats, as those were the parts of the plane most important to the passengers. In high school, I dedicated my final research project to the study of how culture and technology together shaped one of humanity’s oldest tools: the knife. Working as an EMT in college I examined the interactions I had with my patients, carefully considering the words I had used and the systems I’d put in place to provide better care. I’d never thought of any of this as “design” until I took a design course as a senior in college. Finally putting a name to design, both as a process and a point-of-view, provided me with a level of clarity and focus I’d never felt before. I graduated from college and set myself upon as many design books, classes, or other resources I could find. Even though I found my first client in 2017 and have practiced and evangelized design ever since, I still consider myself a student of design and take any opportunity I can to learn more and develop myself in my field.
What is Wrye Design Lab?
Wrye Design Lab, LLC is a boutique design and human factors consultancy I founded in mid-2018. At Wrye, I focus on creating long-term relationships with clients working on problems with the potential for extensive positive human impact (such as education, open science, and healthcare). These relationships have covered most or all parts of the product design and development cycle, from early ideation through product or system launch and post-launch iteration. My work at Wrye includes every aspect of the UX umbrella, along with smatterings of project management or other services on a case-by-case basis. I complete all client and administrative work for Wrye, except in circumstances which require outside expertise. Still, I believe my most important responsibility to my clients is to convey the importance of fostering a strong, human-centered and information-driven design culture, both to the business and to those people for whom they make a product or service.