I'm a User Experience Designer and Researcher based in Pittsburgh with a love of the user and a passion for simplicity.
About me
My basic design philosophy boils down to this: at the end of the day, we are all just people trying to get things done so we can spend time on the things that matter to us. My research allows me to understand how to help people get their work done, and my designs help make it a little easier.
Approaching 15 years as a UX Designer and Researcher, I've worked in a variety of industries and in a myriad of different teams. In each role, I make sure I learn something new, and I have grown from an individual contributor to a strategic thinker.
Training is important to me - I recently completed Nielsen Norman Group UX Certification and I once got to breathe the same air as Jakob Neilsen himself - pre-pandemic, obviously! I also like to pay it forward as a member of Steel City UX Ladies as the head of the Mentorship Match program.
Normally I'd make a bad pun about "building bridges with UX"...
On a personal note, I love hanging out with my dog Lana, a 120 pound Newfoundland.
I'm also a big foodie and really into tart or spicy foods. The spicier the better!
What People are saying About me
Ashely Sewall, Director UX Research and Content Design
One of Esther's standout qualities is her ability to seamlessly balance user needs with business objectives. She doesn't just create visually appealing designs; she ensures they're practical and effective. Esther manages timelines and KPIs like a product manager while incorporating user-centered design principles and deep user empathy to deliver the highest quality experiences.
Alissa Meade, CEO Curavi Health
Esther is a top performer who consistently achieves her personal milestones. She is a talented designer with the ability to understand and incorporate the company's business priorities into product and design recommendations. She has provided strong insight and work product around: research insights, competitive analysis, heuristic evaluation, and requirements gathering with key stakeholders. Esther's thoughtful and approachable manner allows her to built rapport and trust with users, including physicians. [...] Esther has applied her strong communication skills to a broad range of deliverables including structuring and facilitating strategy workshops, creating customer presentations, and serving as a thought partner for senior management on the most important stakeholder needs.
Steve Menke, Chief Technology Officer at Arkos Health
Esther is a very talented UX designer who quickly learned a difficult end user environment. Our primary users are nurses in skilled nursing facilities which are overworked and understaffed. She did whatever it took to get their feedback including shadowing nurses during the night shift. She used the knowledge gained to integrate low tech workflows (faxes and phones) with high-tech telemedicine solutions.
Her skills also go beyond UX as she demonstrated the ability to wear many hats. She contributed to investor decks, facilitated strategy workshops, created print materials and device prototypes. Esther communications skills allow her to connect with many roles inside and outside our organization; C-level, software developers and clinical staff. She was a true team player and demonstrated the willingness to do whatever was asked.