You blend what your users want, with your project timelines, budget and corporate goals. Sounds easy, right? Not so fast. Just thinking about what users want doesn't mean your product, site or campaign will be a success. Finding out what your users NEED requires the adept skills of a seasoned usability and interaction designer. You have found her.

How do you create a great user experience?

You blend what your users want, with your project timelines, budget and corporate goals. Sounds easy, right? Not so fast. Just thinking about what users want doesn’t mean your product, site or campaign will be a success. Finding out what your users NEED requires the adept skills of a seasoned usability and interaction designer. You have found her.

My Background

Image of desk with computer and sticky notes

Immersed in Design & Development

For the last decade and half, I have worked closely with designers, developers and content strategists to create functional, elegant and useful solutions for federal, commercial, domestic and international audiences.

Since my start with Section 508 Accessibility, through my front-end development, design and now as a Usability Strategist, I know my true calling and skill has been the ability to create useful experiences for people online. Whether it be a government website or a corporate internal application, I help craft solutions people want to use. I share my passion and help teams adopt UX practices that elevate solutions--not hinder them.

Passionate about the User Experience

Since my start with Section 508 Accessibility, through my front-end development, design and now as a Usability Strategist, I know my true calling and skill has been the ability to create useful experiences for people online. Whether it be a government website or a corporate internal application, I help craft solutions people want to use. I share my passion and help teams adopt UX practices that elevate solutions–not hinder them.

I moved to Colorado in 2013 after spending my entire life and career in the DC metro region. During the 2020 COVID pandemic, I moved to Vermont to be closer to family. I am able to work in the US and EU.

A Recent Transplant

I moved to Colorado in 2013 after spending my entire life and career in the DC metro region. During the 2020 COVID pandemic, I moved to Vermont to be closer to family. I am able to work in the US and EU.

Skill Highlights

Research & Opportunity Mapping

Qualitative and quantitative user research using a variety of scrappy tools to better understand user motivations, validate concepts and identify areas for improvements throughout the entire customer journey. Data analysis, 1:1 interviews, focus groups, surveys, customer journey map, A/B testing, and more. Share findings with product, development, and leadership teams for greater decision-making. Coach and facilitate cross-functional team ideation on uncovered opportunities.

Analytics & Guidance

Leverage my experience with marketing, education, online design, and development to create fully developed engagement strategies to better attract, inform and retain users. Develop strategies to encourage feature adoption, and understand workflows. Evaluate NPS, PES, usage metrics, and customer feedback to inform enhancement priorities. Work with cross-functional teams to align with KPIs and encourage adoption and stickiness with our platforms. Report to leadership on metrics that matter along with recommendations to strengthen the value users get from online solutions.

UX Design & Accessibility

From requirements gathering to user interviews, I delve into what makes users tick to create actionable recommendations for design and development teams. Create low and high-fidelity wireframes to help inform design, development, interaction, and content needs as well as for use in usability testing.  Additionally, for over 20 years I help plan for, develop and test online and paper-based solutions for accessibility and Section 508 compliance.

What People Are Saying

  • Outside of the energy the Ellie brings to the them, she is constantly push herself and her team members to improve how they approach usability and 508 compliance. The leg work she puts in in the beginning of a project laying out wireframes truly helps us developers succeed.

    Ben Sterling – Associate Director, Architect at Crispin Porter + Bogusky

  • Years later, I continue to miss my time working with Ellie. As a project manager at Information Experts, I had numerous occasion to work with her on varying client work, where she provided UX counsel that was always compelling, pragmatic and current. Ellie also offers a rare, affable manner that makes her invaluable in building and furthering client relationships.

    Kevin Powers – Senior Digital Strategist at Viget Labs

  • I’ve worked with Ellie and reported to her, and she’s one of the hardest working people in the business in either role. As a developer she was knowledgeable and innovative; as a manager she’s always protected and fought for her people, looked for new and interesting opportunities to grow the business and our technologies, and pushed herself harder than any of us!

    Jonathan Sachsman – Developer

  • Ellie is an incredibly valuable and integral asset at Information Experts. Her technical expertise is exceptional, and her attention to the overall user experience ensures we build the most user-centric solutions possible. I feel very fortunate to have Ellie in the Information Experts family.

    Marissa Levin – CEO, Information Experts & Successful Culture

Examples of My Work

My History

  • Apr 1999

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    Worked to help agencies come into Section 508 compliance and prep for y2k.

  • Jan 2004

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    Began contracting/freelancing for several years providing front-end web development.

  • Aug 2004

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    Contracted with AOL as a Producer helping to launch election 2004 and Black Voices channels

  • Mar 2005

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    Began working for federal and commercial clients as a consultant for Information Experts, Inc in Reston, Virginia.

  • Aug 2008

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    Received certification from Human Factors International in Usability

  • Dec 2010

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    Promoted from Senior Usability consultant to Director of the Interactive development team.  Overseeing back-end and front-end development groups.

  • Nov 2012

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    Team grew to include design and content developers under the new Interactive Team.

     

  • Jul 2013

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    Moved to Colorado and began full-time telecommuting.

  • Dec 2020

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    Left Colorado after a lovely 7 years to be closer to family in Vermont.

  • Apr 2022

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    2015 – Present Associate Director of UX for IHS Markit, now S&P Global(2022).  Providing UX support to a portfolio of Engineering SaaS products with over 650k users annually.  Research, analytics, guidance, and UX strategy including wireframes, interaction design, journey mapping, and personas to create robust solutions used by many Fortune 100 companies.

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