Résumé
Jessamyn Smallenburg
UX Researcher & Designer
12+ years of UX research & designMixed-methods researchUsability testingUser interviewsAccessibility (WCAG)Interaction design & prototyping5+ industries
Professional Summary
UX researcher and designer with 12+ years of experience across healthcare, automotive, government and public services, educational publishing, and enterprise software, at organizations including Ford Motor Company, Tyler Technologies, Verint, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, UnitedHealth Group, and Cengage Learning. I pair an M.S.I. in Human-Computer Interaction (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor) with an M.S. in Community Health Education (Wayne State) and graduate biostatistics coursework (Purdue), which together trained me in measurement and evaluation, survey design, statistical analysis of research data, and plain-language communication, skills I bring to UX research and design for any product. My portfolio includes a heuristic evaluation and redesign of an AI-assisted documentation tool, a usability analysis of a public benefits portal, and a therapy software concept designed for three user groups.
What ties my work together is helping people get through complicated systems, from drivers using in-vehicle technology to health plan members enrolling in coverage and staff using public safety software. Seeing people struggle with confusing systems, including while observing clinical workflows as a hospital volunteer, showed me how much clear, thoughtful design matters. Helping people feel capable and supported is the work that inspires me most.
Key Highlights & Accomplishments
- Written into a healthcare client’s contract renewal with Verint for my usability research and reporting
- Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) – 2026
- M.S. in Community Health Education (GPA: 4.0, Summa Cum Laude) – 2026
- Certified Associate in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CAHIMS) – 2025
- Gained direct clinical workflow experience as a Medical Procedures Unit volunteer at University of Michigan Health System (2024 – 2025)
- Recipient of multiple graduate scholarships at Wayne State University, including the Graduate Professional Scholarship and Professor Steven Singleton Endowed Scholarship (2024 – 2025)
- Mentored junior researchers in usability analysis, reporting, and stakeholder communication (Verint)
- Co-inventor on two issued U.S. patents in a safety-critical context (automotive) – Issued 2021: 1.) Systems and Methods for Predicting Pedestrian Behavior (U.S. Patent 10,971,003); 2.) Location Tagging for Ubiquitous Access (U.S. Patent 10,949,483)
- 3 authored technical papers, published in Ford Research & Advanced Engineering’s internal research database (Ford Motor Company)
Career Journey
Independent UX Researcher & Designer
Research and design case studies that combine 12+ years of UX research and design experience with graduate training in measurement and evaluation, health behavior, and implementation science.
- Lumen Chart — AI-assisted EHR clinical documentation: synthesized 16 published sources into 9 coded themes, ran a heuristic evaluation against Nielsen, Google PAIR, Microsoft HAX, and WCAG 2.2 AA, used the prioritized findings to redesign the workflow, and tested the prototype in a moderated think-aloud pilot session.
- Benefits Portal Usability Analysis and Prototyping — prototyped usability improvements for an anonymized public health benefits portal, translating findings from earlier survey and behavioral analytics research into interactive designs.
- Path Compass — trauma-informed TF-CBT software for youth, caregivers, and clinicians: built 3 personas and current/ideal journey maps across 6 treatment phases, benchmarked 6 tools, and prototyped 2 flows in Figma, reviewed against trauma-informed design principles.
Graduate Studies & Clinical Experience
From August 2022 through May 2026, I pursued full-time graduate study and hands-on clinical experience, building skills in measurement and evaluation, survey design, statistical analysis of research data, and plain-language communication that carry into UX research and design for any product. This period culminated in a second master’s degree, an M.S. in Community Health Education, alongside CHES and CAHIMS credentials and direct clinical exposure through a hospital-based volunteer role.
Relevant coursework: Program Planning & Evaluation, Measurement & Evaluation, Implementation Science, Grant Writing, Health Behavior Theory, Health Psychology, Health Equity, Health Communication
Honors & Scholarships
Recipient of three graduate scholarships at Wayne State University: First Year Master’s Candidate Scholarship (2024), Professor Steven Singleton Endowed Scholarship (2025), and Graduate Professional Scholarship (2025).
Medical Procedures Unit Volunteer
- Supported safe patient transitions, recovery protocols, and post-procedure care.
- Gained direct insight into clinical workflows and the importance of human-centered design in live healthcare settings.
Medical & Cultural Anthropology
Strengthened cultural competence and my understanding of how culture shapes people’s needs and behavior, the foundation of ethnographic research.
Public Health Graduate Coursework
Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Health Behavior Theory: built skills in statistical analysis, study design, and understanding why people adopt or resist new behaviors.
Selected Professional Experience
Usability Analyst
- Conducted user research and heuristic evaluations for 6 healthcare clients, plus government, retail, and justice-sector clients, improving the accessibility and usability of public-facing websites and intranets.
- Written into a healthcare client’s contract renewal with Verint for my usability research and reporting.
- Analyzed survey data and behavioral analytics for a public health benefits portal, identifying barriers to eligibility and enrollment findability and recommending fixes.
- Applied established accessibility guidelines to identify barriers and recommend inclusive design improvements.
- Synthesized findings into actionable recommendations that informed design decisions; incorporated survey data and customer feedback into research processes.
- Authored detailed technical usability reports and mentored junior team members through report editing, usability analysis guidance, and session replay analysis training.
- Received consistent praise from clients — particularly healthcare industry clients — for delivering clear, actionable, and impactful recommendations.
Colleague Endorsement
“Jessie delivered great value in her usability work. She showed herself to be insightful, knowledgeable, and organized. She did an excellent job of contextualizing her findings so that clients could understand and clearly visualize the usability issues and proposed solutions. Her reports were always clear, succinct, and delivered on time… On several recent projects for federal government websites, Jessie welcomed the idea of helping the real-world citizens who use these sites… she elicited client comments like ‘bravo on all counts,’ ‘[this was] really, really helpful’ and ‘[these recommendations are] going to be integrated.’”
User Experience Research Engineer
- Integrated user-centered design processes and research methodologies into engineering workflows for connected vehicle and infotainment projects.
- Led usability testing with vehicle buck and 30-participant F-150 studies, iteratively refining designs based on behavioral insights.
- Conducted competitive analyses, co-invented two issued U.S. patents, and authored three technical papers published in Ford’s internal research database, while strengthening cross-functional collaboration.
- Led the creation of detailed research plans, test protocols, and findings reports, providing actionable guidance that informed design iterations and product strategy.
- Applied human factors principles and usability standards to evaluate and improve interaction design of infotainment interfaces in safety-critical environments.
Usability Engineer
- Planned, designed, and facilitated usability studies for public safety records systems; delivered actionable insights that drove product enhancements in an Agile development environment.
- Created interactive prototypes, wireframes, mockups, and standardized style guides using Axure RP Pro; instituted usability guidelines and led persona development.
- Conducted card sorting sessions to design the navigation architecture.
- Collaborated with stakeholders and Agile team members to communicate functional requirements for mission-critical government software.
Senior Usability Specialist
- Designed high-fidelity wireframes and interactive iRise visualizations mapping the member journey from the Blue Cross site into the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Federally Facilitated Marketplace, helping stakeholders validate enrollment interactions before launch.
- Created wireframes for a new “Health Insurance 101” member education section and developed a Member Portal redesign plan to strengthen self-service.
User Experience Designer
- Worked on an Agile team of UX designers to develop innovative healthcare concepts, including a mobile application designed to promote healthier eating habits.
- Created interactive Axure prototypes used in usability testing sessions and presented to company headquarters.
- Developed an Axure wireframe set for a proof-of-concept tool to help users search for and find the best deals on healthcare services.
- Created personas representing different user archetypes and contributed to UX documentation standards, including usability test facilitator guides and heuristic evaluation templates.
EARLIER EXPERIENCE
User Experience Researcher, Cengage Learning • Web Developer & Usability Analyst, Nexient
Master of Science · Information (HCI)
Specialization in Human-Computer Interaction. Relevant Coursework: Contextual Inquiry & Project Management, Interface & Interaction Design, Evaluation of Systems & Services, Information Architecture, Design of Complex Websites
Research & Design Experience (during M.S.I. HCI program)
Health Sciences Scholars Program
- Designed and developed the full website for the Health Sciences Scholars Program single-handedly, applying user-centered design principles and Web 2.0 best practices throughout the process.
- Gained early hands-on experience building rich internet applications while prioritizing intuitive user experience and interface design.
Life Sciences Institute – Center for Chemical Genomics
- Conducted usability testing, heuristic evaluations, card sorting, and comparative evaluations on the M-Screen database used in drug discovery research.
- Analyzed user pain points through surveys and task flow analysis; synthesized findings into a detailed report and presented recommendations to stakeholders.
Bachelor of Arts · Psychology
Early grounding in human behavior and cognition that continues to inform my research and design practice today.
Core Expertise
Tools & Technologies
Figma for modern prototyping • Framer • Lovable • Cursor • Agentic AI tools, including ChatGPT and Claude • Canva • Axure RP Pro and iRise • SPSS for statistical analysis • Microsoft Power BI for reporting • Jira & Confluence • Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, Firefly) • Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
User Research Methods
Mixed-Methods Research • Usability Testing (moderated and unmoderated, remote and in-person) • Contextual Inquiry • User Interviews • Heuristic & Comparative Evaluations • Accessibility Audits (WCAG) • Card Sorting, Tree Testing & Navigation Studies • Surveys, Questionnaires & Data Analysis • Quantitative Analysis (Descriptive & Inferential Statistics) • Research Plans & Test Protocols • Personas & Scenarios • Journey Mapping • Competitive Analysis • Session Replay & Behavioral Analytics • Task Analysis • Affinity Diagramming • Focus Groups • Stakeholder Workshops • Human Factors Evaluation • Think-Aloud Protocol • Thematic Analysis & Research Synthesis • Survey Design
Design & Information Architecture
Human-Centered Design • Wireframing • Low/High-Fidelity Prototyping • Interaction Design • User Flow Mapping • Navigation Design & Information Architecture • Responsive & Mobile-First Design • Style Guides & Design Systems • Accessible & Inclusive Design • Design Handoff
Domain Expertise
Automotive & Safety-Critical Interfaces • Government & Public-Sector Software • Enterprise Software & Intranets • Educational Publishing • Healthcare (Patient Experience, Member & Clinician Experience, Health Informatics, Health Literacy, Health Equity) • Human Factors • Regulated Systems (HIPAA, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines/WCAG, Compliance) • Program Evaluation • Research Ethics (CITI, RCR)
Professional Skills
Stakeholder Communication & Presentation • Cross-Functional Collaboration • Mentoring & Team Leadership • Data Synthesis & Actionable Reporting • Plain-Language & Health Communication • Agile Development & Scrum • Research Measurement & Evaluation • AI-Assisted Research & Responsible AI Use • Developer Collaboration • Requirements Gathering