UX Design
Designing meaningful, human-centered experiences requires empathy, research, and a commitment to continuous improvement. My UX work focuses on creating intuitive, accessible, and efficient digital interactions that empower users to achieve their goals effortlessly.
Core Principles of UX Design
- User Empathy: Understanding user needs, frustrations, and motivations through direct research and observation.
- Accessibility: Designing for inclusivity, ensuring that products and services are usable by people of all abilities.
- Clarity: Prioritizing simplicity, hierarchy, and directness in layouts, content, and interactions.
- Consistency: Maintaining visual and functional patterns to build trust and predictability across interfaces.
- Feedback: Ensuring users receive immediate, meaningful responses to their actions within the system.
- Iteration: Embracing continuous learning and refinement through usability testing and analytics.
Case Study: QR Code Attendance Scanner
Taking attendance at in-person educational events seems simple but presents several unique challenges: ensuring complete participation, verifying authenticity, minimizing manual errors, and preventing spoofing among attendees.
Early Challenges
Initially, attendance was logged manually using notebooks. This method was prone to errors, including misspelled names, mismatches, and delays. An intermediary solution involved using "code words" displayed on screen during sessions, which attendees would email or enter into a Canvas quiz. However, this introduced new problems: typographical errors led to incorrect grading, and attendees sometimes shared the code words through unofficial group chats.
Manual Sign-In
Canvas Quiz
Secure Scan
Designing the Solution
To eliminate human error and secure the sign-in process, I developed a QR code attendance system integrated with Canvas. The system generates QR codes by scanning Canvas for active learners and encoding their information into secure, time-specific codes. Attendees simply scan the QR code on entry or exit.
49 Active Students
5 Guest QR Codes
Student QR Codes
- Jane Doe — QR Ready
- John Smith — QR Ready
- Mary Johnson — QR Ready
- ...
Add Guest QR Codes
Manage, edit, and download QR codes for all attendees.
System Architecture
Student Roster
QR Codes per Attendee
Scanner Interface
Impact
The QR code system drastically improved attendance accuracy, reduced administrative burden, and safeguarded against spoofing and submission errors. Events now experience streamlined sign-ins with minimal effort, greatly enhancing both user and administrator experience. The cost and time savings are already felt among staff and education teams, increasing overall velocity!
Case Study: Button Redesign for Accessibility and Engagement
Subtle interface changes can transform user experiences. In this case study, I focused on redesigning the primary action buttons used throughout a learning platform to improve clarity, accessibility, and interaction feedback — vital elements for busy in-person event environments where users often act quickly on mobile devices.
Identifying the Problem
Initial usability observations revealed that key action buttons were visually understated, low-contrast, and inconsistent. On mobile devices especially, users often overlooked them altogether. Heatmaps and click-tracking showed irregular engagement, and accessibility audits flagged insufficient color contrast that risked excluding some users entirely.
Before
After
Design Goals
- Boost visual salience without overwhelming the layout
- Achieve WCAG 2.1 AA compliance for color contrast and focus indicators
- Enhance interaction feedback through hover, active, and focus animations
Design Exploration
Hard to Notice
Instantly Recognizable
Responsive Animations
Visual Hierarchy Diagram
Background Button
Primary Button
Focused & Active
Impact
After rollout, click-through rates for primary action buttons improved by 17% across both desktop and mobile platforms. Accessibility compliance was confirmed via external audits, and the visual upgrade enhanced user confidence by providing immediate, responsive feedback. Small visual decisions helped drive a large cumulative impact on user engagement and satisfaction.