HEY 👋 I'M TESSA
I enjoy working on ambiguous design problems—the weirder, the better.
After years of working across product design, UX/UI, graphic design, and research science, I'm focused on working with teams as a Fractional Product Designer to create unique frameworks that help solve problems.
IA + Navigation Refactor
Overview
A comprehensive information architecture redesign focusing on optimizing user navigation flows and content hierarchy.
Process
User research, information architecture analysis, data analysis, concept framework development, and iterative design testing to validate navigation improvements.
Responsibilities
- Concept + Strategy
- Information Architecture
User Action Spectrum
This Zones + Actions framework organizes our product into focused areas for specific activities. Key actions get one-click access, related actions are grouped logically, and a clear hierarchy helps users stay focused. This current assessment of our product helps us propose streamlined improvements for future IA work.
Bulk delete emails by sender
A quick way for users to triage emails from senders in bulk resulted in increased deleted emails and is projected to increase retention over time.
Simpler mobile navigation
Streamlined navigation patterns reduced cognitive load and improved task completion rates across key user flows and beat baseline expectation of +1% page views.
Refreshed mobile graphical ads
Redesigned our graphic mobile ads to reduce ad blindness increased revenue overall for 2023 and beat expectations of $20M/year.
Search vs. Surface
UX Strategy
Standalone surfaces are great for hunt and peck method, whereas other tasks may be better suited as a search flow.
Dynamic Scaling Tutorials
Team Education
I created an interactive Figma-like playground tutorial for team accessibility training, elevating our design team's awareness and capabilities.
Empty state
Long process dialog
Theme selector
Floating action
Latest Insights + Talks
Sharing knowledge and insights from design practice and research
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Writing + Research
Exploring VR design, development, and the intersection of technology and user experience.
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Building a VR App in 14 Days
A deep dive into rapid VR prototyping, from concept to deployment using Unity and modern development practices.
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Python ML Agents in Unity VR
Integrating machine learning agents with Unity for intelligent VR experiences and adaptive user interactions.
Read moreAbout Me
Hi, I'm Tessa
My design work spans information architecture, user experience strategy, design systems, and more.
What I do
- •Design strategy and information architecture for complex products
- •Create holistic frameworks that help teams make better design decisions
- •Research and validate design concepts through experimentation
- •Mentor designers and advocate for user-centered design practices
Background
I have a diverse background spanning product design, UX/UI, graphic design, and research science. This multidisciplinary approach helps me tackle ambiguous problems from multiple angles and create holistic solutions.
When I'm not designing, you can find me tinkering with vibe coding, sketching, writing about design or music, or visiting local coffee shops in search of the best atmosphere :)