Hi! I’m Madison, and I have a bold idea that our products and services should do more good than harm.

Designing at the intersection of innovation and impact.

With over 8+ years of experience in both the private and public sectors, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with clients across industries such as automation, fintech, and defense security. For the past 2+ years, I’ve been working in the public sector for the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, as well as volunteering for multiple civic technology organizations including U.S. Digital Response, Code312, and Coding it Forward.

I take pride in being a designer and researcher who asks the hard questions, carefully evaluates both the anticipated and unforeseen outcomes of my work, and fosters a safe space within my teams for meaningful discussions about the purpose and impact of our designs.

A headshot of Madison (me!) wearing a pink jacket and looking to the left of the screen.

Some fast facts…

  • I began my UX career in college as part of a pilot program between the Computer Science and Graphic Design departments, lovingly called the Underground Unicorn Program. After graduation, I started as a UX Design Intern, began working with clients, and after awhile started to lead my own teams. Now, as a Senior UX Designer and Researcher, I work with government clients to uncover user needs through trauma-informed research and design.

  • I love listening to people, learning of their lived experiences, and designing products and services to better serve their needs.

  • During this 7-month program from the University of Pennsylvania, I expanded my view of what design could be, learning about the design of cities and social services. Along with my cohort of other technologists, I gained an appreciation for the power of design to enact both good and harm.

  • I was chosen to present a lightning talk at the 2023 Code for America Summit about consequence scanning in government, an agile practice aimed at slowing down and considering not just the users you may be designing for, but the millions of other people that may be indirectly or directly affected by your work.

My private sector work

In the past six years as a designer, I’ve designed responsive web and mobile applications for Fortune 500 clients and volunteered for fun work with non-profits and emerging technologies. These case studies showcase my experiences with various industries like fintech and automation, and demonstrate how I like to tackle problems on diverse team structures. I will add that a good chunk of them were designed under an NDA, which is why they may have some funky names and colors. If you’d like a glimpse into my public sector work, you can find that below.

Mobile Bill Pay

I influenced over 102 tested users to receive a 91% and 83% positive reaction on a redesigned landing page and custom-built animations for a Fortune 500 mobile banking application to improve the usability of a bill pay feature.

A person holding a phone with an image of the Mobile Bill Pay landing page in a purple color scheme. Next to the hand is a mug,

Fintech PWA

I uncovered and solved 6 main user pain points for a Fortune 500 credit card company’s in-person acquisition process by researching and designing a conversational UX progressive web application prototype in 10 weeks.

A person holding a phone in front of a light blue background. On the phone is a mockup of the Fintech PWA in a light blue color scheme.

FLWR

I designed a mixed reality experience to encourage apprehensive audiences at a conference to work together.

A person standing in the foreground with a VR headset on their head and a VR remote in their hands. In the background are others watching and another person holding another VR remote.

Internet of Elephants

I created a positive impact on the global UX community by volunteering with a Nairobi-based non-profit, Internet of Elephants, to conduct concept, field, and beta testing at the Lincoln Park Zoo and in Kenya for a conservation mobile game.

A close up of an elephant's trunk and tusks.

Rockwell Automation

I collaborated with developers, product managers, and client stakeholders to help save Rockwell Automation 3 million hours a year by digitizing a repair and order center as part of the responsive web platform, myRockwellAutomation.

A mockup of the My Equipment dashboard in front of a red background. The dashboard shows a selection of charts and graphs.

My public sector work

For the last 2+ years, I’ve been working in the civic design space, which is incredibly challenging and complex. The only downside to this work is that I can’t really show you much of it here just yet. The projects showcased here are from my client websites and showcase some of the public-facing work I can show you, and I pinky-promise if you get me in a room with you I’ll talk your ear off about everything else. I can also provide my federal resume if requested.

Truss

I’m currently serving as a government contractor designing with clients like the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) to better serve the American public and military.

Code312

I co-led the research and design of the new Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition’s website for Code312 (formerly Code for Chicago) in my free time.