Hi, I'm Deborah Dennis.

I’m a Lead User Experience Designer and UX Mentor

with over two decades of professional experience in

Product Design & Development and Photography.

What I Do

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like.

Design is how it works”

– Steve Jobs.

WHO I AM

I am curious, creative and collaborative.

I’m a UX designer who brings thoughts, ideas, and people together to build things.

I build relationships & collaborate cross-functionally with integrated product teams, and inspire thought-provoking creative work.

Lead User Experience (UX) Designer

I believe that USER Experience Design is most successful when multi-disciplinary teams collaborate and have a shared holistic vision for what a product or service will be from the end user’s perspective. When I join your company’s team, I will help create the UX strategy based on ideas and outcomes that most effectively meet both user and business goals. Then I will lead the user experience strategy making sure that all design decisions map back to a vision that is supported by research and that has defined success criteria.

I’m a UX design expert currently working remotely with high level clients via TopTal, a global network of freelance experts. I am excellent at time management, client communication and quickly understanding project goals and expected deliverables. My TopTal consulting jobs have required me to jump quickly into the deep end of the pool and start swimming then be able to act on and deliver what the clients need based on their schedules.

Before TopTal, In my last 3 in-house roles at Visa, Basis & Intel, my role was Lead UX Designer. Each design team had 5-10 UX/UI/Visual Designers. As the Lead Designer in charge of the UX, I was embedded on cross-functional teams typically with a product manager, marketing lead and engineers depending on the project. I worked hand-in-hand with teammates on reviews and critiques but mainly interacted daily with the product teams and stakeholders.

UX Mentor

In-House Mentor & Career Coach for Aspiring (mostly young women) UX Designers at the 6 month intensive DesignLab UX Academy. I help them prepare to understand the challenges, rewards and nuances of everyday life as a designer.

• I provide valuable critiques, feedback and real world situations on their creative exercises in the UX Academy.
• I help them prepare and understand the challenges, rewards and nuances of everyday life as a designer.
• I share my real world insights, guidance and stories from my 20+ years of having successfully navigated being a woman, a designer, and an entrepreneur in the tech world of Silicon Valley.
• I coach, motivate and inspire them to find their strengths and understand their weaknesses.
• My number one goal is to get them to “think like a designer”. By having empathy for a user’s problems they start to understand where the solutions will happen.

User Researcher

I typically provide UX Research with most of my projects. My goal is to reveal what the users need by conducting research which explores user behavior, motivation and desires. I am looking for opportunities that the Product team typically doesn’t see from their business needs perspectives.

Check out a User Testing Session at Dermalogica for their Face Mapping Skin Analysis Mobile App

In my UX Researcher role, I look to inspire thoughtful data driven changes at all stages of the product’s development through the delivery of written, oral, and visual presentations about my findings. UX Research is crucial in assisting the entire User Experience (UX) team in their understanding of the user’s experience in creating products that are more intuitive, fun, accessible, and sometimes magical.

MY UX DESIGN PROCESS

Design is about solving problems that users face.

If we’re not designing with a user in mind, then there is no problem to be solved.

Learn More

MY LATEST WORK

CASE STUDY: Enterprise Condition Monitoring SaaS Web App

CASE STUDY: mVisa Mobile App for Push Payments

CASE STUDY: UX Design for a Web App for Wearables Analytics

CASE STUDY: E-Commerce Fashion Mobile App

See More Work

RECOMMENDATIONS

I’ve worked with some fabulous colleagues and clients.
Some of them were kind enough to write recommendations on LinkedIn – I’ve included a few here:

“It’s rare that you come across designers like Deb. She not only has an amazing personality, she’s also a great design mentor. Her passion for UX/UI design is inspirational and she’s always active in the community. Design seems to come perfectly natural to her. Deb is the best mentor I have ever had and I am very thankful she has been a part of my life. She would be an asset to any design team and I would wholeheartedly recommend her any day!”

ANGELA DON

Product Designer, PRO Unlimited , Facebook

“Deb is an experienced interaction designer who is a good collaborator, detailed oriented, and delivers quality work. At Visa, Deb was extremely flexible in contributing with what the project needed at every point: For several months, she drove the communications with Product and Technology while maintaining the detailed design specs. Her calm and consistent approach were critical in providing stability and continuity to the project.”

Miguel Lunaparra

UX Director, Visa

“Deborah is an exceedingly knowledgeable and experienced User Experience Designer. She is equally adept at both big picture, and fine detail work. I have enjoyed working alongside her, and learning from her while at Intel. While here, I have watched her take the reigns on floundering project, organize with stakeholders and team members, and provide the necessary leadership and skills put the project on track for timely client delivery. On a interpersonal level – she is a great listener and learner, with a wonderfully calming demeanor.”

Samantha F. Ingram

Senior UX Designer - New Devices Group, Wrist Worn Wearables Division, Intel Corporation

More Recommendations

SOME COMPANIES I’VE WORKED WITH

I’ve worked with major Silicon Valley brands on down to small startups.

Check out my recent work.

MORE CREATIVE PARTS OF ME

Entrepreneur

Co-Founder & COO @World Village

As a startup entrepreneur, I designed a robust B2B SaaS application from the ground up for a vacation rental property e-commerce management platform. I created the entire suite of deliverables, including the information architecture, product features, wireframes, interactive high fidelity mockups, visual design & usability testing with clients.

Multimedia Storyteller

I made this film at the Santa Fe Workshops with instructor and National Geographic Photographer and Filmmaker, Amy Vitale.

Our project was to find a subject, create a storyline, record the video, stills and audio and then craft everything into a story.

This film was completed in 4 1/2 days.

Watch it here: Gaia Gardens, An Urban Farm in the Heart of New Mexico

Photographer

I have tracked black rhinos, chased lions in the Okavango Delta, rafted down the Zambezi River, hiked up Machu Picchu, got lost in rain forests in Thailand, dove the Great White Wall in Fiji, sea kayaked in Baja, & raced outrigger canoes in British Columbia to get my photographs.

GOOD DESIGN IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS >>

I am a designer who listens intently to users, has empathy for their lives and problems and who works with deliberate intention to solve their issues with compassion, grace and skill. I am consumed with finding answers to the questions I ask, like an investigative journalistic or an archeologist delving into the nooks and crannies of life. I am a consummate learner who is curious about understanding why things work the way they do and how on earth we can make them better, more efficient and overall a happier and more delightful experience.

USER CENTERED DESIGN >>

My goal is to design & produce products that look great, and are easy & compelling to use. I design all of our web and mobile apps to load quickly, have a beautiful and functional design and are easy to navigate. Before I even build a concept of what your product will look like, I take the time to carefully listen to your needs. Based on our communications you with, I develop your product around your targeted goals. With a lot of happy clients, I look forward to providing you with the same quality service.