Field Notes & Insight Samples

Selected narrative studies from across sectors—designed to reveal how systems feel, not just how they function.

1. Empowerment by Design: Usability Testing for RootED NWA
Sector: Nonprofit / Education / Civic Tech
Focus: Evaluating a nonprofit’s website experience for immigrant parents navigating public education systems

*"This study explored how non-native English speakers interact with the RootED NWA website, which aims to connect under-resourced families with educational options. Through usability testing, interviews, and a System Usability Scale (SUS) survey, we uncovered structural and language barriers that undermined the organization’s mission of accessibility and empowerment."

Key insight: even strong mission-driven content fails without clear information architecture and intuitive user flows. Our work revealed how confusion around navigation, mislabeled links, and non-functional pages actively worked against user trust and conversion.*

Deliverables: 10-page report + actionable UX redesign recs
Impact: Used by RootED stakeholders to inform full site overhaul

2. Teaching Financial Literacy Through UX: Class Equity Student Portal Redesign
Sector: EdTech / K–12 / UX Research
Focus: Redesigning a classroom economy platform for middle school students to promote engagement and understanding

*"Class Equity helps teachers simulate real-world financial systems in the classroom—but its student-facing portal was falling short. Our team conducted user interviews, usability testing, and secondary research to identify pain points in the student experience. We proposed major updates including goal tracking, budgeting visuals, responsive design improvements, and a simplified navigation system tailored for ages 10–15."

We grounded our design decisions in developmental psychology and insights from educators, advocating for a more engaging, empowering platform that doesn't just reward behavior, but teaches long-term financial skills.*

Deliverables: Heuristic analysis, new site map, mid-fi & hi-fi prototypes
Impact: Informed roadmap for future feature rollout; validated by client and teacher stakeholder

3. Ground Crew: Reclaiming the History of Women in Arizona Aviation
Sector: Museum / Public History / Cultural Research
Focus: Uncovering and documenting the overlooked contributions of women aviators and aviation workers in Arizona

*"Through archival research, primary source analysis, and narrative synthesis, this study traced a rich lineage of women who shaped Arizona's aviation history—from parachuting performers in 1890 to WWII flight instructors and beyond. The work exposed gaps in institutional memory and gave overdue recognition to figures erased from dominant narratives."

This research resulted in the first published article on the topic and was adapted into a 6-month museum exhibition featuring stories, images, and artifacts from the field.

Deliverables: 9-page academic article + exhibit text and structure
Impact: Shifted curatorial direction and filled a crucial historical gap in Arizona aviation heritage