I'm Brendan, and I design digital things for real people. You might have heard it called User Experience (UX) or UI Design, or IX, or CXD or some amalgamation of industry buzzwords.
In plain english: I design software that helps people solve a problem.
This slice of the web is where I show my work, brag about a few things, share some hard lessons, and generally try to inspire other designers to do their best work.
Thanks for stopping by!
AtHome Lite
Learn how I simplified telemedicine access during COVID-19 by designing a simple, point-to-point video solution enabling roughly 3,000 video visits a day.
My Process
Not always in this order
Seek to understand
As a natural skeptic, I push hard into research to investigate a problem. I have two goals: gain context for myself, and gain unity between stakeholders.
- interviews
- competitive analysis
- usability studies
- personas
Gather objective metrics
I look for objective data points to help define success for a project. Sometimes it's goals for more engagement, other times it's goals to reduce costs.
- KPIs
- surveys
- data visualization
- kickoffs meetings
Hypothesize a solution
Based on what is known, I design potential solutions that might solve this problem. Sometimes I get real freaky and build functional prototypes.
- wireframes
- code
- hifi mockups
- pitch decks
Validate with testing
I get feedback, doing more of the good and re-evaluating the bad to iterate on designs. User feedback is ideal, but I still run ideas by other designers as well as the stakeholders.
- A-B testing
- usability labs
- net promotor scores
- happy hours
A Bit About Me
I've been truly blessed to work with some crazy talented people. Genious developers, rockstar designers, inspiring leaders, and patient mentors. I will be forever grateful for the lessons I was able to learn working alongside such fine people. These are some of their kind words about me.
Brendan is a rare combination - a software engineer plus user-experience designer. And he is not just adequate at both, he excels.
Peter Granderson • Developer
Mercy Virtual (2020)
Brendan is extremely passionate about his work, creating/delivering great products, and has great insights. His experience in design thinking and elements, coding, and understanding business value delivery makes him a huge asset to any team.
Alex Courtney • Director
Mercy Virtual (2020)
Brendan has an infectious attitude that leaves you feeling excited to execute on the designs and concepts that he creates. He has also been a great mentor to the design team and has helped to bring them up to speed quickly.
Nicholas Kajok • Staff Engineer
Coolfire Solutions (2019)
Brendan brought strong design skills to our projects together while at Asynchrony. He was able to manage the client relationship and user feedback to build a complete application. Brendan was also quick to jump into technical discussions and gain knowledge and understanding of every aspect of the user experience.
Calvin Cox • Developer
WWT Asynchrony Labs (2018)
His designs clearly articulate the value a user will get out of each interaction with the page. Working with Brendan was a treat. In three days of pairing, we were able to redesign the entire application and put forward a working prototype.
Johnny Steenbergen • Developer
WWT Asynchrony Labs (2017)
Working with Brendan in Mercy Virtual's R&D group was a pleasure. His programming skills were top notch and his personality, drive, and ability to understand the mission was unparalleled. Brendan's eye for design and desire to build usable, yet beautiful interfaces really stood out while we worked together. He was always eager to teach and learn and his leadership kept us on track in our agile environment. Great guy, great developer, great designer, and a pleasure to work with.
Jordan Woerndle • Developer
Mercy Virtual (2020)
Brendan is a talented, thoughtful UX and interaction designer. I am convinced he can learn and master any skill or practice to make himself a UX thought and practice lead.
Kate Chadha • Research Practice Lead
WWT Asynchrony Labs (2017)