Design for complex, high-stakes products.
Bringing clarity and buildable logic to complex systems is my wheelhouse.
I tailor human-centered and goal-specific experiences for an endless variety of industries and verticals, from mission critical projects for the DoD and defense primes and healthcare to simulations for drones, games and real-world training; from immersive spatial platforms to the myriad of initiatives deployed by enterprise and startups. I work with agencies, founders and directly with clients. I build teams, create flexible processes, empower interdisciplinary practitioners, and champion the user all through the lens of relentlessly delivering value and extending business vision and purpose.
What it’s like to work with me
A few quotes from my recent co-workers, managers, peers and clients.
“Carolyn is the unexpected, the non-traditional. She is my secret weapon. She is beyond skilled at breaking down complex projects into user-centered experiences. She is a master at architecting systems and flows that reduce friction while increasing efficiency and productivity. She stands out from the crowd with her rare ability to think futuristically and outside the box to really push boundaries. She’s reliable, creative and a joy to work with. She knows her stuff like no other.”
“Carolyn was the Information Architect for the design phase of a workflow automation and calendaring tool for Disney. Her expertise and commitment to delivering high quality work was a huge asset to the project. She always maintained a positive "can do" attitude throughout the effort, even during challenging times. I would definitely choose to work with her again if given the opportunity!”
“I’ve worked with Carolyn at a few places now [Blitz, NcSoft, Meta Co.], and it’s always a pleasure. She’s a consummate pro with a laser-focus on users and their needs. If you have a complex problem to solve, Carolyn has the skill and experience to find the solution. Quickly, and correctly. Lots of people can throw together some polished wireframes, but what’s far more important is the subtle thinking that goes into the experience. You need deep focus on the complexities to make the overall experience simple. She is hard-wired to think through every problem with that kind of nuance. The UX mindset is something you can’t train into someone. It’s just there or it’s not. So if you have a chance to hire Carolyn, you should close your browser right now and go do just that. Highest recommendation.”
“Carolyn’s work is meticulous, and her designs are innovative. She not only takes the time to understand the product she is producing for, but she obviously understands the technology and innovations that go into making it work effectively. Working with Carolyn on a day to day basis couldn’t be easier. She is very in tune with the needs of end users, and delivers a product and design that makes final implementation exceptionally easy. I look forward to working with Carolyn again in the future.”
“First let me say that Carolyn’s wireframes are really quite elegant – beautifully done, refreshingly clear, and a pleasure to gaze upon. I used to be national vp of ux for rare medium. I’ve seen a lot of wireframes. 🙂” [Project: BioWare wireframes for SEO]
“I’ve seen her take the most convoluted and complicated projects and create documentation that is not only understandable, but actionable by every member of the team. She is always open to collaboration and always willing to listen, but also comes to the table with a plan. She’s not someone who will meekly accept your thoughts but will challenge ALL your assumptions on a project, making the end product not just good, but excellent. I count Carolyn as a mentor and colleague who is reliable and professional. She is one of the most skilled UX professionals I’ve ever encountered.”
“Carolyn was the first design leader I’d come across in 10 years who passionately advocated for accessibility design, development, and testing. That’s when I knew she was a leader who wouldn’t cut corners. She brought out the best in our production teams. What’s most memorable is her ability to bridge the gaps between design and development. She spearheaded a weekly educational 3D skills workshop, inspiring programmers to create experiences, assets and worlds for our product — for context, we worked together at Cavrnus, a PaaS company focused on collaborative spatial interaction for enterprise and creative/development tooling.
She always found ways to encourage quality design within the company. She was great, and I’d be more than happy to work with her again.”
“I worked with Carolyn for more than a year at Meta Co. HQ. We conducted many HCI-UX research projects together. Carolyn is an incredible blend of unleashed creativity and analytical, detail-oriented UX expertise. During the period we worked together she immediately mastered the uncharted territory of AR-UX and designed incredible experiences. I couldn’t have had better luck in finding a colleague whose expert advice, always delivered with a smile, got me on board at twice the speed I would ever have expected.”
“Carolyn was instrumental in jumping in and helping us create a brand new MySpace Games experience. She was able to quickly understand the business problem, details of the product and to provide ideas and designs for how to achieve our goals. Very professional with her timeliness, documentation organization and collaborative nature.”
“Carolyn is one of the best designers I’ve ever worked with. She has an amazing eye for detail and aesthetics. Every time we work together I’m stunned by her creativity and enthusiasm. Her unique ideas and concepts puts her at the top of my list for Most Creative Person EVER.”
“Carolyn is an extremely personable and passionate lady! Her incredible attention to detail makes her brilliant at her job...she possesses the uncanny ability of being able to translate the technical into a very easy to understand visual experience. It has been pleasure to work with Carolyn during this time and I look forward to much more!”
“I had the pleasure of working with Carolyn in the early days of Meta Co. She helped us conceive of a whole new way of interacting with technology through augmented reality. She is great at synthesizing input from stakeholders into a UX strategy, and she is one of a small number of people who understand 3D user interfaces and how the digital and physical worlds meet in AR. I’d love to work with her again.”
“I hired Carolyn for the creation of multimedia DVD presentations that are looped in my plastic surgery waiting room and exam rooms. I cannot even begin to say what a positive effect her product has made. My patients get into a very relaxed mood while watching them, relieving the stress of seeing a physician. The ability Carolyn has in making images appear to be moving when they actually are not is amazing. Not a day goes by where a patient does not comment on the presentations, asking who made it and where they can buy it. Her dedication to a project is enviable. Once the initial meeting about thoughts for the project was completed, she launched and was back in an amazingly short time with a first edit. The final project surpassed my expectations, even after seeing the first edit. The movement and images are so mesmerizing that patients still, after seeing at least portions of the presentation are still caught staring at the screens when I come into the room. This woman is a gem of a talent and I cannot say anything else but, have her do your project. You will only regret you did not ask her sooner!”
“Carolyn is the most organized and creative UX I’ve worked with. She always suggests scenarios and questions that no one else has thought of, and I always feel confident with a project when she’s involved. She’s always composed under pressure – a rare trait in interactive. I can’t wait to work with her again!”