Research and Strategy That Drove Change
Untangling the Message: Strategy and Systems Thinking Improve Communication for Veterans
The Problem:
Inconsistent naming conventions confused Veterans using Secure Messaging.
My Approach:
Conducted discovery research
Strategized a scalable solution using existing systems
Advocated across two years of stakeholder hesitation
The Result:
The solution was implemented and validated, helping Veterans message the right provider faster.
Turning Research Into Results: Saving Lives with Strategic UX
The Problem:
Veterans were missing or misunderstanding mental health crisis guidance in Secure Messaging.
My Approach:
Spotted the issue during usability testing
Faced stakeholder hesitation about using direct crisis language
Partnered with the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) to align messaging with clinical standards
Designed and tested an interstitial with Veterans, including those using assistive tech
The Result:
The new flow launched with minimal drop-off and thousands of Veterans using the support link with no usability loss, and stakeholder confidence secured.
Research That Elevated Accessibility
Building an Accessibility Research Practice: Advancing Inclusive UX
The Problem:
Legacy My HealtheVet tools lacked accessibility, preventing some Veterans from managing their own care.
My Approach:
Built a scalable accessibility research framework across three modernized health products
Embedded testing with assistive technology and/or cognitive disability users into every study
Advocated for accessibility as an integrated part of UX research, not an afterthought
The Result:
Established an accessibility research practice that informed design, improved usability for disabled Veterans, and influenced how accessibility is approached across the VA UX community.
Data That Drove Design
From Dashboards to Decisions: Powering Product Strategy with Data
The Problem:
Product teams lacked visibility into how Veterans were using VA.gov tools. Metrics expired after 30 days, making it difficult to track patterns or measure improvements over time.
My Approach:
Partnered with engineers to implement sustainable tracking using Datadog
Created dashboards that translated raw metrics into meaningful, visual insights
Developed a custom tagging system for qualitative feedback and trained a GPT model to automate analysis
The Result:
Established a scalable analytics framework that surfaced real-time usability issues, informed design decisions, and empowered teams to act on data, not assumptions.
Current Work
Informing Access, Readiness, and Next Steps in VA’s Identity Modernization
The Problem:
VA’s identity modernization requires migrating hundreds of apps to new providers. Without clear visibility into user dependencies or partner readiness, critical systems risk downtime and access loss.
My Approach:
Conducted rapid-turn research to map authentication flows and identify at-risk applications
Delivered access findings and recommendations within one week to meet contract deadlines
Led pre-migration interviews with application partners to understand readiness, barriers, and support needs
The Result:
Informed key decisions that safeguarded access and strengthened partner readiness.
Enabled a smooth transition by aligning research, engineering, and policy teams around shared insight.