Hello, my name is

Rachel Vickery

UX Designer with strong skills in research analysis and design strategy

A Little More About Me…

I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Informatics with an emphasis in User Experience Design and a minor in Entrepreneurship at the University of Texas at Austin (Hook ‘em!). Set to graduate in December 2024, I am eager to embark on a career in research, design strategy, or product design. My passion for learning and creativity drew me to user experience design, where I found a unique blend of the two which allows me to make a meaningful impact through my work.

Outside of my academic and professional pursuits, I enjoy spending time outdoors and actively engaging with my community. I've also recently taken up pottery, a hobby I started while recovering from knee surgery, which has provided me with a new creative outlet. Although I’m not very good, it has been fun to challenge myself to be creative in different parts of my life and have patience while I grow my skills! To the left you will see the first recognizable bowl that I made in the final day of my 6-week class.

A question I get a lot…

What is User Experience Design & Research?

User experience (UX) design and research go hand-in-hand in creating user-friendly products and interfaces. UX Design specifically involves planning and crafting visual designs and interactions to enhance the usability of products for users. Meanwhile, UX Research involves gathering data on user needs and behaviors through methods like interviews and user testing to inform design decisions, ensuring that products meet user expectations.

An Overview of My Courses

  • In this course, I learned foundational knowledge, methods, and skills for designing human-centered user experiences around interactive systems. I became familiar with user research, concept generation, design methods, user evaluation, team collaboration, communicating design rationales, and presenting compelling narratives. I applied design knowledge to create effective user experiences, evaluated design solutions with peers and users, and gained experience in solving problems as part of a team.

  • In this course, I focused on the unique design practices of representing and organizing information to facilitate perception and understanding, known as information architecture, and specifying the appropriate mechanisms for accessing and manipulating task and play information, known as interaction design. I also explored design patterns that are essential for UX professionals.

  • In this course, I gained a deep understanding of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to the A11y movement of 2017, through historical case studies that helped build empathy. I also learned about the legal requirements and detailed WCAG guidelines essential for fair digital access, and had hands-on sessions with assistive technology that provided practical experience in testing and designing accessible digital products.

  • In the first half of this course, I was introduced to research within Informatics, exploring its definition, applications, and potential for social good. The second half focused on research methodology, teaching me how research is conducted using qualitative and quantitative methods, and how these processes fit together to address challenges and solutions by applying human-centered values to information, data, and technology.

  • In this hands-on course, I developed an understanding of applying UX principles to physical objects, learning methodologies and techniques for evaluating physical designs. I applied anthropometric data to ensure accessibility across user demographics, created low-fidelity physical designs from predefined constraints, developed study protocols for evaluation and iteration, and presented my projects to justify design decisions and share my design journey. This course prepared me for conducting user research on physical experiences through qualitative and quantitative research and iterative design.

  • I explored the intersection of data science and human-centered design, emphasizing the pivotal role of design choices in algorithmic outcomes. Through hands-on practice with Python and SQL, we gained proficiency in fundamental data science principles while addressing crucial topics like research ethics, bias mitigation, and transparency. Ultimately, the course equipped us with the skills and awareness needed to navigate data-driven decision-making responsibly in a complex societal landscape.