Hi! I’m Marcus

Fitness enthusiast, unofficial foodie, talk show host aspirant, and travel extraordinaire

As a UX researcher and instructional/learning experience designer “bi-professional,” I advocate for users of diverse backgrounds and stories to ensure that their experiences navigating technologies is equally considered and valued.

After living abroad for a little over five years across Argentina, Spain, The Netherlands, and South Africa, I bring my international background and intercultural relationship building to the forefront of my research and design process. I’m passionate about honing my practice and craft as a user researcher and learning designer, while bringing the perspectives of underrepresented researchers to the table to enhance products and services.

Education

Masters of Science in Information (MSI) - Human-Computer Interaction

Masters of Public Policy (MPP)

Bachelors of Art (BA) in Anthropology and Spanish

My Professional Philosophy

Learning is happening everywhere

Many people don’t realize this, but everytime a researcher shares research findings or has meetings with stakeholders, in a lot of ways they’re holding mini-class room sessions. This means that it’s equally important to think about how people learning as is it to reflect on your research findings.

Cultivating relationships is the key to success...most of the time

When engaging in stakeholders, I don’t just want to know who the movers and shakers of a company/entity/partner are but who also supports them. A human component of organizational psychology is connected to UX research. This can make a world of a difference with building empathy for your stakeholders and understanding UX challenges.

Iteration, iteration...oh and did I mention iteration?

User experience design and research are iterative practices. There’s always an opportunity to review finding, conduct new experiences, revisit findings with more insight and knowledge; and do it again and again. This is equally applicable to LXD. Why does this matter? Because the context of our world changes and this results in new user needs, motivations, and behaviors.

Context adds nuance

Mobile apps, websites,...heck even furniture, do not exist in a vacuum. They live and exists in the context of the world. To improve features, designs, usability, and accessibility I always observe and engage in some level of ethnography.