Hi there!
I'm Em (they/them), an experience designer in San Francisco. I foster a sense of belonging and empowerment through technology by creating equitable, ethical, accessible, and humanizing experiences. I build products with users, rather than for them, by grounding decisions in research that includes diverse perspectives. I bring users' stories to the forefront of product development by communicating complex ideas in understandable and accessible ways. I value transparency, curiosity, intention, and exploration.
I'm currently a Staff Experience Designer at Adobe and focus on inclusion for the global creative community.
Previously, I founded Workday's Inclusive Design team to help product teams build equitable, accessible and ethical experiences for millions of workers around the world.
Before that, I was at Google, working on accessibility and inclusion for users in developing areas.
When I'm not mentoring design students or discussing ethics and philosophy, I'm often at my studio making ceramics. Less often, I'm spinning DJ sets on rooftops around the Bay Area.
Questions? Fan mail? Just want to say hello? Send me an email!
Recent Stuff
From hackathon concept to beta release: How Adobe Premiere Pro Generative Extend was created
Read Article
Ethics, Equity and Inclusive Design
Guest lecture for "Design, People, and Society" course for Interaction Design Master's students. Discussed philosophies behind equitable design and research, tactics and strategies for implemention and had an engaged Q&A.
Finding Myself in Clay: How Ceramics Shaped My Life
A presntation to 150+ members of Adobe's Design team about my lifelong journey of creating ceramics and pottery.
Challenging Experience Assumptions through Inclusive Research
The authors of "A Practical Guide to Inclusive Research" chat about the formation of the guide, and what the research community can learn from it.
Inclusive Design Advocacy: A Guide to Navigating Tough Conversations
Read Essay
Baking Accessibility into Design at Workday
Watch Talk
Guidelines for Writing Alt-Text and Non-Text Content Labels
Read Resource
Communicating Complex Ideas With Comics
More than superheros and jokes, comics are a tool we can use to communicate complex ideas in a fun and easy to understand way. 40 participants including designers, researchers, managers.
Power of One for Everyone: Will Accessibility Make My Design Ugly?
What is accessibilty, why does it matter and how can I include it in my work? Jenny Bae and I share answers with 100+ designers.
Comics & UX Workshop
A hands-on introduction to comic theory, structure, content, and practical applications of comics in UX work. 20 participants including designers and developers.
