Discover
Stakeholder interviews, contextual inquiry, competitive research, accessibility reviews
Product Designer · UX Researcher · Design Engineer
Research-informed product design for complex systems, real users, and measurable decisions.
- Discovery, product strategy, and UX research for ambiguous problems
- Accessible design systems, service pathways, and evidence-based IA
- Prototypes and implementation-aware handoff that help teams ship
Design Philosophy
I use evidence, accessibility, and systems thinking to move teams from uncertainty to clear product decisions.
I believe the best products emerge when research, accessibility, systems thinking, and implementation constraints work together. I use evidence, not assumptions, to frame problems, validate solutions with users, and measure what happens after launch.
How I Work01 02 03 04 05
Define
Journey mapping, affinity mapping, problem framing, Jobs to Be Done
Design
Information architecture, wireframes, interaction design, design systems, prototyping
Validate
Usability testing, accessibility testing, analytics review, iteration
Ship
Design QA, developer handoff, measurement, continuous improvement
Research Methods
Moderated Interviews
Understand motivations, constraints, and decision behavior.
Contextual Inquiry
Observe workflows where product decisions actually happen.
Usability Testing
Validate whether users can complete high-priority tasks.
Accessibility Testing
Evaluate keyboard, screen reader, contrast, and cognitive load issues.
Journey Mapping
Connect user goals, pain points, touchpoints, and opportunities.
Affinity Mapping
Turn messy observations into themes and product priorities.
Heuristic Evaluation
Identify usability risks before they become expensive.
Competitive Analysis
Understand category expectations and differentiation opportunities.
Survey Research
Measure patterns, preferences, and confidence across larger samples.
Information Architecture
Structure content around user intent and task completion.
Benchmarking
Create baselines for quality, usability, and future iteration.
Mixed Methods
Combine qualitative signal with quantitative confidence.
Design Toolkit
Research
UserTestingMazeFableQualtricsAlchemerDovetailUserZoomOptimal Workshop
Design
FigmaFigJamDesign systemsAuto LayoutVariablesInteractive componentsPrototyping
AI
ClaudeChatGPTGeminiCursorGitHub CopilotFigma Make
Implementation
ReactNext.jsTypeScriptTailwindSupabasePostgreSQLVercelSanity CMS
AI accelerates synthesis, prototyping, content strategy, and design exploration. Product judgment, accessibility standards, and user evidence still drive the decisions.
Selected Work
JourneyLite Healthcare Platform
Designed and built a healthcare ecosystem spanning patient education, content operations, AI-assisted publishing, commerce, localization, and admin workflows.
- Problem
- Patients and staff were navigating fragmented healthcare, LMS, CMS, and commerce workflows.
- Research
- Journey mapping, accessibility review, competitive analysis, content audit.
- Solution
- Unified patient education, CMS publishing, LMS, Shopify, localization, and admin workflows.
- Role
- Product design, UX research, design systems, prototyping
Journey mappingAccessibility reviewIADesign systems
View Case Study 
Veterinary Medical Center
Designed and developed a multi-location veterinary care platform that grew daily traffic from under 5–10 visits to 50+ and became a meaningful recruiting signal.
- Problem
- Pet owners needed clearer appointment, service, location, and trust pathways across two clinics.
- Research
- Legacy audit, local SEO review, accessibility findings, patient task analysis.
- Solution
- Goal-based IA, new-patient pathways, service pages, location routing, and care CTAs.
- Role
- Product strategy, IA, UX design, validation
Content auditTask analysisLocal SEOAccessibility
View Case Study 
Dr. Ron Elliott, DMD
Led a patient acquisition and care discovery platform focused on trust, service discoverability, local SEO, conversion UX, and scalable content systems.
- Problem
- Prospective patients needed to understand services, credibility, and next steps without dense dental jargon.
- Research
- Patient intent mapping, service pathway audit, competitive review, SEO analysis.
- Solution
- Service discovery model, patient archetypes, CTA hierarchy, and reusable content patterns.
- Role
- Product design, research synthesis, prototyping
Intent mappingCompetitive reviewWireframesCTA hierarchy
View Case Study 
Kelly Baker Curry Therapy Platform
Designed and developed a calm therapy care discovery platform with service pathways, local SEO, privacy-conscious intake, and a six-step consultation flow.
- Problem
- People evaluating therapy needed a lower-pressure way to understand fit, logistics, and care options.
- Research
- Service journey mapping, privacy review, local search review, consultation-flow modeling.
- Solution
- Calm service IA, fee/logistics transparency, and a structured consultation request flow.
- Role
- Product design, UX writing, service flow design
Journey mappingContent strategyService designForm UX
View Case Study 
Research Highlights
Enterprise UX researchAccessibility researchHealthcare productsMixed-methods researchConcept testingSurvey programmingDesign systemsProduction productsUsability studiesHealthcare platformsFortune 100 brands supportedContinuous product measurement
Research
Research isn't a phase.
It's a habit.
I use mixed methods — usability tests, contextual inquiry, benchmarking, accessibility audits — to reduce assumption-driven decisions before they become expensive ones. Research shapes every stage, not just the beginning.
Accessibility
Accessibility improves products
for everyone.
CPACC certified. DHS Trusted Tester trained. Fable-tested with real disabled users. Accessibility isn't a compliance checkbox — it's the clearest signal that a product was actually designed for real people, and it improves conversion for everyone.
About Me
I started college at 15 and haven't stopped building since.
I'm Silas — a Cincinnati-born product designer, UX researcher, and design engineer. I came up through UC's Early IT program, completed 75 college credit hours before graduating high school, and still get most excited when research, systems, accessibility, and code meet in one real product.
Read About MeExperience
Building products across healthcare, retail, research, and education.
Freelance & Contract
May 2026 - Present
Cincinnati, OH · Remote · Contract
In DevelopmentDigital Experience Developer
JourneyLite Physicians
Rebuilt JourneyLite's legacy WordPress platform into a modern React/Next.js healthcare ecosystem spanning a public-facing website, headless Shopify store, custom patient education LMS, admin dashboard, and Sanity CMS.
- Designed and engineered the full platform: Next.js, React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Sanity CMS, Supabase/PostgreSQL, Shopify, Vercel
- Replaced WordPress/LearnPress with a custom in-house LMS: account creation, course enrollment, progress tracking, quizzes, certificates
- Migrated 451 legacy healthcare blog articles from WordPress, preserving metadata, categories, authors, imagery, and internal links
- Built Gemini-powered AI tools for blog generation, SEO metadata, multilingual translation, and LMS course creation
- Owned UX/UI strategy, architecture, database design, migration, testing, deployment, and ongoing maintenance
Digital Experience Developer
Veterinary Medical Center of Fort Thomas
Led end-to-end redevelopment of a multi-location veterinary website from legacy WordPress/PHP/ACF to a modern Next.js 16, TypeScript, Sanity CMS, PostgreSQL platform.
- Executed production migration to nky.vet with permanent redirects, canonical URLs, dynamic sitemaps, and technical SEO safeguards
- Developed 20+ geo-targeted landing pages for Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati-area search visibility
- Built custom multi-clinic workflows for live chat, location routing, appointment requests, and patient portal access
- Implemented conversion-focused pipelines for appointment booking, new patient registration, analytics tracking, and lead measurement
Digital Experience Developer
Dr. Ron Elliott, DMD
Research-led redesign and Next.js build for a patient-first dental experience focused on trust, local SEO, service discovery, and conversion-focused engineering.
- Led UX research synthesis, information architecture, design system, Figma prototyping, and front-end development
- Built service cards, trust signals, local SEO templates, and appointment pathways organized around patient intent
- Shipped live at drronelliott.com with scalable CMS content models and Claude-assisted design acceleration
Digital Experience Developer
Kelly Baker Curry, LCSW
Designed and developed a calm therapy care discovery platform with service pathways, local SEO, privacy-conscious intake, and a structured consultation request flow.
- Built a responsive Next.js site for therapy service discovery and consultation requests
- Structured service pathways for individuals, couples, families, and co-parenting needs
- Designed a low-pressure intake flow with clearer expectations around fees, location, and privacy
Full-time & Internships
Nov 2025 - Present
Chicago, IL · Remote
Platform Research Specialist
Verified Voices (Instant Survey)NumeratorFull-time
Led advanced QA and end-to-end survey research within the Verified Voices platform, supporting clients representing 54% of the Fortune 100 and 80 of the top 100 CPG brands across the U.S. and Canada.
- Architected complex survey instruments using display logic, conditional rendering, randomization, rotation, blocking, piping, and embedded data
- Programmed advanced sampling strategies using calibrated first-party panel data with quota groups, nested quotas, incidence controls, and cross-panel execution
- Supported quantitative methodologies: TURF, MaxDiff, monadic and sequential monadic testing, and complex concept evaluation
Jan 2025 - Dec 2025
Cincinnati, OH · Hybrid
UX Researcher
Customer Experience & AccessibilityKrogerInternship
Led enterprise UX research across 8 product verticals supporting $10B+ in annual e-commerce revenue and research standards for 200+ designers and PMs.
- Longitudinal cart and delivery research defining success metrics, baselines, and trend analyses
- Established enterprise accessibility research standards using WCAG 2.1, Fable-powered testing, and usability sessions with disabled users
- Co-led proof-of-concept evaluations for Maze and emerging research tooling
May 2024 - Jan 2025
Cincinnati, OH · On-site
Full-Stack Developer & UX/Product Designer
UC Information Technology Solution CenterFull-time
Rebuilt the Student Data Privacy Consortium platform, replacing manual compliance workflows with a modern full-stack product.
- Built React, TypeScript, shadcn/ui frontend patterns with WCAG 2.1 AA considerations
- Developed C# ASP.NET Core microservices with RBAC, audit logging, contract lifecycle management, and SQL Server
- Integrated with the SDPC Resource Registry for state and national compliance alignment
Apr 2023 - May 2024
Cincinnati, OH · On-site
Shift Supervisor -> Barista
StarbucksFull-time
Led end-to-end shift operations for a high-volume store, promoted from Barista to Shift Supervisor in 6 months, and named Partner of the Quarter.
- Owned staffing, floor deployment, inventory control, ordering, cash accountability, and labor compliance
- Supervised and coached baristas through real-time feedback, skills training, and corrective coaching
- Partner of the Quarter, nominated and elected by fellow partners
Nov 2019 - Apr 2023
Remote
3D Asset Designer & Game Content Creator
FiverrFreelance
Delivered 200+ commissioned 3D game assets for Roblox, Minecraft, and indie game clients worldwide with a 5.0 rating.
- Modeled low-poly and high-poly assets with PBR texturing, UV unwrapping, and optimized topology
- Developed modular asset packs enabling clients to accelerate content pipelines
- Consulted on gameplay aesthetics, art direction, and UX to align visual design with mechanics and audience expectations
Leadership & Academic
Dec 2024 - Present
Cincinnati, OH · Hybrid
Chapter Vice President
National Society of Leadership and SuccessAcademic
Led strategic outreach, marketing, and technical operations for the UC chapter of the nation's largest accredited leadership honor society.
- Built the chapter communications pipeline across Mailchimp, listserv systems, and automated outreach
- Designed email marketing achieving 86% open rates and 54% click-through rates using variables, segmentation, and automation
- Engineered Power Automate workflows for event registration, RSVP tracking, follow-ups, and sentiment surveys
Aug 2025 - May 2026
Cincinnati, OH · On-site
Resident Advisor - Living Learning Community
University of CincinnatiAcademic
Led a residential community of 25+ first-year students in a mixed LLC/non-LLC environment focused on belonging, academic growth, and student success.
- Engineered an automated onboarding system using Power Automate
- Designed and executed community programs with strong attendance
- Facilitated conflict mediation through the Thomas-Kilmann framework and design thinking principles
Credentials
Accessibility, project delivery, and federal testing certified.
CPACCCertified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies
CAPMCertified Associate in Project Management
Trusted TesterDHS Trusted Tester
Education
MSMaster of Science in Information TechnologyUniversity of CincinnatiJuly 2025 to May 2027GPA 4.0- BSBachelor of Science in Software Application DevelopmentUniversity of CincinnatiMay 2025 to May 2027GPA 3.95
- BSBachelor of Science in Information Technology, Data TechnologiesUniversity of CincinnatiAugust 2022 to May 2027GPA 3.95
- MinorMinor in PsychologyUniversity of Cincinnati College of Arts and SciencesAugust 2024 to May 2027
HSHigh School DiplomaClark Montessori High SchoolInformation Technology, University of Cincinnati Early IT ProgramCompleted before UC undergraduate continuationGPA 3.95 / 5.4
Honors & Awards
- HCF Scholarship RecipientIssued by HCF Scholarship Fund · Jul 2025Associated with University of Cincinnati
- Continuing Impact Award ScholarshipIssued by The National Society of Leadership & Success · May 2025Associated with University of Cincinnati
National NSLS scholarship recognizing leadership, academic achievement, and sustained commitment to positive social impact.
- University Honors ScholarIssued by University of Cincinnati Honors Program · Aug 2024Associated with University of Cincinnati
Admitted directly into the University Honors Program, a selective honors community for top incoming undergraduates.
- Ohio Governors Merit Scholarship RecipientIssued by Ohio Department of Higher Education · May 2024Associated with University of Cincinnati
Awarded through Ohio’s merit scholarship program for high-achieving students pursuing higher education in-state.
- Marian Spencer Scholar RecipientIssued by University of Cincinnati · Jan 2024Associated with University of Cincinnati
Full-cost-of-attendance scholarship for high-achieving Cincinnati Public Schools students with demonstrated leadership and community impact.
- Dean’s List - College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Information TechnologyIssued by University of Cincinnati · May 2022Associated with University of Cincinnati
Dean’s List, Fall 2022 to present.
- Clark Montessori A Honor RollIssued by Clark Montessori High School · Aug 2020Associated with Clark Montessori High School
Currently looking for the right design and research team.
I work across product design and UX research, using evidence, accessibility, and systems thinking to make product decisions clearer. Open to full-time product design and UX research roles.