A little about me. I’m a DC Native with a solid management and UI/UX design background. I graduated with honors (with a BFA) from Virginia Commonwealth University and proudly set out to start my career as a commercial artist and designer in 1998. I received my certification in Usability (CUA) in 2009, followed by my certification in User Experience Design (CXA) in 2014 from Human Factors International.
I became passionate about UI/UX and product development over the years, stemming from my experience managing teams and functionally supporting various web development and multimedia related projects in all stages during
the project development life cycle.
I enjoy participating in cross-disciplinary activities that focus around the user-centered mindset that result in a successful product for the company and the client. Solving challenging projects and process improvement are important to me, and I feel are essential to continue contributing and adapting as an expert in the industry.
I enjoy working with inspirational people on projects that have a positive impact on the world and strive to
make life a little better for everyone.
Drop me a line to say hello if you'd like!
Blogs I've Written
Responsive Design: Getting Started
How to Manage Your Client’s Web Design Expectations
An Explanation of Segue’s User-Centered Design Process
What is Usability and Why is it Important to Application Development?
What is Persona Development and Why is it Important?
Getting the Most Out of User Experience and Design Support?
Using Task Analysis to Prioritize Content in Responsive Design
Heuristic Reviews: Methodology and Purposes Explained
Recommendations
Dana is an incredible asset to have on any IT project team (web/mobile platforms specifically), which rely heavily on User Experience and User Interface strategy and tactical design solutions. Dana is second to none, at least in my experience of over 35 years in solution's development, in creativity, team interaction, professionalism, and having a keen awareness of what works and what does not! She is also remarkably adept at User Testing procedures and is fully skilled in overseeing this necessary IT component or tackling the test execution on her own. As the EVP of Segue Technologies, I cannot express enough the importance of Dana's role on a majority of our projects. For the past 2 years she has supported a very complex and customer-facing product offering we have deployed called Caring Village, which I am also the CEO for. She has been magnificent in providing valuable recommendations and guidance to me and the entire team. I HIGHLY recommend her to anyone seeking a key design and UX professional to their IT team. She is simply an extraordinary professional!
Mike Behrmann / CEO, Caring Village LLC
Not only is Dana an extraordinarily skilled Creative Director and Usability Expert, she is also a great mentor. Dana has been my manager for almost 10 years and I am so fortunate to work with a leader whose high standards are ever present, refreshing and inspiring. Her well-rounded expertise in web/mobile design, usability, and brand strategy have been an invaluable resource at work and her desire and ability to succeed in any task is second nature to her. Many of our key projects were completed in a timely way and she would often go the extra mile to ensure a project’s success. Dana has contributed greatly to my professional growth and I am truly honored to be a part of her team.
Michelle Lana / Senior Designer, Booz Allen Hamilton