ABOUT ME
I’m an interaction designer, researcher, and strategist with a systems mindset and a heart for people. With 17 years of experience in UX, I enjoy helping teams untangle complexity and move with intention. I thrive in high-stakes environments where the path isn’t obvious. In those challenges, ethical grounding, deep listening, and a wide-angle view have proven to be essential.
My journey as a leader is layered, not linear. From geology, working with environmental systems shaped over time, to startup life, where I wore many hats during the early days at Nest, a deeper curiosity arose: a shift from observing how things work to how people work with them. Since 2015, I’ve been designing with that question in mind and helping mission-driven teams bring clarity to complexity while crafting systems that serve people with care.
Currently, I’m a Principal Design Researcher at Coforma, leading design and research at the intersection of emerging technology and human experience. My work focuses on building tools and systems that honor nuance, support trust, and respond to the real-world complexity people bring with them. I lead with empathy, ask sharp questions, and help teams move from ambiguity to aligned action.
For me, design isn’t just about better experiences - it’s about reshaping the structures that shape us.
FOCUS AREAS
AI UX Research & Human-AI Interaction
Explainable AI (XAI) & Trust in AI Systems
Human-Centered Design (HCD) for AI
Cognitive Load & Decision Science in AI UX
Systems Thinking & Research Ethics in AI
PAST TEAMS, CLIENTS AND COLLABORATORS
Nest (Acquired by Google) / Technology (Palo Alto, CA)
NASA Ames Research / Aerospace (Mountain View, CA)
Stanford University School of Medicine / Healthcare, Education (Palo Alto, CA)
United States Federal Government / Government (Washington, DC)
American Express / Finance (New York, NY)
Square / Financial Technology (San Francisco, CA)
Lufthansa / Aviation (Frankfurt, Germany)
The City of Kobenhavn Municipality / Government, Technology (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Tidepool / Healthcare, Technology (Palo Alto, CA)
littleBits / Education, Technology (New York, NY)
Turbine Labs / Information Technology (San Francisco, CA)
British Petroleum / Energy (London, UK)
Water for People / International Development, Nonprofit (Denver, CO)
TheWhistle.org / Social Impact, Nonprofit (Cambridge, UK)
University of Lagos / Education (Lagos, Nigeria)
CV
TESTIMONIALS
I believe the most resilient work — and the most meaningful — begins by honoring the terrain we’re navigating, and the people we’re navigating it with.
EMAIL: hello@sierranelmes.com
