THOMAS ATEN
Research-driven design for complex, high-stakes systems.
M.S.
20+
Years Of Experience
In Human Factors Psychology
Active
10+
Years in Leadership
U.S. Security Clearance
// MY POINT OF VIEW
I don't just design interfaces. I design against how systems
fail when people are under pressure, distracted, or working around bad design.
My background in Human Factors psychology means I surface hidden assumptions early, stress-test them with real users, and help teams avoid building the wrong thing before it becomes an expensive mistake. The through-line across my work isn't an industry — it's a problem type.
// WHERE MY WORK HAS LIVED
Software publishers. Critical environments.
Two decades spanning commercial software and the most consequence-heavy domains in the public and private sector.
COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE
Integrating HCD into fast-paced publishers
Microsoft
ESRI
LexisNexis
Rapid usability evaluations and design recommendations. Embedding human-centered design methods into product teams.
REGULATED / HIGH-STAKES
Where errors carry high consequences
Defense
Federal
Health Care
Energy / Utilities
Port security, emergency response, IT procurement modernization, regulated commercial products.
// HOW I WORK
Research
that makes a meaningful impact.
What people say they need and what truly works under pressure are rarely the same thing. Clarity matters most when users have the least bandwidth.
Usability research — structured evaluation grounded in valid, reliable methodology.
Formative user research — reframing the problem before
anyone designs a solution.
Embedded field evaluations — ambulances, control rooms, in the field with operators.
Evidence over pitches — earning skeptical stakeholders' trust the hard way.
// DIGITAL + PHYSICAL
Enterprise Systems (B2B & B2C)
DIGITALMobile Apps (Native & Responsive)
DIGITALCommand & Control Operations
DIGITAL + PHYSICALEMT Ambulance Safety
PHYSICALTechnology Impact on Performance
PHYSICAL// WHAT SETS MY WORK APART
Formal training. Real-world application.
The credential grounds the work. The two decades of applying it across contexts is what delivers results.
Human Factors
Not just usability — where systems fail when humans are under load. The analytical lens most senior UX professionals don't have.
Designing for Business
I work with a lens on impact — not just the user. Surfacing the wrong assumptions early is what avoids expensive mistakes downstream.
Building & Leading
Helped to stand up UX practices in places HCD was not fully integrated. A decade leading multidisciplinary teams and mentoring practitioners — by doing the work, not just directing it.
Example of Work
Federal IT Procurement: Research-Driven Phased Modernization
Role: UX Lead | Creative Director
CHALLENGE
A federal agency needed to improve IT procurement before their next fiscal year-end surge. Leadership had a long-term vision—a TurboTax-style guided interface—but faced immediate constraints: limited budget, tight timeline, and uncertainty about where to start or what would move the needle in the near term.
RESULT
I conducted user research which revealed underlying problems: use of outdated templates and inconsistent guidance around complex policy. I then designed a knowledge resource delivered in months instead of years. The impact: COs now direct staff to the site, reducing their own workload and ensuring consistent guidance in the application of policy is obtained. Usage spikes during acquisition surges prove its become a reliable, authoritative, resource staff continue to use. Two years on, we're still iteratively building off the MVP—to include exploring AI integration that will be more effective than the originally envisioned solution.
// THIS BACKGROUND TRAVELS
The context is different. The design problems are not.
Complex workflows, high cognitive load, zero tolerance for error — the same DNA across defense, federal, and public safety is the DNA showing up in:
CYBERSECURITY
HEALTHCARE / HEALTHTECH
FINTECH / REGTECH
ENTRERPRISE SAAS
LEGAL TECH
GOVTECH / DEFENSE