Twenty Years of Asking "Why"
How I went from testing Windows at Microsoft to leading UX strategy for federal systems
Who’s Thomas
I've always been fascinated with the gap between the benefits technology can offer and the consequences it can have when implemented poorly. This happens when there is a misunderstanding of who the users are and what they need. Twenty years later, I'm still helping to bridge this gap — but now with better instincts about when teams are headed for expensive, potentially catastrophic, mistakes.
My Journey
I started my career with an internship at Microsoft, conducting usability studies of Windows and desktop applications. From there I went from a fully integrated usability practice to being one of two usability specialists at a large software company to help establish usability into the development lifecycle. I them moved into human factors work for defense and federal systems—designing interfaces for the U.S. Coast Guard, emergency response teams, and high-stakes command and control environments. I've led UX teams in multiple high-complexity industries, to include health, utilities, defense, consumer protection, and federal acquisitions.
My Takeaway
I have held many titles: Usability Analyst, Human Factors Engineer, UX Researcher, and UX Designer. What I've consistently observed in all these roles and across all the context I’ve worked in: the problems worth solving are rarely the ones that seem obvious at first. The best work I do isn't just conducting research or creating designs—it's helping teams recognize when they're about to build the wrong thing, correct course, and create something that has a real impact.
Helping Teams Resist Premature Certainty
Many organizations look to UX professionals to ‘execute’ on decisions they've already made. That's fine for some projects. But I'm most valuable when I help teams step back and ask whether they're solving the right problem in the first place.
Framing Decisions
This doesn't mean saying "no" to stakeholders or being difficult. It means framing conversations around risk, resources, and opportunity cost. It means showing teams that validating assumptions up front is the fastest path to a solution that actually works—not a roadblock.
I work within Agile frameworks, but I push back when speed threatens to bypass understanding. I lead cross-functional teams through ambiguity by creating the conditions for good decisions: clear problem framing, shared understanding, and the right level of evidence at the right time.
Thoughtful Mentoring
I also mentor junior practitioners—not just to improve their craft, but to help them see their value as strategic partners, not order-takers. And I work with leadership to build organizational buy-in for human-centered design, demonstrating how investing in research up front prevents expensive pivots later.
Where I’ve Done This Work
What Two Decades Across Industries Taught Me
Federal & Regulated Industries
I've spent over a decade working with federal agencies (Department of Defense, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of State, Consumer Product Safety Commission) and regulated industries (energy, federal acquisitions, marketing for pharmaceuticals).
THIS HAS TAUGHT ME:
How to navigate complex compliance requirements (Section 508, WCAG, HIPAA, FAR)
How to work within procurement constraints and slow-moving bureaucracie
How to balance user needs with regulatory mandates
How to build trust with skeptical stakeholders who've seen too many consultants promise transformation
High-Stakes Environments
I've designed for command and control systems, emergency response coordination, port security operations, and EMT performance in ambulances—contexts where bad design has real, immediate consequences.
THIS HAS TAUGHT ME:
How to conduct research in environments where you can't just interrupt users with interviews
The difference between what people say they need in a conference room and what actually works under pressure
How to design for cognitive load in high-stress situations
Why edge cases aren't edge cases when lives are on the line
Why clarity and simplicity matter most when users are stressed or scared
Commercial Products & Cloud Platforms
I've worked with Microsoft, ESRI, LexisNexis, and fast-moving product teams building enterprise software and cloud-based SaaS platforms.
THIS HAS TAUGHT ME:
How to balance speed with rigor—conducting research that informs decisions without slowing down shipping
How to design for scale and diverse user populations
The art of continuous iteration based on real usage data
How to make research findings actionable for engineering teams with tight deadlines
CREDENTIALS
Formal Training. Real-World Application.
I have an MS in Human Factors Psychology from Clemson University, where I studied cognitive psychology, research methods, and interaction design. That formal training grounds everything I do—but it's the 20+ years of applying it across contexts that allows me to navigate complexity and deliver results.
I've led UX teams at Deloitte Digital for over a decade, progressing from Senior Lead to Creative Director. I've managed multidisciplinary teams, shaped product strategy for federal modernization projects, and mentored dozens of UX practitioners from junior researchers to senior designers.
Let's Talk About Your Project
Whether you need UX research, product design, or strategic leadership for a complex project—I'd love to hear about what you're working on.