Design Experience
3 years Product
7 years LXD + UX/UI
12 years HCD
15 years Graphic
Language
English, native Spanish, conversational French, functional Music, fluent
Work
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April 2024 - May 2026
Washington, D.C. • Remote
Own & lead the development of a 0-to-1 Enterprise Saas system for global anti-human-trafficking casework & intervention management.
Design, teach, and scale
Human-Centered Design {HCD} thinking across the global matrix.
Coach 3 international teams in the HCD process to launch innovative solutions to stop modern slavery & violence against women & children.
Define & articulate the vision & strategy for design or service experiences, establishing a division-wide data strategy & analytical methodology to align with business goals.
Drive & champion a user-centric culture.
Lead & conduct end-to-end research to uncover user needs & behaviors.
Collaborate cross-functionally with leadership, vendors, & customers to inform product strategy.
Travel internationally to teach in-person workshops, give software trainings, & present findings to a variety of internal stakeholders & customers.
Work samples restricted due to NDA.
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September 2023 - April 2024
Washington, D.C. • Remote
Provide 60-page assessment of pilot of existing data management system to leadership & make recommendations
Lead HCD research program & manage team of 9 researchers on 3 continents conducting & analyzing 150+ customer interviews.
Work samples restricted due to NDA.
Vanderbilt University
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August 2018 - August 2023
Nashville, TN
Co-design & teach masters' and undergraduate courses on research design, HCD, design thinking, interaction, & learning.
Work samples restricted due to IRBs.
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August 2018 - August 2023
Nashville, TN
Principal investigator for design-based research {DBR) project studying how people learn to listen.
Ran 3 DBR iterations in hybrid,
in-person, & virtual settings across 12 months with 50+ participants.
Collaborate with museum to design & implement a geospatial story & song walking tour in historic Black music district.
Work samples restricted due to IRBs.
Tirzah International
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June 2017 - February 2020
Los Angeles, CA • Remote
Develop compelling, cohesive narratives across six continents
Design & manage all media:
socials, internal content, donor communications, products, & guides.
Coach cohort of 15 senior global leaders & CEOs in story-telling
Faciltate hands-on learning experiences for top leadership.
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June 2015 - June 2017
Los Angeles, CA • Remote
Design & manage all media:
socials, internal content, donor communications, products, & guides.
Nashville Civic Design Center
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January 2015 - October 2016
Nashville, TN, USA
Wrote, won, & managed a $1.1-million grant from Robert Woods Johnson and Pew Charitable Trusts.
Co-designed 3 site-specific
built-environment health improvements.
Work samples restricted due to IRBs.
Education
Doctorate of Philosophy, Learning Design
Peabody School of Education, Vanderbilt University
August 2018 - May 2023
Doctorate of Philosophy, Media Studies and Practice
School of Arts and Science, Vanderbilt University
August 2018 - May 2023
Bachelor of Arts, Creative Writing; Design for Community
School of Arts and Science, Vanderbilt University
August 2012 - May 2015
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May 2021 - present
San Francisco, CA
Co-design with & coach clients through the research project process to improve performance or products by understanding & responding to customers' needs.
Facilitate workshops and collaborative sessions to surface insights, align stakeholders, and generate creative solutions.
Apply Human-Centered Design methods — including ethnographic research, journey mapping, and prototyping — to uncover unmet needs.
Synthesize qualitative and quantitative research into actionable frameworks, concepts, and strategic recommendations.
Design and test prototypes at varying levels of fidelity to validate ideas quickly and reduce risk before full development.
Translate complex systems and service experiences into clear visual models, blueprints, and narratives.
Champion the voice of the customer throughout the innovation process, ensuring decisions are grounded in real human behavior.
Collaborate across disciplines — strategy, engineering, marketing, and leadership — to bring new ideas from concept to implementation.
Build organizational design capability by mentoring teams and embedding human-centered thinking into existing workflows.
Navigate ambiguity and reframe challenges as opportunities, turning open-ended briefs into focused, impactful innovation directions.
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December 2014 - present
San Francisco, CA
Translate ideas, messages, and brand identities into visual concepts using typography, color, imagery, and layout.
Create assets for print and digital media, including logos, brochures, social graphics, websites, ads, and packaging.
Work within brand guidelines to maintain visual consistency across all touch points.
Collaborate with clients, copywriters, marketers, and developers to align creative work with business goals.
Use tools like Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign) and Figma to produce and iterate on designs.
Present concepts and rationale to stakeholders, then incorporate feedback through revision cycles.
Balance aesthetic creativity with practical constraints like file formats, print specs, screen resolutions, and deadlines.
Research trends, competitors, and audiences to inform visual decisions and keep work culturally relevant.
International Justice Mission
Emma Vendetta
Core Skillsets
Leadership Development
Coaching
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Strategic Thinking
Vision Setting
Change Management
Adaptability & Navigating Ambiguity
Curriculum Design
Human-Centered Design
User Research (Qualitative & Quantitative)
User Journey Mapping
Problem-Solving
Systems Thinking
Prototyping
Workshop Facilitation
Information Architecture
Interaction Design
Usability Testing
Communication
Storytelling
Data Visualization
Graphic Design
Branding
Songwriting
Podcast Writing & Production
Content Creation
Photography
Videography