Sallie Wormer

“For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You'd be surprised how far that gets you.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

a human-centered research and design portfolio

older work


blue-sky research and design

case studies

Excerpt of final bot-human relationship building architecture.

Excerpt of final bot-human relationship building architecture.

ai relationships

"No one wants to have a relationship with a bot."  Really?  We conducted an extensive literature review, a focus group, and analogous empathy.  We then used Wizard of Oz prototyping and designed a high-level systems architecture to explore the possibility.  I created the testing environment and the final architecture.  Read the case study >>>

3D Holographic LUT controller concept.

3D Holographic LUT controller concept.

reimagining light

This solo r&d project used a combination of ethnography, focus groups, expert interviews, and industry lit reviews to reframe the problem around light quality.  The 3D LUT controller was one physical artifact, along with a scale miniature of a solar-collecting light-window prototype.  Read the case study >>>

Mindfulness physical prototype, as shown in protocast.

Mindfulness physical prototype, as shown in protocast.

mindfulness wearable and app

Can technology be used to mediate tech-related stress?  We interviewed Gestalt-based and dialectical behavior therapists as well as busy professionals to elicit key behaviors and user goals.  In addition to being team lead, I had primary responsibility for the app's information architecture, the 3D wearable, and the protocast.  Read the case study >>>

An early task-by-user analysis. Looking for the "in" to the concept.

An early task-by-user analysis. Looking for the "in" to the concept.

mobile portal

The client wanted to motivate student ambassadors.  Our team removed barriers by trimming down non-essentials into a mobile-only app.  Interviews and a competitive analysis formed the basis of our research.  My primary contributions here were the task analysis, user storytelling, and final information architecture.  Read the case study >>>


existing products research and design