Amy Deschenes

Amy is the Head of UX & Digital Accessibility for Harvard Library where she  collaborates with library staff on digital product and service design projects.  She manages project teams to improve the design of library websites, search tools, and digital collections through a user-centered lens.

In 2015 she established the User Research Center, a usability and digital accessibility testing lab at Harvard that provides UX testing resources to the entire University community and UX consulting on library projects.

In 2020 the URC adapted consulting, training, and recruiting processes for hybrid work. Amy leads the team at the URC to manage discreet, one-time UX research projects as well as more complex, multi-method studies to answer research questions of all sizes.

Amy believes it is essential to include all types of users, including  those with disabilities, in UX research. She is experienced with digital accessibility testing with assistive technology users and is an active leader on campus-wide efforts related to digital accessibility.

Amy has spoken about her work at conferences like UXPA and Ladies that UX.  She teaches research methods and digital accessibility for Brandeis University’s user-centered design program.

Her portfolio is available at amydeschenes.com