FIELD NOTES
Notes on
designing
for people.
Vol I 2025-2026
Janae Thomas
Learning Experience
Designer
UX Designer
UX Researcher
Systems Thinker
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-
-
-
PROCESS
Understand → Map → Build → Iterate
VALUES
01
02
03
Accessibility is the brief, not a footnote.
If the user has to think twice, the design
didn't think enough.
Good research means listening to the people
the data forgot.
BY THE NUMBERS
6+
500+
3
years designing experiences
learners and users served
disciplines, one through line
k-12
·
higher ed
·
freelance
courses
·
digital assests
·
training
education
·
ID
·
UX
LEARNING DESIGN
ux research
accessibility
accessibility
accessibility
accessibility
01
02
03
04 - About
About Janae
I am a learning experience designer and UX professional. I build human-centered experiences for the people systems tend to leave behind, making accessibility and inclusivity structural rather than cosmetic, and designing for real user freedom instead of a single locked path.
Understand the System
I begin with the system as a whole rather than its parts, looking at how it operates overall, whether the processes within it actually function, and where it can improve.
Research the Experience
From the system-level view, I conduct research to evaluate the health of the system itself and what the users within it experience firsthand. This lets me work from concrete data while also determining what users aren't telling me, and what might be valuable additions in future iterations.
Recommend and Refine
Using established UX principles and the data, I offer remedies and recommendations for how to make the system better, along with design adjustments that better fit its user group.
My Journey
I started my professional career in education, working with middle school students. In that role, I witnessed how little consideration was given to the users: the students, and to the technology they engaged with every day in the classroom. That frustration is what made me passionate about UX. I eventually transitioned into instructional design, a natural combination of UX thinking and education, and went on to pursue my UX degree because I cared so much about the work.
Outside of Work
Outside of work, you'll find me hiking, paddleboarding, or lake swimming, usually with my little dog Nibbler not far behind. I work out consistently, and thanks to my philosophy undergrad, I'm almost always overthinking something; critical thinking is a habit I can't switch off, even when it makes my head hurt.
What's on my shelf currently…
Dare to Lead — Brené Brown
This book taught me how to be a more empathetic and open leader, and I integrate its lessons into both my professional and personal life.
User Friendly: How the Hidden Rules of Design Are Changing the Way We Live, Work, and Play — Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant
I appreciated how engaging and accessible the writing is, even for people outside the UX field. It taught me a lot about the history of UX and industrial design, and reinforced the importance of thinking about the users who actually engage with what you build.
Currently reading
Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans — Melanie Mitchell
This one was recommended to me, and it's a perfect gateway into thinking about how AI is influencing design, and how we can be more intentional with the designs we create.