Jeremy Blaker

UX Research & Design

Research first.Then design.

I'm Jeremy Blaker, a UX researcher and designer in Philadelphia. I run surveys and interviews, work out what they mean, and turn that into flows, prototypes and systems people can use.

Explore my workLinkedIn

Selected work

Survey, 15 responses
Had used the Career Center4 of 15
Said it was necessary and beneficial11 of 15

Equip

Helping DePaul design students find career resources that fit their goals, when most said the Career Center mattered but few used it.

15 survey responses · 8 interviews · [exact contribution — to confirm] · academic team project · hi-fi prototype, not shipped

Finding, then decisionStudents said they need to trust the source of career advice. A comprehensive data policy became one of three core features, shown before anything personal is asked for.

Screens: data policy, progress, resources

Also exploringJet Stream, document sharing between two phones with a single tap. Early screens; case study in progress.

How I work

I start with what's uncertain, look for evidence, make a decision I can explain, and say plainly what's still untested. Each step is the real moment from Equip.

  1. QuestionWhat did we need to understand?

    Which university service would benefit most from an AI assistant, and why do students who value the Career Center still not use it?

  2. EvidenceWhat did we actually observe?

    Survey, 15 responses: 4 had used the Career Center; 11 called it necessary. Eight interviews: students want to trust the source, see personal relevance, get help with long-term goals, and see the value of their time.

  3. DecisionWhat did the evidence change?

    Focus on the Career Center. Build around skill tracking, personalised event suggestions, and a comprehensive data policy, which became the onboarding screen.

  4. CheckWhat did we validate or leave open?

    The hi-fi prototype was not tested with students beyond the team, and no outcomes were measured. Next would be a usability session on the onboarding and progress screens. [confirm]

About

I'm Jeremy Blaker, a researcher and designer interested in how people work and how complicated systems can become easier to use. I studied public health at Ohio State and human-computer interaction at DePaul, then spent several years coordinating construction projects and working where operations meet software.

Away from the screen I tend to follow a question further than I expected: a family-history lead, how something is built, a tool of my own. [one concrete example — Jeremy]

  • Account manager, elevator-industry software2026 –
  • Construction project coordinator[years]
  • HCI graduate coursework, DePaul University[years]
  • BS Public Health, The Ohio State University[year]
A little more about me
Jeremy on a rocky summit in the Great Smoky Mountains
Charlie's Bunion, Great Smoky Mountains

Contact

Have something interesting in mind?

I'm always happy to connect about thoughtful design, research, and problems worth solving.

LinkedIn[Resume PDF — to add]