Raymond Ayers
UX Designer
UX Designer
From Opera to UX…
I transitioned from opera into UX design. Performing taught me how much emotion, timing, and clarity matter when people are trying to follow something in real time. That’s a perspective I still bring into my work today.
How I Work…
As a Nielsen Norman Group UX Master Certified
professional, I bring a data-informed foundation to every challenge. I'm addicted to continuous learning, and I'm constantly refining my approach to provide simple answers to difficult problems.
Mentoring Designers…
As a career changer, I know what it's like to step into UX without a road-map, or real world context. I now mentor designers navigating their careers in UX, to help bridge that gap.
Outside of Work…
Outside of design, you can find me spending time with my family, skiing, working out or tackling renovations on my pre-WWI house.
Things I find interesting: statues, graffiti, people, old buildings, new buildings, books, museums, the outdoors…
vvvvv - interesting things : ) - vvvvv
how Opera Made Me a Better UX Designer
Performing opera required more than technical skill. It meant understanding intent, emotion, and how an audience experiences something moment by moment.
I approach design the same way, thinking through how someone encounters a product, where things break down, and how to make the next step clear.
Today, I use behavioral science and psychology to understand how people make decisions, where they hesitate, and what helps them take the next step.
how Opera Made Me a Better UX Designer
Performing opera required more than technical skill. It meant understanding intent, emotion, and how an audience experiences something moment by moment.
I approach design the same way, thinking through how someone encounters a product, where things break down, and how to make the next step clear.
Today, I use behavioral science and psychology to understand how people make decisions, where they hesitate, and what helps them take the next step.
how Opera Made Me a Better UX Designer
Performing opera required more than technical skill. It meant understanding intent, emotion, and how an audience experiences something moment by moment.
I approach design the same way, thinking through how someone encounters a product, where things break down, and how to make the next step clear.
Today, I use behavioral science and psychology to understand how people make decisions, where they hesitate, and what helps them take the next step.
MY UX PHILOSOPHY
Every problem is a little different. The approach should be too.
User-Centered:
Good design comes from understanding the user, what they need, what they’re trying to do, and what gets in their way.
Beyond Usability:
Usability is the baseline. I pay attention to how something feels in use, when it’s intuitive, and maybe even a bit better than expected.
Collaboration is Key:
The best work comes from working closely with product and engineering, asking the right questions, and adjusting as new information comes in.
Continuous Learning:
I'm addicted to learning, both through projects and outside sources. I stay close to what works in real projects and then carry those lessons forward.
real world design:
In theory, UX is all about the user. In practice, it lives at the intersection of user needs, business goals, and technical reality…this is where I operate.
MY UX PHILOSOPHY
Every problem is a little different. The approach should be too.
User-Centered:
Good design comes from understanding the user, what they need, what they’re trying to do, and what gets in their way.
Beyond Usability:
Usability is the baseline. I pay attention to how something feels in use, when it’s intuitive, and maybe even a bit better than expected.
Collaboration is Key:
The best work comes from working closely with product and engineering, asking the right questions, and adjusting as new information comes in.
Continuous Learning:
I'm addicted to learning, both through projects and outside sources. I stay close to what works in real projects and then carry those lessons forward.
real world design:
In theory, UX is all about the user. In practice, it lives at the intersection of user needs, business goals, and technical reality…this is where I operate.
MY UX PHILOSOPHY
Every problem is a little different. The approach should be too.
User-Centered:
Good design comes from understanding the user, what they need, what they’re trying to do, and what gets in their way.
Beyond Usability:
Usability is the baseline. I pay attention to how something feels in use, when it’s intuitive, and maybe even a bit better than expected.
Collaboration is Key:
The best work comes from working closely with product and engineering, asking the right questions, and adjusting as new information comes in.
Continuous Learning:
I'm addicted to learning, both through projects and outside sources. I stay close to what works in real projects and then carry those lessons forward.
real world design:
In theory, UX is all about the user. In practice, it lives at the intersection of user needs, business goals, and technical reality…this is where I operate.
MY PROCESS
My process isn’t rigid. It adapts to the problem. These are the core pieces.
Collaborative Discovery
Align on goals, users, and constraints through conversations and existing data.
User Insights
Use research to understand real users and real behaviors - to ground decisions.
Conception & iteration
Map ideas early and refine them through feedback.
UI Design & Prototyping
Create clear, usable interfaces aligned with available systems.
User testing Validation
Validate with real users and iterate where things break down.
Handover & Support
Stay involved through build to ensure the work is implemented as intended.
MY PROCESS
My process isn’t rigid. It adapts to the problem. These are the core pieces.
Collaborative Discovery
Align on goals, users, and constraints through conversations and existing data.
User Insights
Use research to understand real users and real behaviors - to ground decisions.
Conception & iteration
Map ideas early and refine them through feedback.
UI Design & Prototyping
Create clear, usable interfaces aligned with available systems.
User testing Validation
Validate with real users and iterate where things break down.
Handover & Support
Stay involved through build to ensure the work is implemented as intended.
MY PROCESS
My process isn’t rigid. It adapts to the problem. These are the core pieces.
Collaborative Discovery
Align on goals, users, and constraints through conversations and existing data.
User Insights
Use research to understand real users and real behaviors - to ground decisions.
Conception & iteration
Map ideas early and refine them through feedback.
UI Design & Prototyping
Create clear, usable interfaces aligned with available systems.
User testing Validation
Validate with real users and iterate where things break down.
Handover & Support
Stay involved through build to ensure the work is implemented as intended.
some Problems I've solved…
A few of the problems I’ve worked through across teams and products.
🧭
No clear product strategy
Partnered with business stakeholders to define a financial dashboard vision and strategy, shifting the focus from features to user outcomes.
🔗
navigational misalignment
Worked across five lines of business to align on and evolve a global navigation structure.
🧩
Overly complex flows
Partnered with business and engineering to simplify the HIPAA compliance process, reducing complexity and time to completion.
📉
Low mobile acquisition
Collaborated with business and engineering to increase engagement and support acquisition across multiple lines of business.
🧱
Design system contributions didn’t scale
Created a framework that enables non–systems designers to contribute to the design system meaningfully.
📱
Scaling design systems across native platforms
Played a key role in scaling native component creation within a design system team.
🌱
Gaps in team support and growth
Mentored designers looking to break into UX and those working to level up their skills.
🗣️
Ineffective stakeholder communication
Developed an internal playbook to share iterative work and get the right feedback at the right time.
🧰
New tooling adoption
Accelerated the team transition to Figma by creating libraries, workflows, and guidance to help the team ramp up quickly.
some Problems I've solved…
A few of the problems I’ve worked through across teams and products.
🧭
No clear product strategy
Partnered with business stakeholders to define a financial dashboard vision and strategy, shifting the focus from features to user outcomes.
🔗
navigational misalignment
Worked across five lines of business to align on and evolve a global navigation structure.
🧩
Overly complex flows
Partnered with business and engineering to simplify the HIPAA compliance process, reducing complexity and time to completion.
📉
Low mobile acquisition
Collaborated with business and engineering to increase engagement and support acquisition across multiple lines of business.
🧱
Design system contributions didn’t scale
Created a framework that enables non–systems designers to contribute to the design system meaningfully.
📱
Scaling design systems across native platforms
Played a key role in scaling native component creation within a design system team.
🌱
Gaps in team support and growth
Mentored designers looking to break into UX and those working to level up their skills.
🗣️
Ineffective stakeholder communication
Developed an internal playbook to share iterative work and get the right feedback at the right time.
🧰
New tooling adoption
Accelerated the team transition to Figma by creating libraries, workflows, and guidance to help the team ramp up quickly.
some Problems I've solved…
A few of the problems I’ve worked through across teams and products.
🧭
No clear product strategy
Partnered with business stakeholders to define a financial dashboard vision and strategy, shifting the focus from features to user outcomes.
🔗
navigational misalignment
Worked across five lines of business to align on and evolve a global navigation structure.
🧩
Overly complex flows
Partnered with business and engineering to simplify the HIPAA compliance process, reducing complexity and time to completion.
📉
Low mobile acquisition
Collaborated with business and engineering to increase engagement and support acquisition across multiple lines of business.
🧱
Design system contributions didn’t scale
Created a framework that enables non–systems designers to contribute to the design system meaningfully.
📱
Scaling design systems across native platforms
Played a key role in scaling native component creation within a design system team.
🌱
Gaps in team support and growth
Mentored designers looking to break into UX and those working to level up their skills.
🗣️
Ineffective stakeholder communication
Developed an internal playbook to share iterative work and get the right feedback at the right time.
🧰
New tooling adoption
Accelerated the team transition to Figma by creating libraries, workflows, and guidance to help the team ramp up quickly.
mentorship & guidance
Helping designers as they break into UX and develop their skills.
ADP LIST - UX Mentor
I work one-on-one with designers on portfolios, interviews, and how to navigate real UX work. I focus on helping people think through their work more clearly and present it in a way that makes sense.
mentorship & guidance
Helping designers as they break into UX and develop their skills.
ADP LIST - UX Mentor
I work one-on-one with designers on portfolios, interviews, and how to navigate real UX work. I focus on helping people think through their work more clearly and present it in a way that makes sense.
mentorship & guidance
Helping designers as they break into UX and develop their skills.
ADP LIST - UX Mentor
I work one-on-one with designers on portfolios, interviews, and how to navigate real UX work. I focus on helping people think through their work more clearly and present it in a way that makes sense.
©2026 Raymond Ayers. All Rights Reserved.
©2026 Raymond Ayers. All Rights Reserved.
©2026 Raymond Ayers. All Rights Reserved.