Hi! My name is Lexie Kane. I’m a researcher, a designer and an educator.

I’ve taught courses on design and technology around the world. I’ve made some websites that you might have used. I’ve conducted independent and client-directed research for startups and multinational corporations. It’s nice to meet you!

Research

I’ve conducted research for multinational corporations, startups, agencies, and consultancies. As a user experience specialist at Nielsen Norman Group, I studied how people interact with technology and how design can improve peoples’ lives. My work included consulting, independent research, and teaching at conferences.

Design

I’ve designed websites and apps for early-stage startups and multinational corporations. As a designer at the digital agency office of IHS Markit, I created designs that were used by CNN, The Financial Times, Charles Schwab and many other organizations.

View Portfolio

Articles & Publications

Google Developer Groups: Usability Testing

Video link to lightning talk
Presented for the Boulder chapter of Google Developer Groups, this talk covers how to conduct a usability test. Intended for developers, designers, and product managers, this is a crash course intended for professionals unfamiliar with research on how to discover insights from users.

UX Design for Seniors (Ages 65 and older)

This report, published by Nielsen Norman Group in 2019, summarizes my findings based on research independently conducted with more than 123 research participants. Through field studies, usability tests and user interviews I learned about the needs of people over the age of 65 when it comes to interacting with technology.

Our recent research shows that digital products still discriminate against seniors. Content written for and by older people is difficult to find — when this content is available, it often treats seniors as a niche interest group rather than a diverse and growing demographic.

The Attention Economy

An explanation of the new digital economy where digital products compete for one of our most precious mental resources: our attention. The article offers both a practical explanation and ethical guidelines for designers.

Interface Copy Impacts Decision Making

Across multiple usability tests, I noticed a fascinating pattern in how people read text presented to them on buttons, forms and other interface text. They described the options presented to them in the first person: saying aloud “I can do this, or this…” as they read a list of radio buttons or saying “I want to…” before clicking a button. This lead me to research how language used in interfaces impacts people’s decision-making.

Designing Effective Information Graphics

Guidelines, based on both my research at Nielsen Norman Group and from my experience designing for the finance industry, on data-rich graphics. Infographics should prioritize understanding over ornamentation and present information in a clear, readable and informationally honest fashion.