About Me

Hi, I'm Ashley Less.

I recently completed my M.S. in Human-Computer Interaction in December of 2025, with experience interning at companies with UX expertise of varying maturity levels. What my mom would describe as "hard-headedness" has turned out to be my greatest strength. I’m constantly asking why, digging into problem spaces, and leaning into resilience and adaptability to make sense of complex systems.

A few things about me:

• I often describe myself as "brutally curious" because I'm deeply passionate about understanding how people perceive and interact with the technologies we build. I love solving the puzzle of how user needs intersect with business goals and technical constraints 🧩

• I'm all about cross-functional collaboration. The magic of UX comes from the diversity of backgrounds on a team. Learning to speak the language of engineers, PMs, and stakeholders is a superpower I’m always honing ⚡️

• I always find a way. Uncertainty is the nature of UX, and often, where the most meaningful innovation happens. When the path is unclear, I tap into the knowledge of my teammates and dig for inspiration. I fall in love with the problem and the unknowns. Without uncertainty, there’s no growth, and I’m always striving to grow as a researcher and designer 🌿

Hi, I'm Ashley Less.

I'm an upcoming M.S. graduate in Human-Computer Interaction with experience interning at companies with UX expertise of varying maturity levels. I’ve contributed to projects that leverage AI to improve workflows in complex web applications and clinical work.

A few things about me:

• I often describe myself as "brutally curious" because I'm deeply passionate about understanding how people perceive and interact with the technologies we build. I love solving the puzzle of how user needs intersect with business goals and technical constraints 🧩

• I'm all about cross-functional collaboration. The magic of UX comes from the diversity of backgrounds on a team. Learning to speak the language of engineers, PMs, and stakeholders is a superpower
I’m always honing ⚡️

• I always find a way. Uncertainty is the nature of UX, and often, where the most meaningful innovation happens. When the path is unclear, I tap into the knowledge of my teammates and dig for inspiration. I fall in love with the problem and the unknowns. Without uncertainty, there’s no growth, and I’m always striving to grow as a researcher and designer 🌿

My Approach

My goal is always to learn from users while balancing their needs with business constraints. I’ve demonstrated this not only by pivoting research plans as priorities shift and timelines tighten, but also by prioritizing a seamless handoff from research to design.

Research only creates value when it’s understood and used. That means maximizing every opportunity to clearly communicate findings across product managers, designers, and developers. I don’t walk into a room with just words and charts (though I do love them). I come with a plan and visuals that show how we might move forward.

While research is my foundation, design grounded in research is what makes insights actionable. Whether that looks like brainstorming concepts, participating in co-design sessions, or shaping next steps with designers, making research visible, tangible, and usable is one of my greatest strengths.

Beyond the Screen

I'm always looking for the next adventure or learning opportunity! I never shy away from a chance to try something new (even if I'm mediocre at it). Some of my favorite hobbies include hiking, reading, tennis, and side-quest craft projects, but I'll let the pictures do the talking: