Austen Courpet
UX Designer
Homepage
Strategic UX Designer
Turning Research into Results
I lead with research, align teams around insights, and refine the details that elevate the user experience. From custom surveys to competitive audits to polished UI, I help organizations transform complex challenges into intuitive digital solutions.
Case Studies
Here are some of my latest projects
“Austen starts with the end in mind, and it shows. From user surveys to competitor audits, he delivered strategic UX that balanced precision with creativity — down to the curve of a button.”
— Kim Larson, Client Experience Director at Luminoso
“Austen consistently brought a well-rounded, user-centered mindset to every stage of the design process. Empathetic, insightful, and deeply collaborative.”
— Allison Austad, UX/UI Designer & Researcher
“Austen's friendly, confident presence puts users at ease — and his follow-up questions always uncover the good stuff. He’s a researcher, a designer, and a fantastic teammate.”
— Nikita Wagenman, Digital Designer
About Me
The man behind the mustache
SUMMARY + CONTACT
User Experience Designer specializing in user research, storytelling, and intuitive digital product design. Focused on creating solutions that drive user engagement, simplify complexity, and deliver business value.
SKILLS
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Prototyping
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Scrum
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Style Guides
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Surveys
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Usability Testing
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User Interviews
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User Research
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Agile
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A/B Testing
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Competitor Analysis
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Brand Strategy
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Interaction Design
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Information Architecture
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Personas
TOOLS + LANGUAGES
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Google Workspace
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HTML
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JavaScript
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Miro
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Slack
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Trello
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WordPress
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Zoom
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Adobe Creative Cloud
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Canva
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ChatGPT
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CSS
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Discord
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FigJam
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Figma
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GitHub
EDUCATION
UX/UI Design Certificate
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR
BFA, Film Production
(Magna Cum Laude)
Chapman University
Orange, CA
WORK EXPERIENCE
Website & Digital Outreach Assistant
St. Johns Neighborhood Association
April 2025 - Present
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Led user research, including surveys and interviews, to uncover community needs and pain points
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Created presentation materials to align a 15-member board on outreach goals and strategies
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Analyzed survey responses and competitor research to identify website improvement next steps
UX Designer & Digital Consultant (Contractor)
Reality Kitchen
June 2024 - December 2024
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Conducted user research to inform a nonprofit website redesign to improve accessibility
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Built Figma prototypes, refi ned branding voice, and shaped an authentic visual identity
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Boosted website navigation success by 150%, enhancing overall satisfaction through user testing
Senior Market Research Analyst (Contractor)
Liquid and Grit
April 2020 - September 2024
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Explored how players engaged with in-game features to understand gains and pain points
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Distilled innovative game mechanics into human-centered takeaways to guide feature design
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Improved the internal site experience by identifying usability issues and offering intuitive solutions
HOBBIES
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Tabletop + Video Gaming
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Watching Movies
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Playing Disc Golf
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Community Volunteering
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Writing
Austen Courpet
USER RESEARCHER
EXPERIENCE DESIGNER
CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST
User Experience Designer with a background in market research and community engagement. Skilled in transforming complex problems into intuitive solutions through research, storytelling, and user-centered design. Experienced in working with nonprofits, startups, and established companies using UX design to align business goals with user needs. Thrives in collaborative, mission-driven teams where thoughtful design creates measurable impact.
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UX Skills: User Research, Prototyping, Wireframing, Usability Testing, Information Architecture, UX Writing, Content Strategy, Stakeholder Alignment, Brand Strategy
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Research: Market Research, Competitor Analysis, Survey Design, Data Analysis
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UX Tools: Figma, Adobe, WordPress, Google Sites, HTML/CSS, Trello, SEO, AI Tools
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Soft Skills: Collaboration, Storytelling, Presentation Design, Cross-Functional Communication
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Freelance UX Designer | Luminoso Technologies, Inc. | Remote
Jun 2025 – Jul 2025-
Led a complete homepage redesign to improve clarity, branding, and conversion.
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Improved mobile responsiveness, accessibility, and user flow.
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Designed reusable banner system and graphics for product storytelling.
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Facilitated surveys and copy workshops to align stakeholders and validate direction.
Impact: ↑ 135% new users, ↑ 3,799% demo requests, ↑ 335% engagement time
Skills used: UX Strategy, UI Design, WordPress (Elementor + CSS), User Research, Copywriting, Graphic Design
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Freelance UX Designer (Volunteer) | SJNA | Portland, OR
Apr 2025 – Present-
Donated design expertise to improve the association’s community-facing website.
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Conducted surveys, interviews, and usability testing to uncover community needs.
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Built navigation prototypes and content updates within Google Sites for community use.
Skills used: UX Research, Prototyping, Google Sites, Community Engagement, Stakeholder Alignment, Figma
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Freelance UX Designer | Reality Kitchen Nonprofit | Remote
Jun 2024 – Dec 2024-
Designed and tested a nonprofit website redesign to improve accessibility and navigation.
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Developed Figma prototypes, refined branding, and crafted an authentic visual identity.
Skills used: UX Research, Usability Testing, Figma, Branding, Content Strategy, Stakeholder Communication
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Senior Market Research Analyst | Liquid & Grit | Remote
Apr 2020 – Sep 2024-
Analyzed market trends across mobile gaming to identify player behaviors and feature adoption.
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Translated complex mechanics into actionable design insights for clients, including Zynga and King.
Skills used: Market Research, Data Analysis, Competitor Analysis, Customer Insights, Remote Collaboration
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Social Media Manager | The Big Dilla | Portland, OR
May 2018 – Oct 2019-
Built brand identity through logos, signage, social media graphics, and website design.
Skills used: Branding, Social Media Marketing, Storytelling, Canva, Customer Experience
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Certificate, UX/UI Design | University of Oregon | Eugene, OR
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Bachelor of Fine Arts, Film Production | Chapman University | Orange, CA
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Tabletop & Video Gaming ● Watching Movies ● Playing Disc Golf ● Community Volunteering ● Writing