Skip to Content

Inventive & Novel Solutions

Challenge

Great solutions often come down to solving the right problem in a new way. This section captures a range of creative interventions and UX solutions I’ve designed across my career. These ideas removed friction, unlocked functionality, and meaningfully improved user productivity. They aren’t just design flourishes—they’re the kind of elegant, intuitive fixes that prompt a “Yes—that’s exactly what we needed” response from users and stakeholders alike.

Role

The field of UX is evolving into Human Experience Design—where we design not just for generic personas, but for real, diverse squishy, messy humans. With the tools and AI-power available today, we can build experiences that adapt, respond, and resonate across a broader human spectrum.

My approach is grounded in the belief that good experiences are intuitive, efficient, and delightful. I don’t walk in assuming I know the solution—but I do know how to uncover it. This section reflects that mindset: a career spent finding smart answers to complex challenges.

Projects

Magical AI-driven Enum Mapping

Slitscans as Visual Search Mental Models

Pose Finder

City Center Branding for Millcreek Common

Building a Beloved Brand Character

QR-Enabled Sales Tools for Heavy Equipment

Pirate Parties: UX and Hospitality at Scale

Singing Holiday Posters

Hogwarts Legacy Teaser Experience

Thoughtfully Designed Dinner Parties

Magical AI-driven Enum Mapping

I concepted and led the UX for Osmos AI Value Mapping—a feature that automatically aligns messy source data to clean target categories. Before this, users had to write webhooks or formulas to match values manually, making the process brittle and time-consuming. We flipped that by using LLM-powered AI with a clear, user-controlled review layer. I designed the UI, guided system behavior, and helped shape the product narrative: precise results, flexible fallback, and control in the user’s hands—all in a few intuitive clicks.

Press

How to Automate Data Mapping Using AI, Osmos Blog, October 2024

Screenshot showing a software interface with enum mapping table for data transformation logic.

“This is awesome! And the implementation is so clean. […] This type of stuff removes friction and makes our users productive with the software. Thank you!” — Client when we delivered Enum Matching, Vice President, Software Engineering

Slitscans as Visual Search Mental Models

Slitscans aren’t new—but using them as a visual search tool in media archives was. At Zorroa, We brought this technique into our visual intelligence platform to give users a fast way to scan entire films by their dominant color patterns. It’s a low-effort, high-insight method to spot action sequences, mood shifts, and outliers at a glance. I spoke about this technique in my UX/AI talk at SLCSEM, where I explored how machine learning paired with visual thinking can power better media navigation and discovery.

Press

Improving User Experience & Creating a Rockstar Brand, Utah DMC Blog, 2024

Every Frame of Every Disney Movie Visualized, Imgur, 2023

Visual chart comparing human intelligence, AI, and machine learning in animation using Disney character examples and colorful image patterns.

“Amber has stepped in and filled a vital role in our team; she takes an idea written on a whiteboard and turns it into a UI our programmers can build and a UX our clients will love!” — Chuck Sharp, CEO, Sharpr

Pose Finder

When you can picture an image in your mind but don’t have the right words to describe it, traditional search falls short. I designed and prototyped the Pose Finder feature for Zorroa to use body pose as a visual search input—letting users drag key points into position and instantly surface matching images. It’s built to map to how we think, not just what we can type—translating mental models into meaningful results.

Related

Portfolio: Design Systems › Zorroa

Portfolio: UX for AI Visual Search

Pose Finder app interface with draggable stick figure model showing adjustable joint positions.
Megan Rapinoe on the soccer field with arms raised in victory, surrounded by confetti and trophies.
Megan Rapinoe celebrates with her trophys [sic] after the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 Final football match USA vs Netherlands on 7 July 2019 Groupama Stadium Lyon France. Licensed for editorial use via Shutterstock.

City Center Branding for Millcreek Common

Led the team that pitched and won the RFP to brand a new city center. We pulled from historical archives and pioneer-era signage to design a modern identity rooted in local history.

Press

Millcreek Common Awards

  • 2022 Most Outstanding Project, Utah Construction & Design Magazine
  • 2022 Landscape/Urban Development Award of Excellence, Associated General Contractors of Utah
  • 2023 Excellence in Concrete Award, American Concrete Institute Intermountain Chapter
Arial view of Millcreek Common park with people skating and socializing.
Branded visuals for Millcreek Common, featuring the logo and event themes.

“Amber took complex mathematical calculations and made them fun and easy for our customers to understand. This made a very complicated concept seem approachable and simple.” — Cody Dingus, VP of Marketing, HealthEquity

Building a Beloved Brand Character

I led the team that brought a client’s beloved penguin mascot, Tucker, back to life with a refreshed look, story, and personality. We created seasonal illustrations, digital assets, and a children’s book that I co-wrote and illustrated with another designer—reviving a beloved brand mascot and deepening engagement across Procare’s audience. Since then, Tucker has appeared as a human-sized mascot and small plushies and many illustrations and situations. 


Press

Children’s book titled 'Tucker is a Snappy Dresser' featuring a cartoon penguin in a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses, laid out on a wooden table.
Tucker the penguin mascot in costume dancing outdoors in front of a palm-lined fountain.
Stuffed penguin toy with Procare Solutions logo on its belly, serving as the company's mascot named Tucker.
Illustrated penguin named Tucker with various colorful outfits and accessories, showcasing different character dress-up options.

QR-Enabled Sales Tools for Heavy Equipment

In 2012, before QR codes were common, I led the UX and design for a system that linked massive drill rigs to rich digital content. Our team developed scannable QR codes that, when accessed through our custom app, instantly delivered rig specs, videos, and sales materials—eliminating the need for bulky brochures and modernizing field sales.

Photograph of the Boart Longyear LF160 Rig Handler drilling machine in an industrial setting.
Hand holding a QR code badge for scanning during an event or exhibition.
Graphic design mockup of brochures labeled 'BLY' in a clean, modern layout.

Pirate Parties: UX and Hospitality at Scale

We periodically host 150+ person Pirate Parties—complete with a 35’ ship on the front of our house, live tattoos, and full-costume participation. With my partner Steve, we design and produce every aspect of the experience. It’s a massive, immersive event where nothing is accidental. From physical space to guest flow, it’s a living example of my UX philosophy: thoughtful details, seamless navigation, and joyful, human-centered design.

Immersive pirate party decor transforming a home facade into a 35-foot ship named ‘Vengeance,’ with guests in themed costumes.
Special thanks to © Jeff McGrath Photography.
Stylized pirate-themed website banner showing a silhouetted pirate ship under a moonlit sky with dramatic text.
Elaborately decorated house front turned into a pirate ship, complete with sails and dramatic lighting.
Wall display of nautical and pirate-themed vintage items including skeleton decor, gold frames, and model ships.
Miniature rum bottles set in a bucket of frozen sand on top of ice for a pirate-themed drink station.
Tattoo Artist Andy Canino performs live tattoos on a costumed guest.
A stylized portrait of a man in profile with a dark beard and undercut hairstyle, featuring a key tattoo on the shaved side of his head. He wears a dark military-style jacket with gold braid detailing. The painting is displayed in an oval, gold-toned frame against a plain white wall, evoking a blend of classical and modern aesthetics.

Singing Holiday Posters

Early in my design career, I created elevator-installed holiday posters for Workers Compensation Fund that played rewritten carols about the company at the press of a button. These interactive posters blended humor, sound, and surprise—turning passive spaces into moments of engagement ahead of the company’s holiday party. The campaign later won the IMCA Best of Show Award, proving that unexpected, joyful UX works even in corporate environments.

Bright red poster with white music notes and a magical sparkle trail, used as promotional artwork for a musical event or theme.

Hogwarts Legacy Sony Playstation Teaser Experience

Panoramic banner combining elements of multiple scenes or artworks in a compressed format.

To support the global reveal of Hogwarts Legacy at Sony’s PS5 event, Avalanche | Warner Bros. asked us to design an immersive interstitial landing page.

With a custom smoke effect that reacted to cursor or touch input, we built a subtle, cinematic teaser that captured the magic without revealing too much. I helped concept and direct the interaction design, creating a digital moment that matched the drama of the big announcement.

Press

Thoughtfully Designed Dinner Parties

Louise’s 70th. My partner Steve and I regularly host parties, including this five-course dinner for 23 guests. We designed the full experience—from menu and timing to music and flow—with the same care and intention we bring to UX. Every detail supported ease, connection, and joy, creating a seamless evening where guests could simply show up and feel taken care of.

Guests enjoying a backyard September Soirée at golden hour, featuring a patio-length grazing table styled with fruits, cheeses, and candlelight.
Dinner table glowing by candlelight, highlighting the day-to-night design transition.
Amber standing by the long outdoor dinner table in elegant attire during a golden-hour gathering.
Elegant printed menu for a five-course UX-designed dinner party, styled with rustic wood textures and floral accents.

Haunted Mansion Dinner Party. When a friend wanted an excuse to wear a Haunted Mansion cape, we delivered—a multi-course themed dinner party in full costume, held in the middle of May. My partner Steve and I crafted the entire experience, from ambient lighting to timing and tone, ensuring the evening felt immersive, elegant, and a little bit eerie. It was another example of applying UX thinking to hospitality: clear flow, strong visual identity, and a touch of delight that made the night unforgettable.

A long, elaborately set dining table glows under candlelight and moody blue lighting at a Haunted Mansion-themed dinner party. The table features a mix of vintage glassware, themed menus, black napkins, and small props. The room is accented with purple walls and framed art inspired by Disney’s Haunted Mansion stretching portraits, adding to the theatrical, spooky atmosphere.
A long dinner table is illuminated by colorful, dripping candles in ornate holders, casting a warm, moody glow. Faux flowers, crystal glassware, and decorative bottles line the table. Guests in the background, some in costume, sit in low light, adding to the theatrical and intimate atmosphere of the gathering.
A woman in a black-and-white maid costume stands holding a silver candelabra with five lit candles. She wears a headband with themed ears and a badge-covered apron, standing near a brick wall and white door. The warm candlelight and costume suggest a theatrical or Halloween-themed gathering.
A detailed place setting for “The Haunted Mansion Dinner Party 2024,” featuring a program with the guest name Ashley, a black napkin with a silver shield-shaped ring, and vintage silverware. The dark wooden table is decorated with black and white roses, small black candles, and mirrored tiles. A gold and black vintage tumbler glass sits next to the setting, enhancing the gothic and elegant dinner party theme.
A man in a denim apron stands in a kitchen, holding tongs and browning short ribs in a pan on the stove. The counter is filled with ingredients including garlic, seasonings, and packaged meat. Behind him, wooden cabinets display neatly stacked dishes and glassware. The kitchen is well-lit, with a window above the sink and various cooking supplies organized on the counters.
Two people prepare food in a warmly lit kitchen. In the foreground, several small plates each hold a halved avocado with the pit replaced by an olive and topped with a colorful cocktail umbrella. One person in a dark shirt is focused on food prep, while another in a light suit and fedora works at the sink in the background.
A plated dish at a themed dinner features a piece of white fish, a test tube of sauce or garnish, and a small wooden barrel cup. The elegant plate sits on a dark wooden table with ornate drinkware and a place card labeled “Ashley.” Nearby, a small card with “Dark Wood Port” and fantasy-style artwork enhances the gothic and whimsical aesthetic of the Haunted Mansion Dinner Party.
A candlelit dinner party with guests in costume, including one person in a red wig and another dressed as a ghostly bride in white with a veil. The table is set with elaborate drinkware, champagne flutes, dark goblets, and vintage-style glasses. A plate of white beans with cheese and herbs sits in the foreground. Colorful candles and moody lighting create a theatrical, gothic ambiance.

September Soirée. Inspired by Slim Aarons and hosted as summer tipped into fall, this backyard party featured a patio-length charcuterie board, sunset lighting, and a day-to-night experience with no flies in sight. Steve and I designed the event to feel effortless and luxurious—an invitation to linger, mingle, and enjoy. As with any great UX, it was about anticipating needs before they arose and making every interaction—from food to flow—both beautiful and frictionless.

Guests gather around a long grazing table filled with assorted cheeses, fruits, and crackers at an outdoor party.
A smiling couple poses in front of a scenic mountain backdrop, with the grazing table and party scene behind them.
Two women smile at the camera while holding glasses of orange drinks, standing on a grassy lawn with a white fence behind them.
The grazing table at night illuminated by candlelight, showcasing cheese cubes, crackers, and dried fruit.

Due to confidentiality agreements, only selected portions of my work are shown here. 
I’d be happy to walk you through more details in person or over a call.