Alex Thorsgard · Psychology & UX Research · Oregon State University
I study how people think, feel and decide, and turn that into design.
I'm a senior in psychology with a minor in UX research. I run interviews, surveys and usability tests, and I've spent a summer inside a construction company's safety team reading incident reports so leadership could see what the field was already telling them. I care about tools that are clear, accessible and useful to the people who actually use them.
Research that ends in something someone can act on.
Granite Internship: four safety-data case studies
The information was already in the reports. Nobody was reading across them.
Jobsite observation, one written definition per problem, AI-assisted classification with a person approving every row, and findings presented to regional leadership. Plus a Power Apps hub for every active jobsite in the region.
Open the case studiesHow therapists use digital platforms
"If documentation were easier, I'd have more bandwidth for my clients."
A 45-minute semi-structured interview with a licensed therapist, affinity-mapped into six insights, four design opportunities and a composite persona.
Read the case studyRemindly, a gift-giving app
Never miss a date, never overspend, never panic-buy.
Problem framing, three target users, jobs to be done, a competitive scan, and an onboarding flow prototyped in Figma: welcome, add a recipient, see three ideas, save one.
See the product workThree places I'm learning from right now.
Research
AI learning research assistant
Working with a faculty advisor on a study of how disclosing AI-generated materials shapes student learning and self-perception, plus independent research on time management and imposter syndrome.
Practice
Direct Support Professional
Supporting adults with disabilities through daily living and community participation since 2020. It's where my instinct for accessible, person-centered design comes from.
Study
Senior at Oregon State
B.A. Psychology with a minor in UX Research and Design, anticipated 2026. Comfortable with interviews, survey design in Qualtrics, usability testing and prototyping in Figma.
Let's talk
Have a research problem? I'll read every report.
Open to UX research internships and entry-level roles. Interviews, usability tests, survey design, and the patient kind of document analysis that finds what dashboards miss.