Hello, I’m Brian Parsons, a design leader that empowers my teams to design human centered products that everyone can enjoy using.
Companies
Sony PlayStation
Nike
Go To Foods
What Coworkers Say
Andrew M. - Senior Manager, QA
“Brian's interactions with Executive Sponsors are particularly impressive. He not only communicated our successes effectively but also motivated executives to take action and share in the excitement of ABLE's initiatives. His communication skills and ability to engage with senior leadership are a model for how I think it should be done…. One of Brian's most significant contributions has been uniting the ABLE leadership team. Despite spanning multiple continents and business units with varying priorities, Brian's clear and consistent communication, goal setting, and persistence have enabled us to operate as a cohesive unit. His leadership has been a key factor in our success.”
Rose L. - UX Designer
“Brian is one of the most competent coworkers I’ve had the privilege to work with. He’s very knowledgeable and passionate about UX as it relates to design, accessibility and inclusivity. I’ve seen him successfully lead and engage others during the pandemic to bring people together and learn about the many facets of accessibility we need to consider when making a product or feature - this was no easy feat, but he did it in a way that was fun and interesting to participants.”
Rohith R. - Senior UX Researcher
“Brian Parsons is an accomplished, highly skilled UX designer who not only understands universal design principles but consistently applies them across his projects. Nearly every accessibility feature on the PS5 has Brian’s imprint, earning numerous global design awards. In addition to being a talented designer, Brian is a great researcher, adept at gathering and interpreting real user data.
Brian excels at thinking beyond his immediate context and enabling others. He has created onboarding materials, UI guidelines, and training courses for all UX practitioners at SIE, elevating the entire organization and leaving a lasting positive impact…. Brian is an enabler, genuinely invested in the growth of those around him, and this makes him an excellent leader.”
My Design Process
Interviewing target customers about their perspectives and behaviors.
1. Understand the Problem
efore my team starts any project, we need to figure out why we are doing this. The answer is always more nuanced than most think at first and this is why Design Thinking is so valuable. Not only do we ask why, but we ask it a lot of time to many different people.
Stakeholder Interviews
Generative User Research
Competitive Analysis
Content Audits
Persona Development
Generate ideas, then test them with your target customers.
2. Ideate & Prototype
With feedback from the business and target customers, the designers lead the team in coming up with creative solutions. Partnering with user research, we test the solutions quickly to understand whether we are on the right track.
Brainstorming Workshops
Co-design Sessions
Customer Journey Mapping
Concept Studies
Card Sorting
Interactive Prototyping
Track performance and continuously seek to improve the product.
3. Test & Manage
Whether it’s in the prototyping phase or in production, it’s necessary to test how well you product (and your competitors) are meeting their needs. This can be done with manual in-person testing or remote data analytics, but ideally we are using both to have a better understanding of how the product is doing.
Usability Testing
Tree Jacking
UX Benchmarking (Internal & Competitive)
Automated Data Analytics & Reporting
Outside of Work
Family First
Being a great dad has been a goal of mine since I was in 5th grade. I am always trying to find fun and adventurous trips and experiences for my family. Whether it’s train spotting at local playgrounds in the Bay Area to zip lining in Montreal or white water rafting in the Trinity Alps, we are always on the lookout for something new and exciting to do
Cooking food for his family at Benihana’s “Be the Chef for a Day”
Visiting the immersive teamLab art experience
My Hobbies - Experiencing & Exploring
Nothing excites me more than trying out new experiences and seeing the world through someone else’s perspective. I’m always exploring new places and experiences. Being a chef for a day at Benihana was extremely chaotic, even for someone who enjoys cooking at home. Walking through another designer’s immersive and interactive artwork in Tokyo humbled my own abilities as a creative professional while also inspiring me to build better experiences for everyone. I truly believe my obsession with trying new things and gathering as many viewpoints as possible is what led me to a career in UX where curiosity and empathy are keys to success.