• photo of Annie Hensley - Openfield Director of UX Design

    Annie Hensley

    Director / UX Design

    Biography

    As Director of UX Design at Openfield, Annie is responsible for ensuring the team continues to deliver superior client and user experiences that result in tangible business outcomes. That includes fostering collaboration and crossover between our design and research teams, mentorship and career guidance, stewardship of Openfield’s culture and values, as well as, contributing to strategic decisions that ensure the company continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of EdTech clients and users. Annie is a lifelong runner who completed the Boston Marathon for a second consecutive year in 2023. She is an avid lover of parks of all sorts – theme parks, ballparks, and National Parks (even revisiting Parks and Recreation too many times to count).

    Qualifications

    As Director of UX Design at Openfield, she brings a wealth of experience with a B.S. in Design from the University of Cincinnati. With 10+ years in the field, she excels in facilitating design thinking sessions, fostering collaboration, and driving superior user experiences. As an IAAP Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies, she is committed to ensuring accessibility standards are met, creating equitable product experiences for all users.

Articles and Resources from Annie Hensley

    Photo of a female EdTech product leader looking at post-it notes on a window.
    RESOURCE: eBOOK

    The Only UX-Fueled EdTech Growth Playbook You Need

    Is your EdTech product ready to scale? Discover the essential UX strategies that will support your growth and set you apart in a competitive market. Our comprehensive ebook, “The Only UX-Fueled EdTech Growth Playbook You Need,” offers invaluable insights for small and midsize EdTech companies preparing to expand their user base and product complexity. on’t let UX be a bottleneck in your EdTech product’s growth story.

    Photo of two students using e-learning software in a classroom
    RESOURCE

    The 3-step guide to validating your EdTech product

    Without proper user validation, many EdTech companies risk missing the mark with their products. If your concepts don’t actually resonate with your end users, they easily get lost in the crowded EdTech marketplace. It’s especially risky in light of funding fluctuations and the cessation of pandemic-era funding. You need to ensure that your products and services stand out as must-have solutions to users’ everyday needs. Our 3-step guide to validation will help your EdTech product get the best start possible.

    Background graphic for EdTech prototyping guide
    RESOURCE

    Not sure which prototype to use? Here’s your guide to strategic prototyping.

    Prototypes are essential tools to ensure efficient, cost-effective and ultimately successful EdTech products. But how do you know which prototype to use for every scenario? Our guide demystifies the process of choosing the right type of prototype with a detailed tour through the different stages—from initial paper sketching to functional iterating.

    Photo of UX designer meeting with product owner
    ARTICLE: Annie Hensley

    Scale up, speed up, save up: 5 benefits of partnering with an external agency for EdTech product design

    You’re responsible for ensuring the successful development, launch, and management of your company’s EdTech products. But between internal politics, siloed communication, and limited resources for design and research, your job is anything but simple. Hiring a third-party agency like Openfield can provide the external support teams like yours so often need. We’re an ideator partner that isn’t beholden to internal politics, allowing for faster and more collaborative decision-making.

    Photo of EdTech UX team collaborating
    ARTICLE: Annie Hensley

    Find a scalable solution for your next EdTech project with the right UX partner

    As an EdTech product manager facing time and budget pressures, you might be looking for a shortcut to get your product to market faster. In these instances, cutting UX research or testing may seem like the best approach. However, while many shortcuts are designed to make tasks quicker and easier, not all shortcuts produce desirable results. In the world of EdTech product development, cutting corners in UX simply isn’t an option. 

    Case Study: New connected digital experience for students and instructors fuels rapid market dominance.

    Openfield provided UX strategy and design that resulted in this intuitive, innovative suite of learning tools that facilitate campus communication and create a standardized ecosystem of support at every stage of the student lifecycle.

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