Bethany Janka

About Bethany Janka

I’m a human-centered UX researcher who helps teams navigate complexity by uncovering what people truly need and translating insight into clear, actionable direction. My work sits at the intersection of research, service design, and strategy. With experience across the public and private sectors, I specialize in making complex, regulated systems more usable, trustworthy, and human.I hold an M.S. in Interaction Design & Information Architecture and have led and supported end-to-end research and design initiatives across the public and private sectors-from helping the U.S. Department of State reimagine how customers apply for passports, to improving experiences within complex, regulated service ecosystems.What motivates me most is connecting the dots between people, systems, and strategy to design thoughtful, data-informed solutions that reduce friction, build trust, and make complex experiences feel more human.

Experience

1. User Researcher

   Fearless

   Jul 2024 — Present

   I plan and lead user research that helps teams navigate complex systems and make informed, human-centered decisions. My work focuses on uncovering user needs and behaviors, synthesizing insights across research and operational contexts, and translating findings into clear direction for design and strategy. I bring experience across generative and evaluative research, usability testing, and stakeholder facilitation, with a strong emphasis on turning insight into action.I currently support the U.S. Department of State’s Passport Services, contributing to large-scale efforts to modernize customer experiences and improve how public-sector services are designed and delivered.

Education

• University of Virginia

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), History

• University of Baltimore

  Master's degree (M.S.), Interaction Design & Information Architecture

  2019 — 2023

• University of Baltimore

  Certificate, User Experience (UX) Design

  2019 — 2020

Skills

• Nonprofits
• Social Networking
• Proposal Writing
• Customer Service
• Team Building
• Powerpoint
• Microsoft Excel
• Community Outreach
• Microsoft Office
• Sales
• Leadership
• Event Planning
• Editing
• Microsoft Word
• Research