Who am I?

I’m a UX researcher and designer passionate about curiosity, creativity, and learning.

My work draws on my experience as a museum educator, content producer, web analyst, and usability strategist.

I’m based in Brooklyn, NY. Want to get in touch? Contact me.

Portrait of Tess Porter, a woman with long, dark hair, light skin, smiling as she looks at the viewer

My first website

I first started experimenting with HTML and CSS in 2003 as a little kid obsessed with Neopets.

So I could learn how to code my own guild profiles like a pro, my dad pointed me to sites like the now defunct webmonkey.com and bought me my first domain: bluepixiedust.com.

Table-based layouts to build the perfect grids were the pinnacle of design. My single landing page was based on my favorite Neopets and Kingdom Hearts fansites.

Here, I've re-created that first webpage (sans tables). Because I don't want Square Enix to come after me, please enjoy my replacement of this exquisite watercolor of sora from the Kingdom Hearts title screen.

Enjoy the music, too.

W E L C O M E

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Experience

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN

UX Designer

August 2024–Present


SMITHSONIAN OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

User Experience Strategist

April 2023–April 2024

Digital Content Producer

September 2018–April 2023

Educational Support Specialist

September 2016–September 2018

Educational Technician

June 2015–September 2016


CENTER FOR DIGITAL EXPERIENCES AT PRATT INSTITUTE

UX Consultant

August 2021–May 2023


FREER GALLERY OF ART AND ARTHUR M. SACKLER GALLERY

Digital Content Contractor

June–November 2018

Education

PRATT INSTITUTE

Master of Science

Museums and Digital Culture
User Experience Advanced Certificate


UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER

Bachelor of Arts

Anthropology and Art History