UX Design Warrior Shield
UX DESIGN WARRIOR · PORTFOLIO

Hi, I'm Cara Harpole —
a UX Design Warrior

UX STRATEGY · ACCESSIBILITY · STRUCTURED WEB EVALUATION
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Case Studies & Evaluation Thinking

Real-world UX solutions built on structured analysis, accessibility standards, and strategic implementation.

UX Systems Design

Structured visual systems, Information Architecture frameworks, and evaluation-driven UI aligned to measurable UX standards.

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Structured Evaluation & Web Analysis

Identifying what breaks, why it breaks, and how to fix it — across devices, standards, and user contexts.

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Case Studies & Measured Outcomes

I document exactly how identifying design shortcomings leads to better performance.

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My Design Ethos

As we enter the age of AI, one constant remains: the need for human-centered systems.

I design for the user who wasn't in the room when decisions were made.

That instinct was made very clear when I built A2Symmetry — an accessibility advocacy platform created around the lived experience of my visually impaired friend Heather. It taught me that anticipating diverse needs would come to be the foundation of every design decision I make.

Inclusive, strategic, and research-informed is how I build clear, effective, and meaningful digital products.

ux design warrior character, holding shield in wakanda type of clothing
KETO ME COACHING
Designing for underserved communities means questioning who the market forgot.

Keto Me is a mobile app prototype designed to bring accountability, community, and inclusive coaching to a health-and-wellness market that largely ignores women of color.

The design process consist of research, card sorting, onboarding flows, and a four-pillar information architecture built around real user needs.

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Keto Me Coaching Project
QUEEN PELICAN
Crafting a brand identity built to last.

Designed the Queen Pelican visual identity from concept in 2015 — including the mascot, voice, and visual language that carried it through three major design iterations over a decade.

The 2025 redesign unified the original brand assets into a cohesive system across mobile and desktop, demonstrating that strong foundational design decisions scale with a product as it matures.

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Queen Pelican Brand Identity
VERA BLINDS
A mobile-first redesign for a business that needed to meet customers where they shop.

Vera Blinds is a live site designed and launched for a custom window treatments business. The site combined accessibility, intuitive product visualization, and a clean conversion flow.

In its first active month the site generated over 12,000 pageviews and 21,000 hits — driven by Google Ads, Yelp, and social media.

View Case Study →
Vera Blinds E-commerce
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Proprietary Framework

Built Because Standard Audits
Miss the Real Problems

"A successful web design brings many elements together to achieve a site with a good user experience. It breaks when design issues become noticeable by the user. CEWQI focuses on 16 characteristics — but unlike unilateral audits, it looks at the whole, catching problems that might otherwise go unnoticed."

See How It Works →
CEWQI logo — Cara's Extensive Web Quality Index

6-Dimension Framework

  • Structural Integrity
  • Visual Hierarchy
  • Accessibility
  • Usability Friction
  • System Cohesion
  • Visual Design
Why I Built It

A Real Client.
A Problem I Couldn't
Solve Any Other Way.

"There were too many problems to explain in conversation. I needed a system."

A small business owner asked me to help grow his online presence. When I evaluated his website, I found problems in every layer — structure, accessibility, usability, visual design. It would have been difficult for me to communicate so many complexities in one sitting.

I needed something that could grade each category independently, show relative severity, and give a client a clear picture of where to focus. So I built CEWQI: an AI-assisted framework that delivers clarity faster than any manual audit could.

The goal was to give them the information they needed to make smart decisions — even if they hired their own design team.

See It In Action →
Small business storefront — the client context that led to CEWQI
Participant Lynn in moderated usability testing with hand-drawn wireframes

Participant Lynn in moderated usability testing with hand-drawn wireframes.

The client is left with solid infomration about their sites to show them exactly what needs attention and why.

See the Full CEWQI Methodology →

What I do

mock up icon that symbolizes a computer screen

UX Systems  Architecture

I design structured digital systems grounded in usability research, information architecture, and measurable UX outcomes. Interface hierarchy, user flows, and interaction patterns are intentionally built to align user needs with business objectives.

UX Systems Architecture

Before a single pixel is placed, I map out how everything fits together — page types, navigation paths, component behaviors, data flows. This isn’t wireframing. It’s engineering the user’s journey so nothing surprises them.

When the architecture is solid, the user never notices the work. They just move, click, read, and complete tasks without thinking. That’s the goal.

Brand Identity & SEO

Good design is about more than visuals — it’s about visibility. I align brand identity, messaging, and search structure so your digital presence is cohesive, discoverable, and positioned for sustainable growth.

Search Engine Optimization is a buzzword you’ll hear often without much clarity. Many businesses know it benefits them, but don’t actually understand what goes on behind the scenes to make a site stand out. I help clients see the basics—what actually moves the needle—without pushing a full strategy they’re not ready for

Content Strategy

Clients are the best stewards of their brand. They spend months, sometimes years, shaping it into something that truly fits who they are as a business. There are occasions when clients supply me with content that doesn’t match their expectations. That’s when I step in to help them see where the content drifted from their vision and gently reshape it — without rewriting their voice.

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the ada disability symbol with stick man with hand stretches wide.

Accessibility & Compliance

Good design is about more than compliance — it’s about inclusion. I integrate WCAG standards, readable typography, and structured navigation so interfaces are usable, resilient, and accessible across abilities and environments.

Why Accessibility Audits Matter

Accessibility isn’t just about following rules — it’s about people. Clear text, strong contrast, and simple navigation make your site easier for everyone to use. Accessibility also strengthens trust and opens your business to a wider audience.

ADA & WCAG Compliance

Good design includes accessibility. I provide guidance and practical steps to improve usability for everyone — clearer text, better contrast, simpler navigation. For full legal compliance, specialized firms go deeper. But I make sure your site is on the right track.

Inclusive Design Consulting

I work with businesses to integrate inclusive practices into their digital strategy. This means thinking beyond checklists — building websites and content that reflect the real needs of your audience.

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