Hi, I’m Bethany (aka B-Rock!)

From pastry chef to Sr. UX Designer in five years…I get to learn something new every day while solving interesting problems and making a real difference in people’s lives. Cakes are great, but UX is my calling.

For the past 5+ years, I have owned the design of SaaS tools in insuretech through the entire product life cycle. I have experience taking products from 0 to 1, working through the entire UX triple diamond, as well as improving and iterating on complex legacy products.

Q&A

I fill gaps. If I find a problem, I want to be part of the solution. For example, when I joined Applied Systems, I started jotting down acronyms and insurance terms in a notebook. As the list grew longer, I realized it might be a helpful resources for others. I moved the list to Confluence, and over time, it grew to become the UX team’s Onboarding Resources page.
Also, I quote The Office a lot!
User observations
Really, any time I get to meet with our user is what I love most about my job. To see and hear their frustrations first-hand and learn more about their day-to-day helps me to center the voice of the user and reminds me why I do what I do. At Applied Systems, I am lucky to have access to users who are eager to share feedback and make our products better. Whether starting with generative research or working my way through the triple diamond, testing and iterating on designs, I regularly meet with users. I feel pretty lucky to sit at my desk in Maine and meet with an agent in Minneapolis or an account manager in Montreal. Some of the highlights of my time at Applied Systems have been traveling to Chicago to observe users in person or attending our annual Applied Net conference to run in-person research and generally get to know our users better.

To excel working in a kitchen, you must be able to juggle multiple projects and anticipate needs and problems before they happen. I learned to put my head down and work; to hustle and get the job done. Little did I know this approach to work would later help me hit the ground running in UX.
I am a natural teacher. I understand that people have unique learning and communication styles, and I meet them where they are. I’ll never forget teaching a team member to shape bread dough into a loaf. She was struggling to pick up the technique, and ways I had explained it in the past weren’t working. I grabbed a paper towel and started rolling and pressing, rolling and pressing, while the paper towel became a spiral. In that moment, it clicked, and her next attempt at shaping a loaf of bread was a total success. In the same way, I’ve been able to help new UX team members gain new skills and confidence as UX practitioners. If I learn something new, I want to bring others along with me.

A Bit about Bethany

My Home

I grew up in the suburbs of Boston. As an adult, I made my way to Portland, Maine via Chicago, New York, and Boston proper.

My Heart

My 90# American pit bull/American bull dog mix, Ferris, has stollen my heart. (He came with the name, but it fits!) The day I brought him home as a foster, I knew I couldn’t send him back. (#FosterFail) He is the biggest goober and thinks everyone he meets wants to be his best friend and give him treats. A day doesn’t go by where we’re not told he looks like Pete the Pup from The Little Rascals, Shadow from Homeward Bound, or a pirate.

My Hobbies

Exploring the Portland, ME food scene — Food & Wine Magazine named Portland the top small U.S. city for food and drink in 2026.
Working in the yard — I’m learning as I go, but it’s super rewarding to see everything come together.
Reading — I average a book a week. (Unpopular opinion: Non-fiction > Fiction)
Decorating cakes — I don’t bake as much as I used to, but cakes are my specialty. I’m often the one to bring dessert to a get together or make people’s birthday cakes, which I don’t mind, because I am a terrible cook!