Susan Weinschenk

Susan Weinschenk, Ph.D., is a behavioral psychologist, UX expert, author, speaker, and consultant who has spent more than 30 years exploring the intersection of psychology, human behavior, and technology. Her work focuses on understanding how people think, perceive information, make decisions, and behave, and applying that knowledge to the design of products, services, and digital experiences. (User Experience Institute)

Known widely as “The Brain Lady,” Susan has built her career around translating behavioral science and psychological research into practical guidance for designers, researchers, marketers, and product teams. Her approach connects scientific understanding of human behavior with real-world design decisions, helping organizations create experiences that are easier to understand, more persuasive, and more aligned with how people actually behave. (OpenView Venture Partners)

Susan has worked across human factors, usability, user experience, and behavioral design. Earlier in her career, she founded and led Weinschenk Consulting Group, where she applied psychology to the design of technology products, websites, and applications for major organizations. She later served in senior UX strategy and training roles at Human Factors International, where her work included user-centered design, persuasive interface design, neuropsychology, and the development of UX methodologies. (Human Factors)

Her professional experience spans a wide range of digital environments, including websites, applications, enterprise systems, graphical user interfaces, and speech interfaces. She has also worked with organizations on integrating software development methodologies with user-centered design and helping teams develop a stronger user-centered culture. (Human Factors)

A major contribution of Susan’s work has been making psychological and behavioral science accessible to the UX and design community. She is the author of several influential books, including 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People, 100 MORE Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People, Neuro Web Design: What Makes Them Click?, and How to Get People to Do Stuff. Her books explore topics including attention, memory, motivation, persuasion, decision-making, and the ways people interact with digital products. (LinkedIn)

Her book 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People has become a widely recognized resource for designers and UX professionals. The book focuses on translating research about the brain, perception, memory, motivation, and human behavior into practical principles that can inform design decisions. (User Experience Institute)

Susan’s work on behavioral design also explores how psychological principles can influence the way people interact with products and services. Her perspective emphasizes that understanding what people do is only part of the challenge; designers also need to understand why people behave the way they do and how cognitive, emotional, and motivational factors influence their decisions. (IxDF - Interaction Design Foundation)

Her expertise has made her a sought-after speaker, workshop leader, and educator. She has presented at UX, design, technology, and behavioral science conferences and has taught professionals how to apply psychology and behavioral research to practical design challenges. Her LinkedIn profile currently lists services including UX research, interaction design, UX design, training, public speaking, management consulting, and leadership development. (LinkedIn)

Susan is also the founder and president of the User Experience Institute and currently leads The Team W, where she works as a behavioral scientist and consultant. Her work includes training and consulting for organizations ranging from large enterprises to startups, governments, and nonprofits. (User Experience Institute)

Her academic background is rooted in psychology. Susan holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University, providing the scientific foundation for her work in behavioral psychology, human factors, and user experience. (Human Factors)

Susan has also contributed to the broader UX community through articles, interviews, podcasts, workshops, and educational content. Her work frequently focuses on helping practitioners stay connected to psychological research and use evidence about human behavior rather than assumptions when making design decisions. (Apple Podcasts)

As a special guest contributor to Userlytics resources, Susan brings decades of experience at the intersection of psychology, behavioral science, usability, and user experience. Her perspective reinforces the importance of understanding people as the foundation for creating effective digital products and experiences.

Through her books, research, teaching, consulting, and contributions to the UX community, Susan has helped make behavioral science more accessible to designers and product professionals. Her work continues to demonstrate how a deeper understanding of human behavior can lead to more intuitive, persuasive, and user-centered experiences.