Alejandra Rodriguez Vega, Ph.D
I am a UX Researcher at Google focused on Gemini translating user feedback into actionable insights to optimize the end-to-end AI user experience.
Areas of Expertise
Generative AI & Conversational UX:
Advanced expertise in mapping mental models, trust dynamics, and first-time feature adoption across multimodal, voice, and canvas AI interfaces.
Spatial Computing & Hardware Integration:
Deep experience evaluating 3D spatial environments, human factors, and software-hardware interplay under variable real-world conditions.
Mixed-Methods & Longitudinal Strategy:
Proficient in parallel qualitative and quantitative tracks, specializing in scaled diary studies, unmoderated testing, survey design, and deep-dive interviewing.
Cross-Functional Alignment & Strategic Impact:
Skilled at bringing engineering, design, and executive leadership into synthesis, translating nuanced human behavior into concrete product roadmaps and strategic guidelines.
Selected Work
Google DeepMind - Gemini
Evaluating voice input, screen adaptability, and personalization across Gemini mobile, Gemini Live and Gemini desktop.
Read Case Study →
Apple - Vision Pro Persona
Design and conduct human-subject studies to evaluate the usability of the Vision Pro’s Persona feature, translating user feedback into actionable insights to improve immersive hardware experiences.
Read Case Study →
Starbucks: The Future of Food
Led UX research initiatives for the Starbucks-ASU partnership, driving innovation in food, beverage services, and product design.
Read Case Study →
Defining Collaborative Research Methods
Exploring and innovating collaborative research methods with stakeholders
Read Case Study →
Research Skills
Research Methods
Survey Design & Analysis, User Interviews, Usability Testing,
Diary Studies, Ethnographic Field Studies, Cultural Probes,
Focus Groups, Rapid Testing, Literature Reviews, Stakeholder Workshops,
A/B Testing, Collaborative & Speculative Design, Design Fiction,
Rapid Prototyping, Thematic Analysis, Affinity Diagrams, Card Sorting.
Publications
Designing Just Futures for Public Engagement in Petrochemical Pipeline Infrastructure
National Science Foundation
To be Published Soon!Designing to Elicit Future Affective Potential: Café 2057
by Oluwabukola Makinde Christy Spackman, Alejandra Rodriguez Vega, Stacey Kuznetsov, Christopher Wharton
Futures: for the interdisciplinary study of futures, visioning, anticipation and foresight - Journal
Read the Publication ↗Dream Drone: Crowd-based Storytelling as a Tool for Design Reflection.
by Alejandra Rodriguez Vega, and Stacey Kuznetsov
MIT Press 2025 — Leonardo
To be Published Soon!Exploring Collaborative Design Through Storytelling and Ideation
by Alejandra Rodriguez Vega
Arizona State University 2024 - Dissertation
Read the Publication ↗A Study of Solar Cooking: Exploring Climate-Resilient Food Preparation and Opportunities for HCI
by Stacey Kuznetsov, Alejandra Rodriguez Vega, and Elenore Long
CHI 2022 — New Orleans, Louisiana US
Read the Publication ↗Drogon, the Thermal-Sensing Drone: Exploring Aerial Imagery as a Tool for Citizen Science Research
by Heesun Kim, Kyle Hoefer, Alejandra Rodriguez Vega, and Stacey Kuznetsov
DIS 2019 — San Diego, California USA.
Read the Publication ↗😃 Oh, hello.
Feel free to reach out for collaborations or just a friendly hello at rdzva.ale@gmail.com