About
Builder, strategist,
listener.
I'm Shantaisa King. I sit at the intersection of UX research, product strategy, and systems thinking. My work is about translating ambiguity into structure for students, builders, and teams trying to move forward without a clear map.
Who I am
A short story.
I came into this work the long way. I studied information at the University of Michigan School of Information, led teams across data investigations and interaction design projects, and kept noticing the same thing: people rarely struggle for lack of information. They struggle because the information they have is shaped wrong for the decision in front of them.
That observation became my throughline. Every project I take on, whether it begins as a research brief, a product question, or a pile of messy data, ends up at the same destination: a clearer next step for the person on the other side of the screen.
Recognition
An award I carry with me.
John L. King Award
Recognizes an outstanding student in the Bachelor of Science in Information program at the University of Michigan School of Information.
Honored for using data to solve social issues, choosing electives intent on research with real impact on communities, and helping build resources for student-parents, transfer students, and first-generation peers at UMSI.
"A shining example of what it means to be a BSI student — and how to pave your own path."
What I believe
Three convictions that shape the work.
Clarity is a design output.
If a person leaves an experience knowing their next right step, the work succeeded. If they leave more confused, no amount of polish saves it.
Numbers and stories belong together.
Data without lived context becomes a guess in a suit. Stories without data become wishful thinking. I weave both.
Systems should feel humane.
I design for the moment a real person, with a real day, opens the screen. Calm, honest, obvious in hindsight.
What I do
Where I tend to be most useful.
Interviews, journey mapping, synthesis. Finding the question behind the question.
Translating ambiguity into a clear, sequenced bet the team can rally around.
Flows, prototypes, and decision architecture that respect attention.
Python, SQL, and cross platform analysis to surface the insight that changes the call.
How I work
Three states. Every project moves through them.
- 01
Listen
Talk to people. Read the docs. Map the constraints. Resist the urge to solve too soon.
- 02
Structure
Turn the mess into a model. Name the patterns. Pick the bet that creates the most clarity for the most people.
- 03
Ship
Prototype, test, iterate. Hand off something the team understands and a person can actually use.
Outside of work
The rest of me.
I'm a sister, a friend, and someone who will absolutely overthink a playlist. I read widely, write to make sense of what I'm seeing, and protect the quiet hours that make the rest of the work possible.
I believe in mentorship, slow conversations, and the kind of collaboration that leaves everyone smarter than they came in.
Want to build clarity together?
I'm always open to a conversation about research, strategy, or a knot worth untangling.