UX Design Consultants in Washington, D.C. to Watch

UX Design Consultants in Washington, D.C to Watch for in 2025

Washington, D.C UX Experts to Know in 2025

Washington, D.C. isn't just the seat of power in the United States—it's also a thriving, nuanced digital ecosystem shaped by government initiatives, advocacy organizations, and private innovation. Here, UX design isn't merely about aesthetics; it's a force for civic engagement, policy clarity, and enterprise efficiency. It's where design meets responsibility, and user-centric thinking becomes a catalyst for real-world impact.

At Digital Reference, we understand how integral the local UX design community is to shaping both the public and private sectors in the nation's capital. Our curated list of UX Design Consultants to Watch in 2025 isn't about popularity contests or who has the flashiest portfolio. It's about substance. We evaluated each consultant through a rigorous methodology, including:

• 🔍 Extensive research on UX impact in real-world projects
• 🧭 Review of case studies and user-centered design methods
• 📍 Consultant location (must be in or around the D.C. metro area)
• 🛠 Unique strategies or approaches that challenge the UX status quo
• 💬 Client feedback, thought leadership, and community involvement

This list is designed to help hiring managers, product teams, and design leaders identify proven UX partners who are not only good at what they do, but transformative in how they do it.

Cory Lebson

Principal UX Research Consultant, Lebsontech LLC
LinkedIn | Website

Cory Lebson is a standout in the D.C. UX ecosystem, with over 30 years of experience in user research and digital strategy. As the founder of Lebsontech LLC, Cory has worked with over 150 organizations, providing tailored UX research and leadership on projects that shape everything from federal agency websites to civic tech platforms.

Why Cory is one to watch in 2025:

• 🎯 Runs fractional research and leadership engagements that flex to client needs
• 🧠 Known for his hands-on research: contextual inquiries, usability testing, ethnographic fieldwork, and agile-embedded testing frameworks
• 📊 Proficient in both qualitative and quantitative methods, from card sorts to survey design and statistical analysis
• 🧩 Leads design critique workshops, accessibility audits (Trusted Tester certified), and heuristic reviews
• 🗣 Dynamic trainer and mentor with decades of public speaking and UX teaching under his belt

His consultancy, Lebsontech, typically operates with a small, focused team (1 to 5 people), maintaining quality and intimacy in every engagement. Cory doesn’t just "consult"; he elevates entire teams by mentoring staff, supporting hiring strategies, and even running community UX events.

✨ Fun fact: He is the author of The UX Careers Handbook (Second Edition) and served as past president of UXPA International, contributing actively to the global UX network.

Joe Natoli

Founder, Give Good UX & UX 365 Academy
LinkedIn | Website | UX 365 Academy

Joe Natoli is a seasoned UX consultant and educator who has spent over three decades translating UX theory into business results. With a client roster that includes Meta, Google, DHS, DOD, and top-tier financial and healthcare organizations, Joe focuses on achieving quantifiable value through strategic UX design and product optimization.

Why Joe is a standout in 2025:

• 💡 Helped a $5B global firm achieve a 200% increase in conversion for six-figure contracts through targeted UX workflow updates
• 🧠 Saved 160% in annual costs for a $6.4B info-services leader by redesigning collaboration between UX and dev teams
• 💸 Led a $23M revenue increase for a global finance client with zero in-house UX staff, by training product managers and engineers
• 📈 Drove UX maturity across enterprise health tech platforms for a $62.4M quality org entering new markets
• 📣 Guided product design teams at a $39B social media giant to shift perception of UX from cost center to ROI driver

But Joe isn’t just a high-level consultant. Through UX 365 Academy, he’s personally trained over 344,000 students in topics traditional bootcamps avoid:

• 🤝 Navigating political, corporate environments
• 🎯 Prioritizing actionable UX over theoretical dogma
• 🧭 Coaching on career development, collaboration, and internal influence

Joe’s work resonates because it’s practical, real, and unapologetically honest. His keynotes, courses, and coaching boil UX down to what actually works inside messy organizations.

Rajeev Subramanian

Founder, Shift UX
LinkedIn | Website

Rajeev Subramanian is a powerhouse in bridging design, strategy, and compliance in high-stakes, regulated environments. With a background that includes key leadership roles at Capital One and Freddie Mac, Rajeev doesn’t just "deliver features"—he orchestrates systems that reduce risk, build trust, and scale intelligently.

What makes Rajeev a standout in 2025:

• 🏛 At Capital One, he led research that redefined the roadmap for small business banking, aligning vision and delivery across silos
• 🏗 At Freddie Mac, he spearheaded the modernization of public-facing digital platforms and architected a cross-divisional product lifecycle
• 🤖 Currently aligning Freddie’s digital ecosystem for AI-readiness and intelligent content delivery
• 📐 Specializes in transforming friction into opportunity with roadmapping, platform strategy, and UX-driven product decisions
• 🧠 Brings over 12 years of experience in design research, stakeholder engagement, and enterprise product planning

Rajeev’s sweet spot? Fintech, mortgage, healthtech, and risk-sensitive organizations where product complexity and regulatory rigor demand more than surface-level UX.

As the founder of Shift UX, Rajeev also runs a private coaching program for mid- to senior-level professionals looking to break into strategic UX and product leadership roles. His mission? Empower people to remove doubt, clarify direction, and thrive in complex organizations.

🎓 Bonus: He also teaches at Georgetown University, further fueling the next generation of systems-savvy UX professionals.

Eduardo Ortiz

CEO & Co-Founder, Coforma
LinkedIn | Website

Eduardo Ortiz is a civic-minded technologist who brings heart, discipline, and impact to every corner of his work. As CEO and founding co-owner of Coforma, Eduardo leads a team of 150+ with a single vision: to build digital solutions that improve lives, especially for underserved communities.

Why Eduardo belongs on this 2025 list:

• 🧱 Co-leads Coforma, a mission-driven, remote-first firm known for equitable hiring and human-centered design excellence
• 💼 Former Executive Creative Director at U.S. Digital Service, where he helped modernize services across federal agencies
• ⚙️ Combines his engineering and product background to craft tech that removes friction and restores trust
• 🌎 Focuses on equity in every layer of the design and delivery process, from culture to community to clients
• 🐺 Leads with a "wolf-pack" mindset, nurturing team resilience and support in fast-paced environments

Eduardo’s journey from U.S. Marine Corps veteran to technologist to CEO speaks volumes about his grit and intention. His ethos is rooted in action over aesthetics—not just building polished products, but building systems that serve.

With clients across healthcare, government, and social impact sectors, Coforma under Eduardo’s leadership is not just a consultancy—it’s a cultural and operational blueprint for inclusive design at scale.

🗨️ "While skills and knowledge can be taught, true passion for enacting change comes from within." — Eduardo Ortiz

Edward Chase

Founder/Lead UX Designer, MoodShare LLC
LinkedIn | Website

Edward Chase is a UX leader whose work is deeply rooted in psychological insight and emotional design. With a Master's in Human-Computer Interaction from Drexel University and a certificate from George Washington University, Edward brings an academic rigor that complements his mission to design for mental well-being and human connection.

Why Edward makes our 2025 list:

• 🧠 Leads UX/UI for MoodShare, a mental health-focused social media platform designed to help users share and process their feelings
• 🧩 Blends cognitive psychology and design systems to foster user-centric and emotionally intelligent interfaces
• 🎯 Conducts in-depth research, usability testing, and wireframe prototyping that centers accessibility and engagement
• 🧰 Developed a comprehensive design system that meets Section 508 accessibility standards
• 🤝 Collaborates cross-functionally with developers and UX designers to align tech specs with business impact

Edward’s design philosophy centers on how digital environments can influence emotional health. His previous internship at Amazon saw him improving recruiting workflows and presenting research deliverables to executive leadership—further proof of his ability to balance macro strategy with micro usability.

✍️ Outside of consulting, Edward runs a growing UX newsletter focused on behaviorally informed design and the future of socially driven tech. He’s passionate about advancing mental health through better digital tools, and his work is a bold example of UX used in service of empathy and equity.

Amy Oughton

Founder & CEO, Dream in Color
LinkedIn | Website

Amy Oughton is an award-winning UX/UI strategist who leads with vision, empathy, and code. As the founder of Dream in Color, a D.C.-based digital consultancy, she designs and builds high-impact, human-centered solutions across healthcare, nonprofit, and tech sectors.

Why Amy is one to watch in 2025:

• 🎨 Ranked among the top UI/UX strategists in the world by Toptal
• 🏥 Has delivered intuitive, accessible solutions for AstraZeneca, The University of Maryland, and The Health Management Academy
• 🛠 Oversees full-stack development, from UX research and design to frontend/backend implementation
• 📊 Known for powerful data visualization and system redesigns that enhance operational transparency
• 💬 Focused on redesigning legacy systems and solving real usability challenges in mission-driven organizations

Amy’s firm is built around a simple promise: to make digital tools more humane, usable, and effective. Whether she’s designing dashboards that drive smarter health outcomes or streamlining old systems for social impact groups, her work radiates intentionality and inclusivity.

Through Dream in Color, Amy also provides strategic consulting for organizations seeking to balance performance with accessibility-first UX. And yes—she’s as technical as she is creative, with hands-on experience in both frontend and backend app development.

UX That Shapes the Capital

Washington, D.C. is rich with UX talent that brings nuance, discipline, and compassion to their work. From civic tech changemakers like Eduardo Ortiz to research stalwarts like Cory Lebson, these professionals reflect the Digital Reference ethos: grounded in evidence, guided by strategy, and inspired by human need.

At Digital Reference, we’re not just building lists—we're building clarity, alignment, and impact across the digital product lifecycle. Learn more about our mission at digitalreference.co/about.

Ready to bring more intentionality to your UX strategy? Reach out, and let’s make design a catalyst for change.

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