Hi, I’m Stef! 👋🏼

I help teams navigate ambiguity to build useful, usable AI, XR, and robotics products.

I've led research for numerous 0-to-1 product launches in spatial computing (AR/VR/3D), including Adobe Aero, Adobe Substance 3D Suite, and Meta Quest 3. I established the design research function at AR start-up, DAQRI, leading the company’s first case studies on in-field use of enterprise AR hardware and software. In 2023, I founded my design research practice, Sendfull, providing workshops, consulting, and fractional design research leadership to product teams building at the frontier of emerging technologies. I'm also a mentor for early- and growth-stage companies at Berkeley Skydeck and C100.

I’ve published 17 peer-reviewed articles, hold several patents on AR and brain computer interfaces, and speak about design, strategy, and human behavior for industry, academic, and public audiences. I’m currently authoring a book, What Your Machines Should Do: The Science and Strategy of Human-Centered Automation, coming in Fall 2026 with Rosenfeld Media.

Passionate about teaching, I’ve designed and taught design innovation and systems thinking research curriculum for product teams and academia, including UC Berkeley’s School of Information and Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation. Most recently, I designed a new graduate course, UX for AI, which I taught in Spring 2026.

I hold a PhD in Psychology from the University of Toronto, focusing on cognitive neuroscience. This background informs my work on neuroscience-based principles for multi-modal spatial computing design and how I think about delegating cognitive tasks to machines versus humans. My interests in human perception and cognition are rooted in my background as a musician. I hold an Associate Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music in violin performance.

In my spare time, you can find me jamming on anything with strings, composing electronic music, or running full send (yes, that’s where “Sendfull” comes from) on trails.

Photo credit: Erik Natzke