Teresa Lopes, UXC
Teresa Lopes is a strategic and transformational UX and Product Design leader with over 20 years of experience designing human-centered, accessible, and scalable digital experiences across healthcare, government, and enterprise sectors. She began her journey in technology as a developer but quickly discovered her passion for visual design, having been able to draw before she could write. Over time, she found her niche in designing information systems, focusing on user interfaces and digital workflows. Her career has evolved to leading teams, mentoring emerging designers, and running her own creative design business on the side, allowing her to explore new ideas and maintain a hands-on connection to the craft.
Currently serving as Human Factors Engineer Senior Advisor at General Dynamics Information Technology, Teresa leads high-level government projects aimed at modernizing complex systems. She works closely with leadership to reorganize teams and processes, ensuring user-centered design is at the core of system upgrades. Her efforts focus on incorporating user feedback, establishing KPIs, and transforming legacy workflows into efficient, intuitive solutions. Among her proudest accomplishments is improving the patient check-in experience for a healthcare software company, reducing wait times by 50% and improving accuracy by 60%, demonstrating her ability to deliver tangible, measurable impact.
Teresa holds a BA in Graphic Design and Computer Applications from the University of Notre Dame and has earned professional certifications including AWS Certified AI Practitioner and Accessibility Practitioner. She is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of UX and IT professionals and actively supports causes related to arts and culture, diversity, education, human rights, and food security. Known for her strategic vision, creativity, and dedication to improving user experiences, Teresa continues to drive meaningful change across the organizations she serves while cultivating the growth of those she mentors.
• AWS Certified AI Practitioner
• Accessibility Practitioner
• Accessibility Policy and Planning
• Certified User Experience Specialist (CUSX)
• University of Notre Dame - BA, Graphic Design, Computer Applications
• Cornell Women's Institute for Entrepreneurship
• Business Associations
• Alzheimer's Association (Annual Mother's Day Weekend Tea Fundraiser)
• Go To Nations
• Hubbard House (Jacksonville)
• Feeding Northeast Florida
What do you attribute your success to?
I've been fortunate to have had incredible mentors, starting with my mother. She's a boss in her own right. I grew up seeing her empowered, running the house and running businesses, and so it just came naturally to me. Beyond her, a lot of other people stuck their necks out for me and gave me a chance, especially starting out. I try to remember that when I work with others, that sometimes all we need is a chance to learn something new, and you never know what might happen. So I attribute my success to that, as well as hard work. When you get the chance, you have to seize it and maximize it. I'm very blessed to have a lot of great mentors along the way.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
You don't have to have it all figured out right now, you're not going to. I think back to what I said I wanted to be, from underwater sea explorer to architect, but you know, you figure it out along the way. I wouldn't want any dreams to die too early, so I would say pursue, as a young person, as many options as you like. Figure out what you like and what you don't like. But you're not going to get it all figured out at 12, 13, 16, 20. You might be a little bit more lucky than me, but I'm not going to have it all figured out right away. Don't be hard on yourself.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The challenge is uncertainty of the future, so there's a lot of technology changes with artificial intelligence. People are trying to figure out where we fit in. Will we have a job? What will our jobs look like? Will our children have a job? So there's a lot of fear around that, and a lot of organizations and leadership are trying to find out how to best implement it so they can get the most out of it. I think that's kind of where we are now, a lot of apprehension around it. But also, I think there's some opportunity there too if we embrace it and start learning a little bit more about it. With more information, I believe your fear goes down.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity. Just old-fashioned, say what you mean, do what you say you're gonna do, be trustworthy, be honest. Those are the things that I try to carry along with me.