About
Birdcall is a consultancy offering research, design, and training services worldwide. If you are interested in my trauma-related work, see my trauma-informed design and technology website with collaborator Carol Scott, Ph.D.
I’m Melissa Eggleston, and I started Birdcall in 2020 to focus on helping organizations that are changing the world for the better—socially, economically, and/or environmentally. My specialties are:
trauma-informed UX research
trauma-informed UX design
inclusive design
teaching others on user experience topics
I work with non-profits, foundations, universities, small businesses, B-corps, and others. I’ve worked frequently in the education, sports, and healthcare industries. I sometimes work alone but often bring in trustworthy collaborators as needed on projects.
Contact me today to discuss your needs.
Bio
With 15 years of experience working in technology, Melissa is a user-experience researcher, designer, and instructor. In her career, she has helped Lenovo, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Players Association, and Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, among others. She has designed websites and apps specifically for people who have experienced human trafficking, substance use disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and/or serious mental illness.
Melissa received her Master’s degree in visual communication from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has taught UX to graduate students there since 2019. She has been teaching on UX topics since 2013. Melissa is a frequent conference speaker and is pursuing doctoral studies researching the intersection of trauma and technology at North Carolina State University. You can learn more about her work on LinkedIn.
Values
Research - make data-informed decisions, not guesses
Connection - remember we are all in this together
Inclusion - welcome everybody to the party
Joy - working together on tech projects is a gift
“Melissa is a rare find. What I love most about Melissa is her love of talking directly to users and her dedication to finding real evidence of what users really need and want. I highly recommend her for user research, discovery workshops, content strategy, and speaking and educating others about UX.”
“I have worked with Melissa several times over the last few years and always look forward to the next opportunity to do so! Melissa has very strong communication and soft skills, making her great at working with clients and on teams. I highly recommend Melissa!”
“After working with Melissa as part of the team that completely overhauled my company’s website, I have full and complete trust in her. I have received so many compliments on our website, and even more meaningfully to me, the website now clearly and stylistically expresses who I am and what our company does. I can’t recommend Melissa more highly! ”