Stephanie Van Ness

Stephanie Van Ness is Assoc. Director of Marketing Communications and Chief Storyteller at ICS and Boston UX. An experienced copywriter with a Boston University J-school degree, she writes about user experience (UX) design and innovations in technology, from self-driving vehicles to gesture-controlled medical devices. Her work has appeared in a number of industry publications, including Medical Design & Outsourcing, Mass Device, Connected World, Medical Device + Diagnostics, UX Collective and Prototypr.

Articles by Author

Industry publications:

Microcontrollers are Reshaping Development

Monday, March 1, 2021 - 13:50 • By Stephanie Van Ness • IoT

Microcontrollers are everywhere, powering the IoT revolution. This blog is the first in a series on the tiny tech.

Nearing the Finish Line with Project RED’s Low-Cost Ventilator

Monday, December 14, 2020 - 08:42 • By Stephanie Van Ness • medical device, UX Design

With this important project nearly complete, we're making final updates to decrease the possibility of use error to improve patient safety.

It’s Time to Fix Scientific Software

Friday, October 9, 2020 - 10:12 • By Philip Chila, Stephanie Van Ness • medical device, UX Design

Wider embrace of UX can make it easier for those working in life sciences to more quickly bring new therapies to market.

Mobile Apps Help Consumers Avoid COVID-19-Contaminated Public Touchscreens

Friday, July 31, 2020 - 10:27 • By Stephanie Van Ness, Mark Hatch • touchscreen, User Experience

As consumers avoid touching public devices, here’s how to provide contact-less access to your products.

Lose the Ewww: How to Clean Customer-Facing Touchscreens to Reduce COVID-19 Risk

Monday, April 13, 2020 - 10:15 • By Stephanie Van Ness • touchscreen

Are touchscreen kiosks and POS touchpads safe to use during a pandemic?

How GreenHouse by ICS Benefits User Experience Designers

Friday, March 20, 2020 - 08:50 • By Mark Hatch, Stephanie Van Ness • GreenHouse, UX design team

Solutions to the most common UX-related problems on any embedded project.

Figma is Great for Designers and Even Better for Their Clients

Friday, September 6, 2019 - 10:55 • By Stephanie Van Ness • UX Design

Real-time collaborative design tool Figma transforms workflow for creative teams.

Why Do Software Projects Fail?

Tuesday, June 4, 2019 - 13:12 • By Stephanie Van Ness • Software Development, UX Design

A follow-up to our webinar on lessons learned from 500+ successful development projects.

Use Your Words: Voice Tech Enriches Board Games

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 07:39 • By Scott Lozier, Stephanie Van Ness • gamification, Voice Recognition, alexa

Voice technology is changing the way people play games.

UX Writing Skills Now Vital for Designers

Tuesday, April 23, 2019 - 10:46 • By Stephanie Van Ness • UX Design, UX design team

Employers today expect UX designers to bring multiple skills to their roles, including copywriting.

Growing Influence of UX is Reshaping Medical Device Development

Thursday, March 14, 2019 - 08:52 • By Stephanie Van Ness • UX Design, medical device

Medtech manufacturers are increasingly embracing UX design as a way to create safer, more intuitive products.

Powerful Voice Integration for Connected-Car Solutions

Wednesday, February 20, 2019 - 10:57 • By Stephanie Van Ness • Qt, voice assistant, automotive IVI

Voice has always been recognized as an ideal way for a driver to interact with an auto because it reduces driver distraction. However, the lack of familiarity with most current automotive voice systems, along with their constrained set of commands, has resulted in low use and adoption rates. Integrated Computer Solutions (ICS) and The Qt Company are working together to change that. Their goal is to foster new breakthroughs in the use of voice in automotive, and support creation of a safer driving environment.

Beyond the Fitbit: The Changing Landscape of Medical Wearables

Friday, February 8, 2019 - 11:05 • By Jeff LeBlanc, Stephanie Van Ness • Innovation

The global market for wearable medical and health-related devices is expected to reach nearly $19.5 billion in 2021.

Exploring Ethics in UX Design

Thursday, January 31, 2019 - 10:20 • By Stephanie Van Ness • UX

What can designers learn about ethics from the field of architecture?

Focus on Usability Can Limit Medical Device Recalls

Wednesday, January 9, 2019 - 13:49 • By Stephanie Van Ness, Rex Palmer • UX Design, medical device

Usability should be a top priority for medical devices. Yet devices with poor usability still find their way to market.

Are You Investing in UX? Here’s Why You Should

Wednesday, January 9, 2019 - 11:00 • By Stephanie Van Ness • UX Design, product development

It makes financial sense to champion UX design in your product development efforts.

Do You Need a UX Strategy?

Monday, December 24, 2018 - 09:16 • By Dorothy Shamonsky, Ph.D., Stephanie Van Ness • ROI of UX Design, UX

To reap the benefits of UX design, including increased ROI, enhanced productivity and reduced development risk, you need a cogent strategy.

5 Rules for Creating Crowd-Pleasing Interactive Games

Tuesday, November 27, 2018 - 09:35 • By Scott Lozier, Stephanie Van Ness • gamification, web

Here's how to turn fun game-play into a messenger for your brand.

Transformational Medical Devices Deliver Better Patient Outcomes

Friday, May 18, 2018 - 05:38 • By Stephanie Van Ness • medical device

ICS is pushing the medical device industry forward with intuitive products that are carefully designed to aid all caregivers.

Pipelining UX with Product Development Gets You to Market Quicker

Monday, January 22, 2018 - 11:19 • By Mark Hatch, Stephanie Van Ness • UX Design, Software Development, product development

Applying lessons learned from hardware development to speed time-to-market for your next software-dependent product.

Are Your IoT Devices Putting Your Business or Your Customers at Risk?

Thursday, August 31, 2017 - 10:27 • By Peter Winston, Stephanie Van Ness • IoT, Embedded, cybersecurity

Connected devices are mainstream and omnipresent. Still, they're risky. See just how risky.

A Look at How Consumer Electronics and Medical Device Product Development Teams Differ

Thursday, April 6, 2017 - 14:49 • By Stephanie Van Ness • medical device, product development

Consumer electronics and medical device development teams have different priorities. Match your team to your goal.