Alex Lisko

Human Factors Engineer/User Researcher with end-to-end experience spanning exploratory R&D to mass production.

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Professional Experience

Apple
Apple Sept 2021–Present
User Researcher – Human Factors & Product Systems Quality June 2025–Nov 2025
Cupertino, CA
  • Established and scaled user research for a major Apple Vision Pro initiative, designing and executing empirical studies that shaped hardware requirements around comfort, perceptual quality, and human-system interaction.
  • Served as DRI (Directly Responsible Individual) for Apple's fastest large-scale validation study, establishing rigorous research protocols that translated complex human-factors data into critical cross-functional build specifications.
  • Established UX research workflows spanning study planning, heuristic analysis, ergonomic evaluation, and research synthesis, aligning cross-functional teams and translating findings into actionable hardware design decisions.
  • Analyzed quantitative datasets from 200+ participants, translating complex behavioral and biometric data into visual, executive-ready presentations to guide senior leadership on product launch readiness.
  • Owned end-to-end delivery as DRI for immersive 3D environments across two platforms, leveraging rapid 3D prototyping to design and iterate two new lab spaces from the ground up within compressed hardware development cycles.
  • Mentored junior teams through the application of human factors methodologies, providing guidance on study design, heuristic analysis, ergonomic evaluation, and usability testing to elevate research rigor and inform hardware design decisions.
UX Researcher – Apple Intelligence Siri Jan 2024–June 2024
Cupertino, CA
  • Designed and executed 5 major mixed-methods product evaluation frameworks for 5 Apple Intelligence Siri features unveiled at WWDC 2024, operationalizing conversational AI interaction into measurable UX methods.
  • Evaluated non-deterministic AI experiences by running 5+ rapid prototype simulations, establishing actionable evaluation criteria to help ML and engineering partners refine system responsiveness.
  • Conducted and synthesized 700+ hours of qualitative and quantitative user research (including cognitive interviews and think-aloud protocols) to isolate qualitative patterns in model behaviors.
  • Integrated eye-tracking (Tobii) and biometric data across 4+ usability frameworks, translating physical and cognitive workload indicators into concrete algorithmic and UX recommendations.
  • Diagnosed conversational constraints (latency, response quality, search intent misalignment), translating technical audio and system limitations into user-centric UX recommendations that increased feature engagement.
  • Led the development of 3 high-stakes keynote presentations for Apple Intelligence Siri, translating complex product and UX insights into executive narratives presented to senior leadership.
Technical Specialist Sept 2021–Present
Scottsdale, AZ
  • Applied user-centered problem solving to identify user pain points and improve system usability through real-time support and issue resolution.
  • Performed troubleshooting and root-cause analysis across interconnected hardware, software, and service systems.
  • Synthesized insights from direct user interactions to inform systems thinking, human factors analysis, and workflow improvements.
  • Mentored team members on AI-enhanced support strategies, driving knowledge sharing and improving team operational efficiency.
Arizona State Human Computer Interaction Lab
Arizona State Human Computer Interaction Lab Jan 2021–Dec 2021
Human Systems Engineer (Intern) – Human Machine Teaming Jan 2021–Dec 2021
Tempe, AZ
  • Programmed synthetic virtual testbed environments in Environments (Lua) to evaluate human cognitive workload and situational awareness during autonomous search and rescue operations for high-priority research initiatives.
  • Iterated user-facing copy, tutorial instructions, and interactive UI frameworks within simulation environments, leveraging empirical behavioral data to improve operator training efficiency.

Education

Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering
Master of Science – User Experience (UX)
Arizona State University – Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, Tempe, AZ
  • Thesis Project: Led UX design investigations on perceptual systems, integrating universal design, accessibility, anthropometric analysis, and ergonomics for inclusive solutions.
Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Human Systems Engineering
Arizona State University – Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, Polytechnic Campus
  • Capstone Project: Led an end-to-end UX redesign for the Apple Health app, conducting user research to map user journeys and building interface solutions in Figma for formal panel review.

Technical Skills

UX Research & Evaluation

Mixed-Methods Research, Usability Testing, User Research, Survey Design, A/B Testing, Eye-Tracking, Biometric Research, AR/VR Evaluation, Remote/In-Person Testing, Qualitative & Quantitative Analysis, Experimental Design

UX/UI & Design

Interaction Design, UI Design, Color Theory, Typesetting, Human-Centered Design, Design Thinking, Prototyping, Visual Communication, Presentation Design, Apple Human Interface Guidelines (HIG)

AI & Product Expertise

Generative AI, Conversational AI, Multimodal Interaction, AI Product Evaluation, LLMs, Spatial Computing/AR

Design & Research Tools

Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, HTML, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Keynote, Qualtrics, Excel, R, Python, SPSS, SQL, Tableau

Certifications & Awards

Systems Engineering — Lockheed Martin Engineering Program UC Boulder Engineering
Google Professional AI Certificate ID: XXGOP400K2W9
Google Project Management ID: 5JZU34VZ6P2R
Anthropometry, Biomechanics, and Motor Skills in UX Design ID: M0IH3Z6KUR02
Rapid Prototyping Using 3D Printing Specialization Program ID: M0IH3Z6KUR02
Foundations of Software Testing & Validation ID: 7D7GUWHQ1F1T
Meta Front End Development ID: ZSLV5UV737EA
Python for Data Science, AI & Development ID: MMCQHAUKTHX5
IRB – Social and Behavioral Research Group 2 (CITI Program) ID: 40497225