Spring 2026
CoMotion Website Performance Analysis
Instructors:
Debra Bouchegnies, CoMotion (dbouch@uw.edu)
Emeritus Professor and Startup Co-Founder Cecilia Aragon (HCDE)
Understanding how users discover, navigate, and engage with a website is a core skill for human-centered designers. In this DRG, students will gain hands-on experience analyzing real-world website performance and digital marketing strategy by working with CoMotion, the University of Washington's innovation hub and technology transfer office. Students will examine how key audiences find and use the CoMotion website, identify where content or UX design may be causing confusion, and develop actionable recommendations for improvement. This is an opportunity to work with live analytics data, build fluency in digital marketing concepts, and practice translating data insights into design decisions — skills directly applicable to careers in UX, product design, and tech.
This DRG will be of particular interest to students who are drawn to entrepreneurship or envision launching their own company in the future.
Experience with Google Analytics 4 is required. Students will receive an initial one-time briefing on digital marketing strategy and tactics. They will use this knowledge to produce a weekly analysis of the CoMotion website, including:
- Short written reports (1–3 paragraphs) with supporting infographics and relevant files (e.g., .csv), conveying observations, insights, and recommendations
- 30-minute virtual meetings in which students share their findings from the previous week
- Full reflections at midterms and finals
To apply, please submit a short email describing your interest and experience along with a one-page resume to: Debra Bouchegnies at dbouch@uw.edu.
Spring 2026
Data Analysis & Visualization Creation - Aviation & Mental Health
Dr. Kimberly Perkins (Research Scientist, HCDE; Airline Pilot) with guidance from Emeritus Professor Cecilia Aragon (HCDE)
1 Credit | ~3 Hours/Week | Limited to 2 Students
We are seeking two graduate students to design high-impact data visualizations from a large survey dataset (n = 2,200) on mental health and aviation.
Students will create:
- Publication-ready charts and graphs
- Infographics for public-facing platforms
- Interactive visualizations for a live website
- Figures for academic papers and industry presentations
Requirements:
- Experience analyzing data in Python (or equivalent, e.g., R)
- Strong data visualization skills (matplotlib, seaborn, plotly, ggplot, D3, etc.)
- Ability to translate quantitative findings into clear, compelling visuals
Commitment:
- ~3 hours/week (1 credit)
- Weekly Zoom meetings; occasional in-person sessions as schedules align
Work may be featured publicly (with credit) on websites, academic papers, and LinkedIn—an opportunity to build a visible professional portfolio.
Interested students should email pilot@uw.edu with a brief description of relevant experience and examples of prior work.
Winter 2026
Pilots, Mental Health, and AI
Professor Cecilia Aragon (HCDE)
Dr. Kimberly Perkins (Research Scientist, HCDE; Airline Pilot)
This DRG will examine how pilots experience and manage mental health challenges, navigate aeromedical policy, and explore how AI can be leveraged to support the development of psychological resilience within aviation systems to support well-being. A primary output goal of this DRG is an academic publication.
Dr. Aragon's DRG Archive