Open to opportunities

Dawson Cole

@dawsoncole

Message

UX designer and web builder using user research to streamline hospitality and service experiences.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I want to implement research and design strategies that enhance and streamline experiences with food, hospitality, and travel—translating user interviews and usability testing into shippable web and UX improvements.

I’ve designed and built websites for local hospitality businesses, including a restaurant site with 120+ CMS menu items and ongoing reservation onboarding that supported 500+ table reservations. I also restored and uploaded 250+ portfolio images for a historic artist studio—turning messy assets into a usable online experience.

At HostHelpr (remote), I optimized short-term rental host and local service-provider journeys by refining UI and information architecture, then backed design iterations with user interviews, competitive analysis, and usability testing results. I bring that same research-to-prototype workflow to UX/web work across hospitality, food, and travel.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Restaurant Host, UX/Web Designer

Current

Tavern on Twelve

Oct 2025 - Present (10 months)

Designed and built website for local restaurant, detailing 120+ CMS menu items, social media & event coordinator, generated 12k+ unique page views in a 4 month duration. Onboarded local startup online reservation software, accounted for 500+ table reservations in a 3 month duration.

Web Design CMS Social Media Event Coordination

Project Archivist, UX/Web Designer

Kiebdaj Studio

Jun 2025 - Apr 2026 (10 months)

Restored, scanned, and uploaded 250+ images to portfolio website designed and built for historic local artist studio.

Scanning Web Design Portfolio Management

Art Preparator

Michigan City Public Art Committee

Jun 2025 - Apr 2026 (10 months)

Installed, maintained, and deinstalled community-based art installations, coordinated with curators and clients.

Art Installation Maintenance Client Coordination

UX Designer/Researcher

HostHelpr

Jul 2023 - Dec 2023 (5 months)

Optimized transactions between short-term rental hosts and local service providers by refining website UI and information architecture, increased monthly active users & customer retention rate by 30% over a 5 month period. Conducted user interviews, competitive and design analysis, synthesized data via affinity mapping and spreadsheets, implemented design solutions based on usability testing resul

UX Design User Research UI Design Information Architecture Usability Testing Competitive Analysis

Restaurant Host, UX Designer

Lady Jaye

Oct 2022 - Aug 2023 (10 months)

Facilitated reservations, sat & serve habitués, front-of-house operations, social media/marketing specialist. Developed eCommerce design solutions based on user research, iterated design based on user and client feedback, and presented a pitch deck regarding business and marketing implications of the design.

Reservations Social Media Marketing E commerce Design User Research Pitch Decks

Logistics Supply Chain Specialist

Ambrosia Wine Selection LLC

Nov 2021 - Feb 2023 (1 year 3 months)

Promoted and sold a range of premier wines to 18+ establishments, including restaurants, hotels, and retailers. Analyzed market trends, monitored competitor activity, leveraged customer feedback, exceeded annual sales quota.

Sales Market Analysis Customer Feedback Supply Chain

Receptionist

Hotel Indigo

Sep 2019 - Mar 2020 (6 months)

Managed front-desk operations, utilized Sabre (GDS) for flight crews/guests, coordinated with housekeeping and maintenance teams to ensure room readiness/upkeep, raised annual guest satisfaction score.

Front Desk Operations Sabre GDS Coordination

Intern

Wisconsin Education Association Council

May 2019 - Sep 2019 (4 months)

Outreach program advisor for the state's largest teachers' union. Daily newsletter, graphic design, industrial printer/scanner management, consolidating item quotes.

Outreach Newsletters Graphic Design Print Management