# Roger Branon Rodriguez > Creator of Emote | Behavioral Systems Designer | Trust-Centered AI for Healthcare, Retail & Enterprise | UX Research & Responsible Design Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/rogerbranonrodriguez I created Emote—a behavioral framework that makes AI systems accountable, predictable, and humane at moments where trust is thin. Grounded in trauma-informed care principles and therapeutic communication frameworks, Emote gives teams a reviewable way to operationalize emotional intelligence in AI agents, automated workflows, and decision-support systems. My background spans UX research, behavioral design, accessibility, and healthcare SaaS—domains where clarity, restraint, and trust aren't optional. I've spent my career in high-stakes spaces where systems must pause, clarify, and repair—not just optimize. Emote synthesizes that work into behavioral contracts for the moments that matter: - Before meaning forms (Expectation Setting) - When meaning breaks (Ambiguity Detection) - When boundaries are crossed (Consent Confirmation) - When trust ruptures (Repair & Apology) - When trust must continue (State Reorientation) I work with retailers, healthcare companies, and enterprise teams who recognize that AI behavior—not just AI capability—determines user trust, retention, and long-term success. Based in San Francisco Bay Area. Let's build things that treat people with care. ## Work Experience ### Founder @ Emote Behavioral Framework Jan 2025 – Present | San Francisco Bay Area Founder Emote Behavioral Framework Jan 2025 - Present Designed and published Emote—a behavioral constitution for intelligent systems grounded in trauma-informed care and therapeutic communication principles. Emote provides reviewable behavioral contracts for AI agents, automated workflows, and decision-support systems, with specific patterns for trust-sensitive moments: Expectation Setting, Ambiguity Detection, Interpretive Support, Consent Confirmation, Repair & Apology, and State Reorientation. Framework components: - 6 canonical trust moments (temporal trust arc) - 20+ behavioral tokens (reusable commitments) - 6 core patterns (moment-specific contracts) - Authoring guide and governance model Target applications: Healthcare AI, retail automation, enterprise decision support, accessibility-first systems. Skills: Behavioral Design, Trust-Centered AI, Trauma-Informed Design, Therapeutic Communication, Pattern Languages, Responsible AI ### Company Owner @ WOODNOSE Jan 2017 – Present | Vermont, United States Co-Founder & Owner Woodnose – Producer of Sacré Co-founded Woodnose with Justin Branon Rodriguez, creating Sacré, a first-of-its-kind non-alcoholic aperitif crafted from Vermont maple syrup and fair-trade coffee. Led product vision, brand development, and market positioning, helping establish Sacré as a pioneering entry in the no & low ABV beverage movement. Key contributions: Directed R&D from concept to market, developing a complex, wine-occasion-worthy beverage recognized by sommeliers, chefs, and mixologists. Managed partnerships with fine dining establishments and specialty retailers, expanding brand presence across multiple markets. Oversaw brand storytelling, marketing, and packaging design, building a distinctive identity in a rapidly growing category. Represented Woodnose at industry events, panels, and tastings, championing innovation in non-alcoholic beverage culture. Applied user research and sensory profiling techniques to refine flavor balance and customer experience. ### Senior UX Researcher @ symplr Jan 2024 – Jan 2025 Designed and executed research strategies that uncovered user pain points and informed provider credentialing solutions across symplr’s healthcare operations platform. Conducted in-depth studies (interviews, usability testing, card sorting, surveys, workflow analyses) to ensure the platform met the needs of providers, credentialers, and administrators. Partnered cross-functionally with PM, Design, and Engineering to integrate insights directly into roadmaps and product decisions. Embedded accessibility & WCAG principles into research recommendations, improving usability for diverse user groups. Created and maintained personas, journey maps, and workflow models that clarified complex healthcare processes and aligned teams around user needs. Facilitated stakeholder workshops and research debriefs that drove prioritization and user-centered outcomes. Led iterative testing cycles to validate solutions, refine workflows, and ensure measurable improvements in adoption and efficiency. ### Senior UX Design & Strategy Lead @ symplr Jan 2020 – Jan 2024 Led end-to-end design for provider credentialing platforms, shaping information architecture, wireframes, prototypes, and polished interfaces that simplified complex workflows. Partnered with cross-functional teams (PM, Ops, Engineering) to define goals, scope MVP → V2, and deliver user-centered solutions that balanced business objectives and user needs. Conducted comprehensive research initiatives (interviews, journey mapping, usability testing) to uncover workflow pain points and opportunities for automation. Contributed to scalable design systems (symplr Alloy), creating reusable patterns and frameworks that improved design efficiency and consistency across multiple products. Advocated for accessibility and inclusion, embedding WCAG-compliant practices and championing equitable solutions for diverse healthcare users. Facilitated design sprints, workshops, and collaborative sessions that kept stakeholders aligned and accelerated decision-making. Mentored junior designers and researchers, fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and innovation. ### UX Designer & Developer @ Stone Environmental Jan 2017 – Jan 2020 | Montpelier Spearheaded the creation of digital design assets and interactive prototypes (storyboards, user flows, wireframes, mockups) that aligned stakeholder goals with usability best practices. Built and maintained accessible, standards-compliant front-end code (HTML/CSS/SCSS), applying mobile-first principles to improve responsiveness and user experience across platforms. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to translate complex requirements into intuitive workflows, ensuring solutions met business goals and delivered seamless user journeys. Partnered on marketing and branding initiatives, creating consistent visual assets and extending the brand across digital platforms. Championed accessibility and web standards, embedding inclusive design principles to ensure equitable experiences for diverse users. ### UX Designer & Developer @ C2 - Competitive Computing Jan 2004 – Jan 2016 | Colchester, Vermont Delivered award-winning UX design and front-end development for Fortune 500 brands, global retailers, and state agencies, balancing creativity and technical execution to meet business goals. Designed and developed responsive eCommerce and marketing platforms using HTML5/CSS3 and CMS tools (Sitecore, SharePoint, uCommerce), ensuring accessibility and performance across devices. Partnered with cross-functional teams and clients to translate requirements into engaging prototypes, user-centered interfaces, and scalable digital solutions. Provided usability consulting and accessibility best practices, embedding inclusive design into client deliverables. Led UX and design efforts for clients including Keurig, Green Mountain Coffee, Hershey Gifts, Orvis, Omni Hotels, Husky, NRG Systems, and the State of Vermont. Created and taught design workshops for non-technical stakeholders, simplifying web concepts and enabling broader adoption of digital tools. ## Education ### Computer Science State University of New York at Plattsburgh ### Graphic Design Fulton-Montgomery Community College ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/roger-branon-rodriguez --- Source: https://flows.cv/rogerbranonrodriguez JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/rogerbranonrodriguez/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13