Emily Trent
I'm a Senior UX Manager and Product Designer with 10+ years at Harvard Business Publishing, where I lead a design team building AI-powered tools for educators worldwide.
I work at the intersection of complex systems and real human needs — from AI chat assistants and AI-generated content tools to design systems that scale.
I'm currently leading UX for a suite of AI initiatives at HBP — designing AI tools that feel trustworthy and genuinely useful for educators, not just technically impressive.
Selected Work
10+ years at Harvard Business Publishing, designing digital learning experiences from the ground up.
AI Advisor
I lead UX for an AI assistant that helps educators find course materials and prepare to teach them. Seven studies across eight months — 74% open-to-chat rate in beta.
Read case study →AI Case Notes
An AI tool that generates custom teaching notes for Harvard Business cases. Launched January 2026 — 85% of users said it saved them time (target: 70%).
Read case study →AI Coursepack Refresh
A year-long exploration into AI-assisted course planning — from educator interviews and personas to a closed beta with measurable time savings.
Read case study →Design Systems at HBP
Introduced design systems to Harvard Business Publishing. +25 educator registrations per day, year over year.
Read case study →Coursepack Redesign
Untangling HBP's most complex educator workflow through stakeholder workshops, design sprints, and multiple rounds of user testing.
Read case study →Harvard ManageMentor
Redesigning a global leadership development platform — an early career case study in designing for scale.
View project →Print, freelance, and personal work
View other projects →Research Resources
FigJam templates I design and sell so other researchers can run a cleaner study — from planning to presenting the decision.
Plan, Interview Guide, and Synthesis boards also available individually
Visit my Gumroad store ↗Research-first. Human-centered. Ten years at Harvard.
I've spent my career designing tools that help people learn — from design systems to AI assistants. The most interesting challenge I've found is making AI feel trustworthy enough to actually change how someone works.
More about meWhat collaborators say
"Emily's exemplary work on the AI Case Notes beta was foundational to the success of one of HBI Education's most important AI initiatives in FY26."
"Her positive attitude and willingness to try new things made her a go-to person when things needed to get done."
"Emily's ability to quickly generate and synthesize research, communicate design choices, and move the team toward aligned decisions significantly accelerated progress."
Let's work together
I'm always glad to connect with people working at the intersection of AI and meaningful user experiences, whether to trade ideas, collaborate, or talk about what's next. The best way to reach me is by email.
Get in touchor find me on LinkedIn