Hello, I'm

Jacob Benedict

User Researcher & Human Factors Engineer

From spacecraft displays to sportsbook apps optimizing human-machine interactions through rigorous data and design.

Specializing in usability testing, cognitive psychology, and complex system optimization. Currently driving data-informed design decisions at BetMGM.

Get in Touch LinkedIn ResearchGate
Jacob Benedict

About

I am a researcher obsessed with the "Why" behind user behavior. With a background bridging safety-critical aerospace environments and high-velocity consumer products, I bring a unique perspective to User Experience.

My approach combines the rigor of Human Factors engineering, learned while working on NASA crew displays, with the agility of modern product discovery. Whether reducing error rates in a lunar lander simulation or streamlining the live-betting flow for millions of users, my goal remains the same: designing intuitive experiences grounded in cognitive psychology.

Experience

Sep 2024 - Present

User Researcher II

BetMGM · Jersey City, NJ
  • Lead Research Strategy: Spearhead user research for the Sportsbook app, ensuring features like live betting and data visualization meet user needs through iterative, data-informed design.
  • Strategic Impact: Drive the product operating model transition and execute discovery research that shapes the long-term product vision.
  • Cross-Functional Leadership: Facilitated UX workshops for two consecutive years at internal product summits and presented findings to leadership.
  • Community Engagement: Featured speaker at the "Friends of Figma" event hosted by BetMGM.
BetMGM App UI
Apr 2022 - Sep 2024

User Researcher

BetMGM · Jersey City, NJ
  • Validation & Discovery: Collaborated with designers and product managers to conduct validation research, directly improving the Sportsbook UX.
  • Feature Development: Executed discovery research that defined the requirements for key product features prior to development.
Sep 2019 - Apr 2022

Human Factors Engineer

Aegis Aerospace (MEIT) · Houston, TX
  • HLS Display Development: I was the NASA human factors display lead working with multiple companies prototyping displays for the Lunar Lander contract. These duties included working with the bidding companies as well as other NASA teams to design displays for each system. Conducting initial prototype evaluations with crew, and presenting the results.
  • Orion Display Design: Work with various subsystem teams to help design Orion crew displays, and to ensure displays follow requirements, and follow display usability guidelines.
  • Orion Display Evaluations: Design and conduct Human in the loop user evaluations to evaluate the usability and overall design of the onboard with crew members. These evaluations range from simple static display evaluations, to utilizing flight like simulators. Crew workload, error rate, and usability ratings were the primary measures of the display evaluations.
  • Aegis STAR Award 2019, 2021: The STAR award is an award that recognizes individuals for outstanding performance based on peer submissions throughout the year.
NASA Orion Cockpit Concept
May 2019 - Sep 2019

Intern

KBR, Inc. · Houston, TX

As a member of the human health and performance team at Johnson space center I read technical documents in order to evaluate compliance with human factors requirements. I also assisted in human in the loop testing of the Orion displays and control system as well as other hardware for the spacecraft.

Jan 2019 - May 2019

Human Factors Engineer

AVESCA · Central Florida

AVESCA is a small human factors consulting company in Central Florida. Duties included creating online surveys and conducting focus groups.

Jan 2018 - May 2019

Graduate Research Assistant

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Worked in both the Research in User eXperience Lab (RUX) and the Game-Based Education & Advanced Research Studies GEARS lab. As part of these labs I designed , ran, and presented several research studies. There ranged from user experience of everyday items as well as emerging Augmented and virtual reality devices. Other tasks included IRB training, developing surveys, analyzing data in SPSS, and presenting research at national research conferences.

Fall 2017 - Spring 2019

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Pennsylvania State University, Erie, The Behrend College, Visualization Assessment and Training Lab

Helped develop studies related to cognition and wayfinding using technology. The primary studies I was involved with utilized eye tracking, a secondary used Pokémon go and gps tracking. Duties included run participant sessions for studies, assist in writing grants, analyze data in SPSS, assist in training research assistants, and presented research at 5 research conferences (1 international, 2 regional, and 2 national)

Education

M.S. Human Factors

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

B.S Psychology, focus in Human Factors Psychology

Penn State University

Publications

The Intuitiveness of Gesture Control with a Mixed Reality Device

Article Nov 2019 · Proceedings of the HFES Annual Meeting

Usability Testing of a Virtual Reality Tutorial

Article Nov 2019 · Proceedings of the HFES Annual Meeting

An Eye-Tracking Analysis of a Restaurant Menu

Article Nov 2019 · Proceedings of the HFES Annual Meeting

Flow Immersion, Presence, Emotion, & Workload Differ in Virtual Reality and Traditional Game Mediums

Conference Paper Sep 2018 · Proceedings of the HFES Annual Meeting

The Relationship of Eye Movement, Workload, and Attention on Learning

Conference Paper Sep 2016 · Proceedings of the HFES Annual Meeting

Research Projects

Gesture Control in Mixed Reality (Microsoft HoloLens)

The Goal: Investigate the efficiency and intuitiveness of various gesture controls used to operate the HoloLens.

My Role: Conduct a literature review, develop study methodology, manage research assistants, and perform data analysis.

Website Usability & Heuristic Evaluation

The Goal: Evaluate and improve the user experience of a nonprofit organization’s web presence.

My Role: Lead a team of student researchers, design the study protocol, and present actionable recommendations for UI changes.

Navigation in Virtual Environments

The Goal: Test the effects of foreign environments on spatial navigation skills and spatial cognition using VR headsets.

My Role: Develop study design, oversee participant sessions, and analyze results regarding flow immersion and workload.

Contact

Feel free to reach out for collaborations or opportunities.

jacob@jacobbenedict.com