PNNL

Russ Burtner is an Experience Advisor in Research Computing at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), with over 30 years of expertise in human-computer interaction, user research, software design, and vision exploration. His work focuses on collaborative analytic user experiences, natural user interfaces, immersive computing, and human-in-the-loop analysis of large, complex, multi-modal data. Since joining PNNL in 2009 as a User Experience Computer Scientist in Visual Analytics, he has built and led teams in visualization, insight, and innovation. He became Team Lead in 2012, Group Lead for Visual Analytics in 2014, and later contributed to the Future of Work Initiative in 2019, where he helped shape hybrid work and inclusion strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, he joined Research Computing, and in 2023, became Group Lead for Human-Centered Design and Innovation before moving into his current role as an Experience Advisor. At PNNL, Russ leads efforts in Digital Twin and Robotics within the Foundations of Autonomy Initiative, PI for SmartLabs and Sensor Platform as well as Human-Centered Design and the lead in the Innovation Foundry. Prior to his tenure at PNNL, he gained extensive product development experience with Microsoft, Alki Software, Disney, and Oxygen Media. His current interests lie in advancing human-centered design as a laboratory capability, operationalizing generative AI, developing innovation practices, and contributing to strategy, vision development, and project leadership across diverse domains.

Pacific Northwest National Lab - 2021 - Present

10.2025 to present

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
User Experience Advisor
   Russ leads efforts in Digital Twin and Robotics within the Foundations of Autonomy Initiative, PI for SmartLabs and Sensor Platform as well, user research, product design and the lead in the Innovation Foundry

3.2021 – 9.2025

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Human Centered Design and Innovation Group Lead
   Managed group of 34 staff ranging from User Experience, User Research, Technology specialists, Program Management, Software Engineers and interns across three teams in the Research Computing Division. The goal of Research Computing is to support scientific inquiry and the accelerate research outcome across the lab in areas like Innovation, SmartLabs, Human Centered Design, Generative AI and Technology Exploration.

1.2017 – 3.2021
   Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Visual Analytics Technical Group Manager
   Managed Visual Analytics group of 52 staff ranging from Software Engineers, computer Scientists, Project Managers and user experience engineers. Established hiring practices, performed reviews, managed a budget and mentored staff. Developed strategy, mission and vision for the group. Coordinated a research agenda and worked with staff, sponsors and senior leadership to implement and advance current state of the art in visual analytics.

9.2015 – 1.2017
   Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
User Experience Technical Team Lead
   Managed user experience team of 8 user experience research scientists that supported the Visual Analytics group and Computational and Statistical Analysis division. Established hiring practices, performed reviews, and mentored staff. Developed and marketed research capability for Immersive Analytics using Virtual and Augmented Reality.

7.2009 – 9.2015
   Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Senior User Experience Lead
   Business development, project management, art direction, user experience research, interaction design, information visualization, production and development. Research involved clients from DHS, NSA, DOE and many others, focused mainly on tools and research for interacting, visualizing and understanding large complex data structures. Established user experience capability and hired staff to support Visual Analytic Group and Computational and Statistical Analysis division. Created and managed and Established Interactive Demonstration Center for novel natural user interface research and demonstration of Visual Analytic group research and products.

Microsoft - 2002 - 2009

10.2005 – 7.2009
   Microsoft Corporation, Redmond WA
User Experience Lead
   Position of many roles including management, project management, art direction, user experience design, interaction design, production and development. Projects involved vision for the Microsoft Business Division articulated in web, video, whitepapers and customer facing installations utilizing leading edge technologies and interface methods. Managed 4 fulltime employees, a 1.3 million dollar budget and multiple large scale projects. Presented and communicated with high level executives, project leads, development and marketing.

9.2002 – 10.2005
   Microsoft Corporation, Redmond WA
Product Designer
   Helped start and build the Information Worker New Markets group within Microsoft. Set up budget, process and best practices for the IWNM Creative group. Accountable for User experience, information architecture, advanced prototypes, UI specification and design processes across multiple Solution Accelerators, Personal Solutions, internal websites and the Center for Information Work in a rapid turnaround environment. Solutions include Office Phone, Proposals, Recruiting, Healthcare, Case Management and Information Bridge Framework. Worked in a design team with peers from usability, PM, Dev, Test, and UA. Managed several Contract designers and helped drive design requirements in a product lifecycle model.

6.2002 – 9.2002
   Microsoft Corporation, Redmond WA
Product Manager
   Provided UI and Art Direction for an e-commerce system. Wrote technical specs and business requirement documents to support on-boarding of tenants to the platform.  Built working prototypes to show the possibilities of configurations and for usability studies.

9.2000 – 6.2002
   Alki Software, Seattle WA
Art Director, Illustrator
   Provided art direction and illustration for a number of on online properties. Illustrated over 350 spot illustrations. Coded HTML, CSS, XSL and XML. Designed and built numerous demos for the web, Win CE devices and for mail and calendar software.

6.1999 – 9.2000
   Oxygen Media, Seattle WA
Art Director
   Provided design, illustration, html production and animation to the various brands of Oxygen media. Oxygen.com is a multimedia company targeting women on the internet and on TV. We launched 16 websites and a cable network in 1999.

9.1995 – 6.1999 
   Raster Ranch, Seattle WA
Art Director, Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Animator
   Provided design, illustration and animation to the clients of Raster Ranch. Raster Ranch's client list included Microsoft, Disney, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Hewlett Packard, EA Sports and the Belo group. RasterRanch's object was to provide design and content for any screen. We were a company with high bandwidth in mind at a low bandwidth budget.

9.1993 – 9.1995
   Waterfront Publishing, Seattle WA
designer/illustrator/production manager
   Provided illustration and design to 5 internationally publish magazines. Managed tight deadlines, editorial illustration, feature and cover design and press checks on a Weekly basis. Magazines included Simply Seafood, Spa Magazine, Seafood Leader and Alaska Fishermen's Journal. The company targeted the seafood industry worldwide and was quickly branching off to provide services to health and spa clientele.

2019    Multi-domain situational awareness for infrastructure monitoring, US Patent 10,497,071

2018     Search Systems and Computer-Implemented Search Methods, US Patent 20,160,110,384

2015     METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INFORMATION RETRIEVAL AND AGGREGATION FROM INFERRED USER REASONING, US Patent 20,150,347,576

2013     Visual Representation of Data According to an Abstraction Hierarchy, US Patent 20,130,044,114

2012     Dual module portable devices, US Patent 8,121,640

2011     Unified communication escalation, US Patent 8,001,204

2009     Method and system for document assembly, US Patent 7,577,906

2009     SEPARABLE DISPLAYS AND COMPOSABLE SURFACES, US Patent App. 12/477,426

2009     CREATING A VIRTUAL MOUSE INPUT DEVICE, Patent App. 12/474,225

2009     VIRTUAL INPUT DEVICES CREATED BY TOUCH INPUT, US Patent App. 12/474,205

2009     Virtual inking using gesture recognition, US Patent App. 12/474,212

2009     Shared Collaboration Canvas, US Patent App. 12/472,101

2009     Two Sided Slate Device, US Patent App. 12/469,592

2009     Grid Windows, US Patent App. 12/467,983

2009     Radially expanding and context-dependent navigation dial. US Patent 7,509,348

2009     Projected Way-Finding, US Patent App. 12/407,058

2009     Canvas Manipulation Using 3D Spatial Gestures, US Patent App. 12/407,128

2009     Tear-Drop Way-Finding User Interfaces, US Patent App. 12/407,009

2006     DESKTOP ASSISTANT FOR MULTIPLE INFORMATION TYPES, US Patent App. 11/468,967

• Human Centered Design
• Use Experience
• Innovation Foundry
• Innovation Portal
• Innovation Blog
• SmartLabs

• Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design, Central Washington University