I’ve been working on the web since 2002, in nearly every role you can imagine. I started as a front-end developer and moved on to focusing on content strategy, UX design, and digital strategy in recent years. My diverse experience enables me to fill a unique role in teams, bridging the gap between designers, developers, and all the other areas that are necessary to build and maintain websites and software.
I’m especially interested in accessibility, and I’m a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC).
In the early part of my career, I was lucky enough to work at some pretty awesome places, such as the Library of Congress, AARP, Fannie Mae, and the Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights. I’ve also worked for Ralph Nader.
In 2012, I started speaking at design and tech conferences, where I give presentations on topics such as UX design, mobile strategy, and responsive design. Lately I’ve been talking a lot about ethics for designers and developers. I have given talks or workshops at more than 70 events so far. I also create online courses for LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com) and I’ve taught in the web developer fast track program at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT)
I wrote a book called Learning Responsive Web Design: A Beginner’s Guide, which was published in 2014 by O’Reilly Media. This book is a start-from-the-beginning introduction to responsive design, targeted towards designers, project managers, department heads, and others who may have trouble getting into the many more technical, developer-focused books on responsive design. It’s great for the members of your team who are having trouble understanding the concept of responsive design, and everything that needs to happen to make a responsive website work well.
I recently moved back to Chicago (nearly 20 years after the first time I lived there) and I’m so excited to be back in the midwest. I grew up in central Wisconsin (lots of cows), and I’ve also lived in Houston, Washington, DC, Montreal, and Calgary. As of 2019, I’m a dual U.S./Canadian citizen!
In my free time I read, go camping and hiking, and visit quirky museums.
Book
- Learning Responsive Web Design,
O’Reilly Media, 2014
Some Other Writing
- I’m a Daydream Believer
The Human in the Machine, August 2017 - Make Your Type Look Good on Any Device.
net magazine, June 2015.
(Sidebars: How fonts affect your website’s performance & How alignment and hyphenation improve your text’s impact) - Responsive Web Design: How to Make Websites That Look Great on Any Screen.
Technori, February 11, 2013
Additionally, I served as a technical editor and/or technical proofreader for Getting Started With High Performance Web Design (2015), Smashing Magazine (2012-2013), and The Mobile Book (2012).
Online Courses
- Responsive Layout with CSS Grid & Flexbox – available on Lynda.com and LinkedIn Learning, October 2018
- Career Clinic: Developer Insights – available on Lynda.com and LinkedIn Learning, February 2018
- HTML & CSS: Creating Forms – available on Lynda.com and LinkedIn Learning, August 2017
Podcast Episodes
- TalkScript, Episode 13, August 14, 2018
Lying to the Browser/Advertising Alcohol to Alcoholics (LIVE AT NEJS) - CTRL+CLICK CAST, March 12, 2015
Responsive Typography with Clarissa Peterson
Selected Press & Etc.
- Anger over gun laws voiced at March for Our Lives in Calgary
Global News Calgary, March 24, 2018 (video interview) - [英]《学习响应式设计》作者Clarissa Peterson:响应式设计并不是万能的(图灵访谈)
iTuring, September 1, 2015 (interview in English) - Giving Women in STEM a Voice
Huffington Post Canada, February 12, 2015 - Responsive typography: The intersection of design and usability
WebVisions, August 6, 2014 - Clarissa Peterson on More Accessible Responsive Web Design
How Design, July 23, 2014 - Summit ’14: Talking with Clarissa Peterson
Society for Technical Communication, May 2014 - Startup seeks misfit phones to test Web experience
Washington Business Journal, September 21, 2012