IDEAS. TALENT. INSIGHT.
THREE UNIQUE SOLUTIONS.
ONE GOAL.
Helping our clients achieve their goals through Human-Centered Design solutions, Mediabarn provides a full service Experience Design Studio, Market Research Facilities, and Creative Staffing.
WHAT WE DO
Focused on human-centered design, we see ourselves as an extension of your organization, and this is at the heart of everything we do. With a full-service experience design studio, state of the art market research facilities, and creative staffing services, we are the experts in powering some of the most critical work an organization needs to be successful in today’s competitive market.
OUR SOLUTIONS
HCD Consulting
As Human-Centered Design (HCD) experts, we live and breath user perspective and make it the core of everything we deliver to clients.
Talent Acquisition
Focusing specifically on creative and UX staffing, we are able to create matches between employers and employees that ensure longevity and effectiveness.
Research & Usability
Market Research makes things better: products, websites, and customer experiences. Our research team and facilities can handle any size project.
FEATURED CLIENTS
OUR LEADERSHIP
Mauro Scappa
VP, Placement Services
Greg Herring
VP, Strategy & Operations
FOUNDER, CEO
KEITH DEAVEN
As CEO and Co-Founder, Keith has led Mediabarn for over 20 successful years combining the benefits of a user experience research practice, creative agency, and placement services firm under one roof.
Prior to Mediabarn, Keith began his career at AOL, where he learned what was necessary to design and build world class interactive products from some of the most talented people in the industry. Starting with jobs encompassing project management and product design, he worked his way up to become the Executive Director of the Producer Team in the AOL Studio.
Keith earned a B.S. degree in Labor & Industrial Relations from Penn State University, and currently serves on the Board of Uplifting Athletes, a national non-profit organization that harnesses the power of sport to build a community that invests in the lives of people impacted by rare diseases.
In his free time, Keith enjoys traveling, cooking, cycling, and serving his cat.
CO-FOUNDER, PRINCIPAL
JASON PENTECOST
As Principal and Co-Founder of Mediabarn, clients and associates rely heavily on Jason for his breadth of interactive experience and his keen perception of where the industry is heading. He works closely with our key clients and is never too far from anything that goes on at the ‘barn.
Jason is responsible for implementing the latest technology behind the focus group and usability suites. Over the years, he has stood up numerous facilities for our clients.
Before co-founding Mediabarn, Jason worked at AOL for nearly ten years, defining technical design and setting technical standards for the AOL service while managing a team of designers. He was called on by AOL’s most strategic clients including The NFL, The Coca-Cola Company, TiVo, Pfizer and ABC to help develop successful online properties, and he was behind some of the network’s groundbreaking firsts, including the first use of animation and incorporating audio on the AOL Network.
Jason received a B.A.in History from the University of Arizona and a J.D. from Widener School of Law.
VP, PLACEMENT SERVICES
MAURO SCAPPA
A seasoned leader of a premier digital staffing agency specializing in both commercial and government sectors. With over 20 years of experience navigating complex hiring landscapes, ensuring client satisfaction, and driving growth. He has demonstrated expertise in aligning business objectives with top-tier talent acquisition strategies in a competitive creative and tech industry.
Having cultivated long lasting relationships within large commercial clients as well as digital agencies like AKQA, Digitas, iCrossing, Fantasy, Ogilvy, and Pubicis/Sapient, he’s brought these same strategies, best practices, and creative trends into the civic tech space in hopes of improving recruitment, hiring, and retention within the federal government. As an active participant within leading industry organizations including AIGA, DCUX, DSC, SDN-DC, and UXPA, he’s spoken on numerous topics including hiring trends, job search, career advice, and recruitment strategies for design and tech.
Outside of work, Mauro is a husband, father, and fanatic of French Bulldogs, biking, brewing, and booze in barrels.
VP, STRATEGY & OPERATIONS
GREG HERRING
As VP of Strategy & Operations, Greg is responsible for the day-to-day operation of Mediabarn’s Experience Design group (affectionately called “the studio”) whose commitment is to provide high-quality research-informed solutions for our federal government and commercial clients. Always making sure all the dots are connected, his current responsibilities span several phases of operation including business development, capture management and proposal writing, program management and delivery, and contract management.
Over the course of his tenure at Mediabarn, he has worked to advance the company’s evolution to the specialized customer experience and human-centered design (HCD) firm it is today.
Prior to Mediabarn, Greg worked at AOL, where ease of use was at the core of the company’s product design philosophy. There he held a variety of leadership roles in production and marketing organizations. Early on, he produced high-visibility digital properties and live events. In his first management role, he built and scaled a publishing operations group that supported the entire AOL online service. Later as a Director, Greg led strategic account teams in managing delivery of some of the company’s largest and most complex integrated marketing, advertising, and e-commerce partnerships.
Greg earned a 5-year Engineering degree from Penn State University and has completed executive education coursework at M.I.T. Sloan School of Management. An experienced musician, when spare time presents itself, he can be found at his other office, behind the drum kit!
VP, CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE RESEARCH
HEATHER GAY
Heather possesses over 30 years of research management experience and has a unique ability to see situations from the user’s perspective. She advocates for user testing to improve customer experiences, offering strategic insights and actionable recommendations that balance user needs and business priorities.
Heather is passionate about understanding consumer behavior. Her skillful interviews uncover valuable insights that might otherwise go unnoticed. She has supported clients in healthcare, banking, technology, and education across public and private sectors and has published several articles on user testing and research practices.
Heather has spoken at various user research conferences and moderated over 5,000 research sessions worldwide. She holds an MBA with an emphasis in Marketing from the University of San Francisco, a BA in International Affairs with a minor in Psychology from The George Washington University and is a graduate of RIVA’s Moderator Training School. She is currently completing a certificate from MIT’s Sloan School of Management.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
READY TO SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE AN IMPACT?
Celebrating 20 Years.
To our employees, clients, friends, and family—thank you. Your trust, talent, and unwavering support have shaped our journey and fueled our passion. The past two decades have been filled with amazing memories and inspiration, and we couldn't have done it without you!